Heritage Snapshot: Part 242

LOMA LINDA>> For more than 20 years, maturity of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital in Hangzhou, China, and its staff have resulted in research and innovation. Nursing conferences and seminars at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital for more than 20,000 nurses have impacted nursing care and professional development in hospitals throughout China. The unique Advanced Practice in Nursing program was started at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital in 2000. It began with diabetes and wound care,and then extended into IV management, psychological care, pain management and a stroke center. According to Vice President Dr. Jenny Ye, Loma Linda’s influence was not only to embellish scientific and medical techniques, but also how to show caring sensitivity to another human being, to show love and confidence and to create a healing environment. This touching of the heart has greatly impacted visiting hospital administrators and nurses from throughout China. The vice president defined whole person care as including a patient’s physical, psychological, social, cultural and spiritual support. About 600 hospital administrators and nursing directors spend one to three months at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital every year, when it holds three to four education conferences for more than 100 participants. In 2012, an international conference served 600 participants, not only from China, but also from 30 different countries. Because the system is somewhat different from the traditional Chinese hospitals where nurses blindly follow orders, nurses at SRRSH utilize critical thinking and work to understand treatment modalities. They are encouraged to ask questions of physicians and others. A team concept is practiced. Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital nurses have published two books summarizing their core values which guide their practices. Because most of the attending physicians at the SRRSH have participated in its graduate medical education program, they have developed a unique way of interviewing their patients. Their histories and physicals are conducted much more like those of Western physicians and thus they are more aware of social and family-oriented factors that impact quality health care. They are noticeably more focused on their individual patients than are the physicians of other large teaching hospitals in China. They are in a much better position to give high-quality patient care to the new consumers of China, who desire a more personalized type of service. On the other hand, Loma Linda physicians and other staff visiting the China hospital enjoy the opportunity of seeing a totally different health-care system at work that functions very well. According to Daniel W. Giang, MD, vice president for Graduate Medical Education at Loma Linda University Health, “This helps them understand what is part of our health-care system, what is really essential, and what could be changed. That exposure to another health-care system helps residents and students have a much better understanding of systems-based practice here in the United States.” Over the last few years, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital has become much more involved in networking with 20 other teaching hospitals in Zhejiang province, including the nearby, affiliated, 850-bed Zhejiang University Children’s Hospital. This has resulted in numerous exchanges with the Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital. According to Du Lizhong, MD, President of Children’s Hospital, “The Children’s Hospital in Hangzhou participates in senior resident and attending physician mutual exchanges with Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital. These two-month exchanges have been called “mutual stimulation.” The Children’s Hospital also provides clinical skills experience for senior medical students from Loma Linda University School of Medicine and resident physicians from LLUMC. The value of these exchanges to visitors from Loma Linda is mainly their exposure to a different culture. They also get clinical experience treating conditions that are not prevalent in the United States. Annie Zhang, RN, started working as a nurse at Zhejiang University Children’s Hospital in 2006, and is currently a vice president for Facilities Management and International Affairs. She was the first employee of the Children’s Hospital to study in Loma Linda, her first opportunity to study abroad. She witnessed patients arriving by helicopter, and for two months, experienced a specific schedule of classes. She considered it to be a great experience. “I experienced a different culture,” she said, “so I think I learned a lot.” And she has noticed a positive difference in the work of her fellow Children’s Hospital employees following their training at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital. When they return, they enjoy sharing their experiences and appear to feel more open and more confident. “Every time they come back from Loma Linda, they always come to my office and tell me of the great experience there. And every time they come back, they always share their experience with our other staff. So not only does our staff benefit from Loma Linda, the other staff of our hospital also benefits from this program.” In Annie’s opinion, collaboration with Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital is the most successful overseas program in the hospital’s international collaboration since the 1980s. “The Loma Linda program impacts our hospital a lot,” she said. Every year up to eight Children’s Hospital staff go to Loma Linda for training, including exposure to new patient-care procedures that improve outcomes.