A global classroom connects Santa Barbara and rural Kenya

Two hospitals, half a world apart, are teaming up to teach and learn from one another, while improving healthcare globally. Clinicians in Bomet, Kenya, and residents at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital are about to spend a year collaborating every week.

St. Clare's Kaplong Mission Hospital is a lifeline for a rural population of nearly two million people in Kenya. Since its launch in 2023, World Telehealth Initiative’s (WTI) partnership with St. Clare's has expanded access to specialized care through regular telehealth sessions. WTI’s international corps of volunteer healthcare providers supports the hospital through clinical consultations, surgical mentoring, didactic sessions, and guidance on complex and emergent cases.

The Global Health Education Initiative (GHEI) connects 36 internal medicine residents and faculty at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital with 12 physicians, nurses, and clinical officers at St. Clare's through a new Internal Medicine Residency rotation. Each week, participants from both sides will connect via telehealth for case presentations and review, along with bedside teaching and collaboration.

A small group of Cottage residents and faculty will also travel to Kenya for an immersive clinical rotation at St. Clare's, and Kenyan clinicians will visit Santa Barbara for a reciprocal experience at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. It's a rare opportunity for healthcare providers on both sides to experience each other’s hospitals, communities, and approaches to care firsthand.

Learning that runs both ways

Knowledge sharing and learning are bilateral: Cottage participants will share evidence-based approaches to internal medicine, infectious disease management, and academic clinical practice, while Kenyan providers will offer insight into resource-constrained care delivery, tropical medicine, and the management of high-volume disease burdens in low-resource settings. The goal is for participating clinicians to strengthen their clinical knowledge, expand access to continuing medical education, and cultivate a deeper understanding of healthcare delivery across diverse practice environments while building lasting professional relationships.

Collaboration for lasting impact

GHEI was co-created by the two hospitals. Teams at St. Clare’s and Cottage have been working closely to refine the curriculum based on their unique needs and resources. Educational topics are selected jointly to ensure relevance to local clinical priorities and learning goals.

The program launches this month, with each side presenting a case to solicit feedback and compare approaches.

Investing in a healthier tomorrow

As many residency programs have cut global health rotations, Cottage has created an entirely new model for residents to immerse themselves in a longitudinal experience. Dr. Lynn Fitzgibbons, the Director of Internal Medicine Residency at Cottage, is credited with the development of the program that gives residents sustained, meaningful exposure to global health through a long-term partnership. The Cottage team has dedicated significant time and resources to refining the curriculum and planning the exchange, underscoring their commitment to making this program a success.

This inaugural residency exchange has the potential to become a model for other residency programs at Cottage and beyond. Investing in the education of healthcare providers, no matter where they practice, is ultimately an investment in the health of our increasingly interconnected world.  

Stay tuned for stories and insights from participants throughout the year!