Global Health Summit Coming to UMD [AROUND TOWN WITH PHIL]

The UMass Dartmouth College of Nursing will host a Global Health Summit on Tuesday, March 5 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Main Auditorium.

The summit will focus on the right to health care for all and include a presentation of the documentary Bending the Arc about the global efforts of Partners in Health, and includes keynote presentations by (Ret.) Rear Admiral Julia Plotnick, former assistant U.S. Surgeon General and Chief Nurse of the U.S. Public Health Service, and Dr. Joia Mukherjee, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and Chief Medical Officer for Partners in Health.

The event aligns with the College of Nursing’s commitment to global public health and opportunities available for nursing students to engage in a community public health experience. Faculty-led programs are underway in the Azores through the Bridging the Atlantic Alliance, Haiti, Glendora, and locally in New Bedford.

“The College of Nursing advances the University's commitment to preparing all students, nursing and non-nursing alike, for lives as global citizens,” said College of Nursing Dean Kimberly Christopher. “Our goal is for this program is to inspire students, staff, and faculty to advocate for health care for all, regardless of a person’s income, education, or place of birth. The College of Nursing looks forward to demonstrating the many efforts underway to promote student and faculty engagement in our global community and to educate future global citizens.”

Bending the Arc is a powerful documentary following Partners in Health and the work of extraordinary doctors and activists, whose efforts 30 years ago to save lives in a rural Haitian village grew into a global battle for the right to health care for all.

A native of Fall River, Plotnick graduated from the St. Anne’s Hospital School of Nursing and built an extensive career in public health. During her time at the U.S. Public Health Service as community health and maternal/child specialist, she held various national positions and accepted special international assignments with the World Health Organization (WHO).

Mukherjee is the chief medical officer of Partners in Health and an associate professor of medicine and global health and social medicine at Harvard Medical School. She teaches infectious disease, global health delivery, and human rights to health professionals and students from around the world. Dr. Mukherjee has helped to create new residency and fellowship training programs for Rwandan and Haitian physicians as well as global health residencies and fellowships for U.S. trainees at Harvard and other American universities.

A question and answer session will follow the film presentation, along with a panel reflecting on the global public health experiences of UMass Dartmouth faculty and students.

The Global Health Summit is free and open to the public.