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  • In October 2015, Kybele Founder, Dr. Medge Owen received the 2015 Nicholas M. Greene Award for Outstanding Humanitarian Contribution awarded by the American Society of Anesthesiologists in San Diego, CA.

 

  • Kybele had 85 traveling medical participants and conducted 10 program trips - Ghana (January, April, May, August, September and December), Serbia (June and September), Armenia (September) and Romania (September) - and one site visit to a new location in Cape Coast, Ghana.

 

  • Kybele Team Member, Dr. Craig Palmer received a Fulbright Scholarship to work in Serbia for 4 months.  Dr. Palmer will support Kybele's work and accelerate improvement in obstetric care across Serbia.

 

  • Kybele Serbia Team Leaders, Dr. Ivan Velickovic and Dr. Curtis Baysinger received the 2015 SOAP International Outreach Grant, which will fund a research study in Serbia.

 

  • Kybele hosted Serbian anesthesiologist and program host, Dr. Borislava Pujic to attend the national SOAP (Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology) Conference in Colorado Springs, CO as well as a two-week observership in NC at Forsyth Medical Center and Duke University.

 

  • Kybele Serbia Team presented a major national conference in Serbia which included participants from Serbia and surrounding countries.

 

  • Kybele volunteers have now donated nearly $5 million in educational materials, medication and equipment to host countries.

 

  • Kybele's documentary film Frivolous Things, which highlights our work in Ghana, was presented at events in Durham, NC, Wichita, KS, and Des Moines, IA.

 

  • Kybele entered into an important partnership with Lifebox - providing $25,000 worth of essential oxygen monitors for use in Armenia.

 

  • Kybele continues a collaborative project called Making Every Baby Count Initiative (MEBCI) with the Ghana Health Service and PATH.  The project's goal is for 90% of babies born in target health facilities to receive essential newborn care and interventions to address asphyxia, infection, and prematurity according to government guidelines.  Kybele hosted the first MEBCI-Kybele Stake holders meeting in April - bringing together people from several sectors of the country and medical professions - the first of its kind to address these issues.

 

  • Kybele expanded our partnership with Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) to include more traveling fellowship opportunities for medical residents.

 

  • Kybele graduated our 6th class of Nurse Anesthesia students from Ridge Regional Hospital in September - adding to the capacity of safe anesthesia practices in Ghana.

 

  • Kybele welcomed 3 new board members and two interns to our organization.


The work that Kybele performs is only successful if we can accurately measure how we are doing. We are constantly striving to improve outcomes and collect data to ensure that we are using our resources wisely. This time-consuming task is essential to making significant and sustainable changes and Kybele is dedicated to collecting, writing, and submitting articles and abstracts for publication.  Our challenges and successes can be shared with those working on the same mission of providing safe childbirth and we are proud to have our work be recognized in leading medical journals around the world.




The following articles were published in 2015 and can be read online at

www.kybeleworldwide.org/published-research



  • Rohit Ramaswamy, Grad Dipl, Sarah Iracane, Emmanuel Srofenyoh, Fiona Bryce, Liz Floyd, Brianne Kallam, Adeyemi Olufolabi, Romeck Van Zeyl, Medge Owen.  Transforming Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes in Tertiary Hospitals in Ghana: An Integrated Approach for Systems Change.  Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada.  October 2015.  Page 905-914.  

 

  • Onyi Onuoha, Rohit Ramaswamy, Emmanuel Srofenyoh, Sung Kim, Medge Owen.  The effects of resource improvement on decision-to-delivery times for cesarean deliveries in a Ghanaian regional hospital.  International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics.  130 (April 2015) 274-278. 

 

  • Adyemi Olufolabi, Evans Atito-Narh, Millicent Eshun, Vernon Ross, Holly Muir, Medge Owen.  Teaching Neuraxial Anesthesia Techniques for Obstetric Care in a Ghanaian Referral Hospital: Achievements and Obstacles.  Article - International Anesthesia Research Society.  June 2015, Volume 120, Number 6.  Page 1317-1322. 

 

  • T Anabah, A Olufolabi, J Boyd, R George.  Low-dose spinal anaesthesia provides labour analgesia and does not limit ambulation.  Southern African Journal of Anaesthesia and Analgesia 2015; 21(1):27-30.  ISSN 2220-1181.

 

  • Anthony Reed, Jesse Musokota Mumba, Robert Dyer.  A Spotlight on Obstetric Anesthesia in the Developing World:  Finally Getting the Attention It Deserves.  Editorial - International Anesthesia Research Society. Anesthesia-Analgeisa.org.  June 2015, Volume 120, Number 6.  Page 1179-1181.

 

The following 5 abstracts were also accepted for publication and presented at the Society for Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) conference in Colorado Springs, CO in May 2015:

 

  • Gordon Yuill, Ashot Amroyan, Simon Millar, Emil Vardapetyan, Ashraf Habib, Medge Owen. Obstetric anesthesia in Armenia: progress over an eight year journey.  SOAP 2015 Abstract F-28.

 

  • Curtis Baysinger, Ivan Velickovic, Borislava Pujic, Ferne Braveman, Medge Owen. A survey of Serbian anesthesiologists' use of regional anesthesia for labor analgesia and cesarean delivery. SOAP 2015 Abstract S-15.

 

  • Ivan Velickovic, Borislava Pujic, Curtis Baysinger, Ferne Braveman, Medge Owen. The Influence of an International Teaching Program on the Use of Regional Anesthesia for Cesarean Section in a Serbian Obstetric Hospital. SOAP 2015 Abstract S-27.

 

  • David Hatch, Medge Owen, Emily Herschmiller, Evans Narh, Adeyemi Olufolabi.  Novel use of Magnesium to treat Refractory Status Epilepticus after accidental intrathecal injection of tranexamic acid.SOAP 2015 Abstract S-16.

 

  • Amy Mauritz, Adeyemi Olufolabi, Emmanuel Srofenyoh, Medge Owen, Eric Ntiamoah.  Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Ghana: Is an Obstetric Early Warning System the answer?  SOAP 2015 Abstract T-01.
Kybele kicked off a year-end campaign on #GivingTuesday (December 1, 2015) with a goal of raising $15,000 by the end of this year in celebration of our upcoming 15th Anniversary in 2016.  As of today, (December 22), we have
raised approximately 53% of that goal



If you have not made a financial contribution in 2015 or perhaps have never made a contribution, please consider a year-end gift to Kybele of $25, $50, $100, or more.  The successes listed above would not happen without your help and the support of many others.  Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve women and infants around the world.



Kybele, Inc. | kybeleworldwide.org | 336-713-9182 | 116 Lowes Foods Drive, #170 | Lewisville | NC | 27023