eHealth Program The social and economic burden of disease globally, is worsened by the feedback link between health and economic development. eHealth in the form of information and communication technologies has the potential to help improve the delivery of information and services to the healthcare community and to end-users in regions of the Caribbean and Latin America. eHealth cannot solve the global health care crisis single-handedly, but tele-diagnosis, distance learning, practitioner and citizen information networks, and other applications offer powerful tools to overcome some of the shortcomings and weaknesses caused by breakdowns in information-sharing, learning and management - crucial factors for a well-functioning health care system. The opportunity to expand capacity to deliver healthcare services in hard to reach areas through eHealth, can potentially make delivery of care more efficient and sustainable, even for the traditionally unreachable populations. In a global world with state of the art technology, the ability to provide eHealth will create efficiency and tremendous cost savings. Resources on eHealth
Centers of Excellence The Centers of Excellence program provides state-of-the-art Outreach Health Clinics (OHC),which are either mobile, prefabricated or retro-fit for regions of the Caribbean and Latin America. Centers of Excellence are established to "reach the unreachable" and bring services close to home, create adherence to care, compliance with challenging regimens by providing more immediate assistance close to home and the opportunity for the community to participate through the delivery of easy to teach techniques for outreach, testing and prevention. Centers of Excellence-Models
International Student Program This program was designed following recommendations from the 1988 Institute of Medicine reports on the Future of Public Health (discussing the need for cultural competence in our public health professionals) and recent legislation passed in the U.S. House of Representatives (HR176: The Shirley Chishholm United States-Caribbean Educational Exchange Program). CPHC offers opportunities for students from the Caribbean and Latin America to obtain a graduate degree in public health with the opportunity to conduct an internship and or "Optional Practical Training" (OPT) at internationally recognized organizations in the U.S. Undergraduate and Graduate students already enrolled in public health programs in the U.S., who are only seeking an OPT or internship towards credit for public health training are also welcomed. The program allows students to become globally compatible in terms of the public health skills set acquired. Public Health professionals graduating from this program will return to their communities and create positive change through their broadened knowledge base.
Public Policy Infrastructure and capacity building need to occur through the establishment of strong networks and relationships with public policy stakeholders who often have major decision-making authority in the areas targeted by CPHC. In order to address the needs of the rural communities, which are often hard to reach, CPHC provides advocacy, extends technical assistance, and produces policy briefs while working with elected leaders, business leaders, educational institutions, media sources, and the community to promote the development of rural communities, to improve healthcare infrastructures and quality of life.
