In 2002, the Partners of the Americas presented its “Award for
Excellence” to the Kansas-Paraguay Partnership (KPP) and the Comité
Paraguay/Kansas for their work on the development and implementation of the
Family Medicine Faculty Exchange program. The award was received at the
Annual Partners of the Americas International Convention in Quito, Ecuador,
Nov. 22, 2002. The “Award for Excellence” recognized the KPP and the
Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM) at KUSM-Wichita.
The Family Medicine Faculty Exchange
program is designed to:
1. Develop international faculty relationships and strengthen
academic credibility for family medicine at the KU School of
Medicine-Wichita and at Paraguayan medical schools.
2. Share clinical methods for working among diverse populations.
3. Develop opportunities to restructure health care using a
family medicine-based model.
4. Obtain consultation regarding family medicine training at the
predoctoral, residency, and continuing medical education
levels.
5. Establish opportunities for Kansas medical students to study
in Paraguay.
The interchange between Kansas and Paraguayan family
physician educators began in 1986 with a chance meeting
between Ed Donatelle, MD, and Wes Schmidt, MD, at a
national Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM)
meeting. Dr. Donatelle was the DFCM department chair at
KUSM-Wichita. Dr. Schmidt, a practicing physician in Paraguay
with family roots in Kansas, was the chair of the Health
Committee of the Comité Paraguay/Kansas. As a result of their
meeting, Dr. Donatelle consulted with Paraguayan medical
schools in 1987 and arranged for Dr. Schmidt to do a fellowship
in family medicine at KUSM-Wichita. Subsequently, Dr.
Schmidt developed the first family medicine residency program
in Paraguay.
To view the complete history of this program:
KPP Health Committee History
Filed under: Health Committee
