UNMC recently hosted its annual visit of Senator Ben Nelson Fellows – an ongoing international exchange sponsored in part by the Congressional Office for International Leadership, Open World Program.
The fellows were five physicians and a facilitator from Ukraine, who offered their extensive experience in treating battlefield injuries, while UNMC extended its partnership in opportunities for training. This year’s iteration marks more than a decade of the Nelson Fellows program
The visit included a trip to the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, an all-American Thanksgiving dinner and other friendship-building and leisure activities – mixed with a serious symposium on polytrauma care and rehabilitation from such devastating injuries.
The fellows are respected health care leaders in Ukraine with extensive experience in training, leadership and hands-on medical care on the front lines of battle and bombing and shelling – some have been injured themselves. One removed an unexploded munition from the body of a wounded soldier. They are among teams setting the world standard in battlefield care, just as UNMC has done in biocontainment health care.
They are nominated for this international honor and began their trip to America in Washington, D.C., before several additional days in Nebraska, hosted by UNMC with support from the Friendship Force of Greater Omaha.
“Each year, we look forward to engaging with the Ben Nelson Fellows,” said Jane Meza, PhD, interim vice chancellor for academic affairs and associate vice chancellor for global affairs and strategic planning. “Their insights enrich our understanding, and the UNMC community values the opportunity to exchange knowledge and collaborate with them.”
The fellows met with UNMC leadership and with Nebraska state and federal officials. They took part in tours and presentations with UNMC’s Global Center for Health Security, including the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit, iEXCEL and trauma readiness partnership with the U.S. Air Force, C-STARS. The Nelson Fellows also interacted with UNMC and Nebraska Medicine emergency medicine.
During a tour of iEXCEL, Nelson fellows “test drove” some of the technology and asked about the possibility of interacting with UNMC from a similar iWALL in their home country.
Several had extensive experience in simulation medicine but nevertheless were impressed by the facilities at UNMC.
A spokesman for the group, through an interpreter, said he wished to thank the UNMC community for this visit and hopes it leads to further “possible cooperation among our professionals and leaders to exchange ideas and teach each other to work together,” expressing a wish “that peace will come to Ukraine.”
He said, “We would use our knowledge only for development.”
Another fellow, in his application for fellowship, said, “I expect to gain experience from colleagues and share my own assistance to those affected by polytrauma and war injuries.”
“Exchanging experience with leading specialists at the international level will enhance the quality of medical services in Ukraine and enable me to introduce innovative approaches to my own practice,” said another, who has already carried out more than 3,000 surgical interventions during the 10-year war with Russia.