GTAZ Welcomes Global Public Health Delegation

Global Public Health Delegation at Creighton University

Global Ties Arizona welcomed a delegation focusing on Global Public Health Challenges with participants hailing from Cambodia, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. Thanks to our local partners who participated in the group’s agenda, participants were able to explore local public health and infectious disease policy and programs, the impact of public-private partnerships and collaboration in the medical field to combat communicable diseases, the role of research and best practices to treat communicable diseases, and how organizations and governments prepare for disease outbreaks.

Arizona’s Public Health Procedures and Plans

The group kicked off their visit at the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) with Dr. Eugene Livar, MD, Assistant Director of Public Health Preparedness. There they discussed how AZDHS responds to infectious disease outbreaks including Ebola, Zika, and most recently, COVID-19. They learned how the AZDHS lab remained at the forefront of testing for these diseases to protect and improve the overall health and wellness of all Arizonans.

The group continued their program at the Phoenix Bioscience Core where they received a tour from Mr. Kyle Jardine and Mr. Joseph Martin. The space holds wet and dry labs, advanced technology and collaborative workspaces for students, and research facilities focused on neurosciences, healthcare outcomes, cancer, and precision medicine.

The group also met with Medical Epidemiologist, Dr. Nick Staab, at Maricopa County Department of Public Health. Dr. Staab shared data about Maricopa County Public Health's research on COVID-19 immunizations and contact tracing efforts to combat the pandemic as well as the County's efforts to educate the community and campaigns to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates. Dr. Staab also shared Community Health Data on vaccinations rates in children and herd immunity in diseases such as the measles.

Dr. Sophal Ear and Chamnan Lim of the Thunderbird School of Global Management at ASU, pictured with participants from Cambodia and Vietnam.

Global Ties Arizona hosted an evening networking session for delegates to meet and interact with the local community. Global Ties Arizona Board Members, community partners, volunteers, and local professionals and doctors from the healthcare field joined our delegates for an evening of connection and conversations.

Watch a quick snippet of the networking event here!

The group visited and toured Creighton University’s Health Sciences Campus with Dr. Michael Zirulnik and Ms. Megan Connolly, where they explored doctoring suites, a simulation hospital, home, acute, and ambulatory care simulation spaces, along with classroom, lab spaces, an anatomy lab and centers.

The group met with ASU's Biodesign Institute's Dr. Joshua LaBaer and Dr. Stephen Munk where they received a tour and discussed how, during the pandemic, the Institute partnered with the state of Arizona to provide multiple COVID-19 testing centers, and was the first to offer COVID-19 testing using saliva samples with results delivered in just 24-48 hours. Afterwards, the group enjoyed an interactive presentation with ASU’s Decision Theatre. The Decision Theatre organizes researchers, policymakers and the business community to better understand and explore solutions to complex issues facing society. Using data analytics and high-performance computing to drive software-integrated models, the Decision Theatre works with transdisciplinary partners to streamline big data and transform it into novel, interactive data visualizations.

And to conclude their visit, the Global Public Health group met with Ms. Lisa A. Nieri, Chief Operations Officer of the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers. During this meeting, delegates learned how the Alliance works with women, disadvantaged, and underrepresented communities to provide care and support.

The Global Public Health delegates closed out their program with a beautiful day at Lost Dutchman State Park.