WDI Global Impact 2018: My Last Weeks in Kenya

Andrea Arathoon – University of Michigan School of Public Health

Twelve weeks went by faster than I anticipated. August 3^rd was my last day at Jacaranda Maternity, and after traveling for a couple of weeks, I’m now back in Ann Arbor.

In my last post I described how we would be testing an outpatient checklist for prenatal visits for two weeks, in the hopes of making any changes after the testing period and then implementing it. After the two weeks ended, I had a feedback meeting with the nurses to understand how the implementation was going. During this meeting, the nurses explained that the checklist was repetitive and redundant, and added more work to every patient visit. After talking to the senior management team, the decision was made to go back to the previous patient file and use the checklist template for when the clinical part of the EMR is implemented in the future.

However, the patient reminders are still being utilized at every prenatal care visit and have simplified the check-in process for patients in the clinic, reminding receptionists of the tests that patients need to be completed before their appointment with the nurse or the physician. Staff is pleased with this implementation and report that it’s making their lives easier by reminding them of what needs to be done.

Reflecting on my time in Nairobi, I believe I learned much more than I had previously anticipated. I was fortunate to work with a team of passionate, highly motivated nurses, as well as an empathetic and dedicated group of leaders. I was given the freedom to test and implement new ways of doing things, and although not everything turned out as I expected, it was a great learning experience overall. I brushed up on my clinical skills by observing clinicians at the hospital, learned about healthcare policy in Kenya, and developed a relationship with the organization that I hope will last for years to come. I also picked up a few words in Swahili, with the help of the staff members at Jacaranda Maternity.

Although I’m back in the US, I am still working on a marketing project with Jacaranda Maternity. This consists of rebranding the hospital, reviewing the mission, vision and values of the organization, and making sure that communications within the organization and with patients are consistent and well percieved.

My time in Kenya also allowed me to make new friends. I was lucky to have three other interns from different schools working in Jacaranda’s sister organization (JHSL), and we had the chance to travel to different parts of the country during the weekends. We took a trip to Lake Naivasha, where we visited Hell’s Gate National Park and Crescent Island. We also took a day trip to Lake Nakuru and went to Lamu for a weekend. During a holiday, I visited Ol Pejeta Conservancy, where I had the opportunity to interact with the last two Northern White Rhinos in the world. After my internship, I also traveled to Amboseli National Park, The Maasai Mara National Reserve and Naboisho Conservancy, where I had the chance to meet people from the Maasai tribe, arguably the most famous tribe in Kenya.

Overall, I am very happy with my summer in Kenya at Jacaranda Maternity, and am grateful for the opportunities I was given to challenge myself, expand my skills, and have new experiences.