Local Global Health Initiative
The Children’s Mercy Global Health Track emphasizes that global health is not limited to international travel experiences. Regardless of future specialty or practice setting, pediatricians must be prepared to provide culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and equitable care for immigrant, refugee, Indigenous, and medically underserved populations within their own communities.
During PGY-2 year, Global Health Track residents participate in longitudinal Local Global experiences integrated into their Y-week schedules.
-
The local GH curriculum is organized around four pillars:
-
Learn the history of your community: Understanding the history of redlining, segregation and the continuing impact on the health of our patients and families in Kansas City.
-
Listen to community knowledge: Residents learn directly from immigrant, refugee and other marginalized communities about their experiences, priorities, challenges, and strengths.
-
Build reciprocal partnerships: We work alongside a diverse mix of local partners to build an understanding of the types of community advocacy available in Kansas City so track graduates understand the types of help that may be available in whatever community they eventually call home.
-
Translate learning into action: Residents apply this knowledge through advocacy efforts, community presentations, and clinically relevant resource recommendations.
-
• Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas — ESL classes and immigrant/refugee engagement
• Literacy KC — ESL, GED, and citizenship class observation
• Jewish Vocational Services — Refugee resettlement and support systems
• Haskell Indian Health Center — Indigenous health and Indian Health Service exposure
• Shawnee Indian Mission — Indigenous history and structural inequities
• Healthy Departures International Travel & HIV Clinic — Travel medicine and HIV care
• International Adoption Medicine — Case-based discussions and trauma-informed care
