In India, Hospitals Are Turning Relatives into Expert Caregivers

Rural hospitals in New Mexico are isolated and scattered across the state, struggling to support low-income communities who have a difficult time getting access to their health care. In 2014, six hospitals banded together to create the New Mexico Rural Hospital Network, a cooperative effort to improve medical care across the small hospitals in the state. The Network has since scaled to ten hospitals and its system has benefited from the exchanges of ideas and an improvement in administrative efficiency.

Patients in U.S. hospitals suffer high rates of infection due to poor practices such as lack of proper hand-washing and lack of sanitization when inserting central line catheters. The Michigan Health and Hospital Association set out to reduce the rate of infection in their Intensive Care Units by developing a 5-step protocol for nurses and doctors to follow when inserting central lines. What they found was astonishing-- following these simple steps reduced the rate of infection to zero within three months of implementation.

The University of Benin Teaching Hospital implemented an Electronic Medical Records system in 2011 that has now been deployed across more than 75% of its services. The system digitally links all hospital departments, including registration, clinics, laboratories and pharmacies, allowing patient information to flow electronically rather than through physical file transfers, preventing medical records from being lost or misfiled as they were in the paper-based system.

Jacquelyn Alvarado, a certified nurse midwife with the Texas A&M Rural and Community Health Institute, travels across Texas to teach rural hospital staff how to deliver babies. Using a mannequin, she runs simulations covering both routine and complicated deliveries for ER nurses, paramedics, and other non-obstetrical staff who may be the only help available when a rural patient goes into labor.

The Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) provided by the federal government is increasing healthcare access for vulnerable populations by renovating dilapidated hospitals and improving access to reliable medical services and resources like medications and potable water.

“Social prescribing” is an increasingly popular approach to healthcare that addresses “social determinants” of health with non-pharmaceutical prescriptions for patients in the form of activities in their local community, such as exercise classes, gardening projects, and even help to get a job or housing. Pilots across the United Kingdom have shown the emotional and physical benefits to patients and the NHS England has committed to increasing the practice nationwide. It relies on decades of research showing people’s sense of self-worth and meaning in their lives play a big role in their physical health.

endoQueer is an online support network that provides a safe space for queer, trans, and non-binary people with endometriosis to build community, get support, and find resources. The site offers rigorously-researched resources, advocacy tips, and mutual aid. LGBTQ2S+ people can also find specific examples of how to advocate for inclusive care. endoQueer was consulted by Canada’s only endometriosis charity to help them create a blog highlighting the experiences of queer, trans, and non-binary people. The site also serves as a resource for health care providers looking to provide supportive and inclusive care.

Maryland's health care system is based on three pillars – all-payer rate setting, a global budget, and total cost of care – that, together, have shown positive results both for the patients and for the state's hospitals. Although evidence of success with regard to health care costs is limited, the model of incentiving investment in community health and preventive care has shown success in reducing readmission rates for hospitals across the state.

In Niger State, not all health clinics are treated equally, but one in the Beji village, Bosso Local Government Area (LGA) acts as a model for other healthcare providers to follow. From proactively educating patients about HIV to offering services most rural health clinics fail to offer, the Beji Primary Health Centre (PHC) "provides all the services a PHC is meant to deliver."

In Karachi, Pakistan’s Jinnah hospital, a private-public partnership between the government and the business sector have brought in over $35 million in donations. Those donations have led to new equipment, buildings, and systems infrastructure to make sure the patients – nearly 5,000 per day – are receiving modern medical care. While the partnership is underscored by the risk of one party backing out, both sides have clear roles and responsibilities to make sure the regions residents receive the care they need.