Rush sends an otolaryngology team on two global health trips per year to the Dominican Republic where Rush has a well-established presence and a strong relationship with the local community. Residents can participate in one of these week-long trips during their residency. Funding for the trip is provided by global health scholarships and the Department of Otolaryngology. The time spent on the global health trip does not count toward a resident’s vacation time.
Global Health Track
For residents who would like to make a greater commitment to global health and care of medically underserved people, Rush Otolaryngology offers a global health track. Interested residents can apply for to admission to this track in the second half of their PG1 year. The global health track has three core components:
- Participation in a global health trip in both the PG2 and PG4 years of training
- Implementation and publication of a global health quality improvement project
- Serving as a leader and coordinator for the Otolaryngology Department at a Rush-sponsored clinic treating the underserved in Chicago.
The global health track includes two one-week experiences abroad when residents will learn about and provide surgical otolaryngology care for a population in an underserved community. These trips are bridged by a longitudinal care experience in a Rush-sponsored clinic for the underserved in Chicago. The resident will develop a quality improvement project after the first global health trip to be implemented during the second trip and submitted for publication upon completion.
The otolaryngology global health site director is Ashok Jagasia, MD who has been actively engaged in global and community health for many years. He has made multiple surgical trips to the Dominican Republic and has participated in several projects in rural India. He has also been working with the homeless population in Chicago.
As they train in the global health track, residents will become able to assess the needs of the community they will be serving and develop strategies for improving otolaryngology care in that community. They will participate in the process of mobilizing and utilizing resources to support the logistics and planning of a surgical global health trip. Residents in the track will also develop awareness of the unique professional responsibilities and ethical challenges of practicing surgical care on a time and resource limited global health trip.
ONGOING GLOBAL HEALTH PROJECTS AT RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
Access to healthcare and resources in underserved communities has been a longstanding challenge, particularly in Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose, and Throat).
Dr. Ashok Jagasia has dedicated over 11 years to serving these communities, with volunteer work in Chicago's homeless shelters, rural Central Illinois, and the Dominican Republic. He established the Center for Underserved at Rush ENT (CURE initiative), the first center in the nation dedicated to providing otolaryngology services for underserved populations. These efforts integrate clinical services and research to improve care for the underserved.
Integrated Telemedicine Program for the Homeless
Dr. Jagasia launched an otolaryngology program for homeless communities in Chicago five years ago, initially providing in-person care at the Franciscan Homeless Shelter. Over the past year, he developed a model that integrates telemedicine and in-person visits, offering free care in collaboration with audiology. Homeless residents are transported via Uber to and from the clinic, where they receive comprehensive ENT care. The goal is to expand services to all homeless shelters in Chicago.
Global Health and Hearing Program in the Dominican Republic
In the Dominican Republic, where only six audiologists serve 10 million people, Dr. Jagasia has provided surgical services for over 11 years, performing around 400 procedures. Three years ago, he started a hearing program in Peralta, screening about 1,500 children. In collaboration with Rush University’s audiology team, local healthcare workers are trained to conduct hearing screenings, with plans to expand access across the region. A hearing aid donation program has also been established. This work was published in the International Pediatric Journal of Otolaryngology.
Urban-Rural Health Initiative Program
With over 38 counties in Illinois lacking direct access to otolaryngology care, Dr. Jagasia has spent six years caring for patients in rural Illinois. Through the Urban-Rural Health Initiative, he aims to provide the same level of ENT care available in Chicago, offering services that include head and neck surgery, rhinology, and otology. He has also supported homeless communities in Urbana-Champaign through a similar model of in-person and telemedicine care.
Youth Engagement in Medicine
Dr. Jagasia has created a program to expose high school students from underserved communities to careers in medicine. Students rotate with healthcare professionals and present on topics of interest, providing early exposure to the medical field.