Trailblazers Motivated to Increase their Knowledge and Skills
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Dr. Tirunesh Busha and Dr. Tihut Teshome traveled to CHOP from Ethiopia in September of 2023 for a three-week observership in General Anesthesiology. Under the leadership of Dr. Elizabeth Drum, Attending Anesthesiologist, Medical Director of Radiology Anesthesia Sedation Services, and Associate Chief for Clinical Operations, the two anesthesiologists had a wide range of experiences. They had the opportunity to observe a fetal surgery, attend the 15th Annual Global Health Conference, and present at General Anesthesiology Grand Rounds. Both doctors consider themselves lifelong learners and plan to share what they learned at CHOP with colleagues at their home institution.
Dr. Tirunesh and Dr. Tihut are the first two pediatric anesthesiologists in all of Ethiopia, which has a population of over 110 million people. Both work in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, for CURE Children’s Hospital of Ethiopia, a mission hospital focusing on pediatric orthopedic and plastic surgery. CURE Ethiopia was established in 2008, and last year performed 3,373 surgeries for children suffering from treatable disabilities. Their institution is one of eight CURE International hospitals across Africa and The Philippines.
During Dr. Tirunesh’s observership, she focused on learning anesthesia practices for children with congenital heart disease who were undergoing non-cardiac procedures as well as fetal surgery. Dr. Tirunesh, 2023 American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Global Scholar, is the head of the Department of Anesthesia at CURE Ethiopia. She is responsible for clinical care and resident education. CURE Ethiopia is the CURE International hub for regional learning and orthopedic pediatric training, and 150 medical professionals were trained there last year.
Dr. Tihut, a 2021, 2022, and 2023 ASA Global Scholar, is a pediatric anesthesiologist for CURE Ethiopia, delivering anesthesia to each patient going in for surgery. She has specialized training in pre- and post-operative care and is currently undergoing training for Intraoperative Neurological Monitoring. During her observership at CHOP, Dr. Tihut learned how spinal surgery patients are preoperatively optimized and monitored intraoperatively. As an ASA Global Scholar, she previously participated in an observership at Texas Children’s Hospital.
Throughout their observership with General Anesthesiology, both doctors were exposed to a plethora of surgeries including an MMC repair on a 25-week-old fetus, a spinal surgery to correct neurologic scoliosis, a bronchoscopy and lavage in an infant, and a nephrectomy and kidney transplant without a donor. They also spent a day rounding with the ICU team and pain team where they observed postoperative patients. They attended numerous lectures on pediatric anesthesia and had the opportunity to present findings from their home institution had main at Grand Rounds. Both Dr. Tirunesh and Dr. Tihut will take their experiences and personal connections back to Ethiopia with them to improve the care of their pediatric patients.
By Jodi Lamborn and Dr. Elizabeth Drum