This week, six young Russian cardiologists, traveling as the Sen. Ben Nelson Fellows, visited Omaha and UNMC, touring the campus and the city, as part of the Open World Program, a congressional program that strives to stimulate goodwill and collaboration between the people of Russia, as well as 18 other countries, and the United States.
In 2013, the board of trustees of the Open World Leadership Center voted to create a program of Sen. Ben Nelson Fellows to honor Sen. Nelson’s contribution to Open World and to improving ties between the U.S. and countries of the former Soviet Union.
During their visit, the Russian doctors have met with UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., spoken with UNMC cardiologists, toured the echo lab and cath lab and met with Ali S. Khan, M.D., M.P.H., dean of the UNMC College of Public Health.
Today, they will have lunch with three of UNMC’s biggest supporters — Sen. Nelson, Mike Yanney and Walter Scott Jr. — as well as members of the Friendship Force of Greater Omaha, the group that hosts the visiting scientists. They will finish their visit on Friday with activities that will include a tour of the IEXCEL’s Visualization Hub.
Group facilitator Alexander Khilkov called the Open World Program important in the current environment.
“This is a truly unique opportunity for leaders of our countries in different fields and areas of expertise to come together and discuss issues and matters of common interest.”
Khilkov said his group was impressed by the level of cardiology expertise at UNMC.
“We’re trying to build an ongoing partnership between the two countries,” he said. He praised the efforts of Jane Meza, Ph.D., interim associate vice chancellor for global and student support for UNMC and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Ward Chambers, M.D., emeritus executive director of international health and medical education and one of the UNMC hosts for the group.
“Open World is one of the large-scale initiatives engaging our two countries in direct dialogue, which is crucially important,” Khilkov said. “This program is living proof that we have more to share, to interact, to discuss, than to fight over — we are meant to be partners.”
Vasiliy Maksimovich Osipov, M.D., a cardiologist and primary care physician, said he was enjoying his visit.
“It’s been really enjoyable and interesting,” he said. “I’m like a boy in a candy shop — in town, in the medical center, in the research centers.”
Dr. Gold called the program important.
“As physicians and scientists, we speak the same language and share many of the same challenges and concerns,” he said. “UNMC is proud to be a part of this effort to facilitate dialogue and expertise between our two countries.”
Dr. Meza agreed.
“It is an honor to host the Ben Nelson fellows again this year,” she said. “It’s such a wonderful opportunity to learn from each other and to improve health in our communities.”