The Weill Cornell Medicine Neurosurgery Program in Tanzania was started by Dr. Roger Härtl in 2008. The program focuses on Bugando Hospital in northern Tanzania, a regional center that serves a population of 14 million people, and on the Muhimbili Orthopedic and Neurosurgery Institute in Dar es Salaam. The program consists of several components:
Dr. Härtl and his team train local surgeons to perform basic neurosurgical procedures using locally available equipment and resources. His team conducts “hands-on” training of doctors in Tanzania, empowering them with a high level of expertise in the management of neurosurgical disorders and neurosurgical procedures (Wait and Härtl 2010). Providing the highest level of surgical training to these eager, talented surgeons impacts every other level of care—nursing, anesthesia, intensive care treatment, general ward care. Setting the bar high encourages a positive response and team effort involving all areas (Härtl).
Promising surgeons are selected for a short-term observational fellowship at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. The purpose of this fellowship is to provide motivated surgeons the opportunity to experience high-level neurosurgical care firsthand. This also greatly facilitates the communication between the Weill Cornell team and the Tanzania surgeons once the surgeon has returned home.
Every year a neurosurgery meeting is organized with international faculty in East Africa that combines lectures, practical workshops, and live surgeries (Kahamba 2011). Surgeons and nurses from many African countries participate.
Regular conference calls and Skype conferences are held between the Weill Cornell team and their colleagues in Tanzania to discuss challenging cases and patient management.
A database and patient registry has been implemented that monitors surgical patient care and ensures quality (Winkler et al., 2010). The goal is to monitor outcomes of neurosurgical procedures in order to make decisions about the allocation of resources and the success of the current program.
NEWSLETTERS
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Since Newsweek and Statista started ranking specialized hospitals in 2021, the neurosurgery service at NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia University has been at the top...
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Images of Tanzania
A young brain tumor patient in Tanzania, ready for surgery, 2016
Dr. Maria Santos (right) preps a patient for brain tumor surgery, 2016
Weill Bugando Hospital in Tanzania, 2016
Dr. Hartl in Tanzania, 2016
Dr. Hartl reviewing scans with the team in Tanzania
A patient interview, Tanzania
Getting started, Tanzania 2016
Patients in Tanzania
2015, the visiting team meets local doctors
2015 group photo in Tanzania
2015 visit
2015 visit
2015
Our 2015 neurotrauma course in Tanzania
Our 2015 neurotrauma course in Tanzania
Dr. Stieg accompanied the team in 2015
Dr. Hartl at the 2015 neurotrauma course
Dr. Stieg at the 2015 neurotrauma course
Dr. Stieg prepares for surgery, Tanzania 2015
Dr. Stieg oversees local surgeons, 2015
Dr. Stieg oversees local surgeons, 2015
Preparing a spine patient for surgery, 2015
In the OR, Tanzania 2015
Outside the OR, 2015
In 2014: Dr. Hartl added a formal course in Neurotrauma
In 2014, Dr. Stieg joined the team for the first-ever neurotrauma course
In 2014, Dr. Greenfield joined the team to add pediatric expertise to the trip
At the 2014 course, Dr. Hartl oversaw a hands-on session with spine models
Dr. Greenfield in surgery, Tanzania 2014
Dr. Stieg prepares the local team for surgery, Tanzania 2014
Dr. Greenfield charms a young patient (and vice versa), Tanzania 2014
Dr. Hartl trains the local team on a laminectomy, Tanzania 2014
By Dr. Beverly Cheserem, BM (hons), FRCS Neurosurgery Global Neurosurgery Fellow, Tanzania
I came across the Weill Cornell Medicine Global Health Neurosurgery Fellowship by pure chance one evening last year in London, when I typed “global neurosurgery” into a search engine. I emailed Dr. Härtl immediately, attaching my CV and asking about...
Tanzania Neurosurgery Project
The Weill Cornell Medicine Neurosurgery Program in Tanzania, started in 2008 by Dr. Roger Härtl, focuses on Bugando Hospital in northern Tanzania and on the Muhimbili Orthopedic and Neurosurgery Institute in Dar es Salaam.