[Washington, DC - February 14, 2012]  Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) is pleased to announce a nurse anesthesia continuing education program to be hosted in September 2012 in cooperation with the Kigali Health Institute (KHI) in Kigali, Rwanda. KHI is the nationally-funded institute of higher education for students pursuing post secondary degrees and diplomas in health. The program will consist of a two-day, intensive learning conference in which HVO volunteers will provide continuing education and clinical practice skills to nurse anesthesia students and practicing clinicians from across Rwanda.   

HVO is seeking approximately five volunteers to participate in the conference. Volunteers should be licensed nurse anesthetists or physicians board certified in anesthesia. Volunteers will be responsible for providing at least two lectures at the conference. In addition to offering teaching and training, HVO volunteers will participate in clinical site evaluations at KHI and other district hospitals to assess teaching and training needs in nurse anesthesia.  They will investigate the potential to expand the HVO program to provide teaching and training to Rwandan nurse anesthetists on a continuing basis. The assignment is one week in length and will be held in late September 2012.  Dates TBD.  Interested volunteers can contact the HVO program department for more information.

A private, nonprofit organization, Health Volunteers Overseas was founded in 1986 to improve global health through the education of local health care providers. In 25 years of service, HVO's training has transformed lives through the design and implementation of clinical and didactic education programs in child health, primary care, trauma and rehabilitation, essential surgical care, oral health, blood disorders and cancer, infectious disease, nursing education and wound management. In more than 25 resource-poor countries, HVO volunteers train, mentor and provide critical professional support to health care providers who care for the neediest populations in the most difficult of circumstances. For more information, visit the HVO website.

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