Liaoning International General Health Trainers

Liaoning International General Health Trainers, best known by the abbreviation LIGHT, is headquartered in Shenyang, the capital city of Liaoning Province. This province lies in the northeastern part of China, just northeast of Beijing and close to Korea, Mongolia and Russia. Shenyang is a famous heavy industrial city, and is also the economical and cultural center of the northeast area and a hub of communication.

Shenyang has four distinct seasons. Spring last from February through May, with average temperature in the 50s F. There are sand storms in the spring because the wind blows through the open soil that has not been covered by grass due to the cold. Summer is from May through August (temperature 80s or low 90s F). Autumn lasts from August through October (temperature in 50s F), and winter from November through February (temperature in 20s or 30s F). Shenyang’s winter is one of the coldest compared to other cities in China.

Become familiar with China’s culture, history and economy by reviewing the Wikipedia China Profile. Rich resources for China health information include the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation IHME China Country Profile and the World Health Organization Global Health Observatory China Data.

Local Chinese patients served by LIGHT are normally of very low income. China’s medical insurance system is largely tied to employment. Those who are unemployed usually do not qualify for medical insurance, leading to delays in seeking medical attention. Common diseases are those typical of primary care, including hypertension, hepatitis, diabetes, and occasionally TB.

Patients are seen in an urban clinic for foreigners, an urban clinic for nationals, rural clinics, orphanages, and nursing homes. Each setting offers an age-specific set of primary care problems. Primary medical care is a new and pioneering service in China. Therefore, large numbers of patients are not seen. Those attended quality whole-person care and excellent physician training in each patient encounter.

The local language is Mandarin Chinese. However, all the physicians speak English, as does most of the staff. Visitors will be able to communicate adequately using English alone.

The mission of LIGHT is both to provide care for marginalized people and to train Chinese resident physicians in family medicine. Multiple medical care settings are employed. The Deji Hospital Global Doctor Clinic mainly serves international persons working in China. Image International Clinic provides care to local Chinese people of humble means. LIGHT mobile clinics also serve the medical needs of a large orphanage, a retirement community, several rural town sites, and an HIV care clinic. LIGHT works in cooperation with the Chinese Medical University (CMU) Family Practice Department.

LIGHT is lead by Chinese physicians Gujian Guo and Pangyan, and by Peter Burgos. Dr Burgos is a 1991 graduate of the University of Kansas School of Medicine who also completed a family medicine residency at St Francis Medical Center in Wichita, Kansas in 1994. The staff also includes some ten Chinese and six American physicians, and three American and European nurses.

LIGHT emphasizes clinical prevention throughout all its primary care services, from urban health centers to rural clinics. Patient health education routinely addresses issues of diet, exercise, tobacco use, substance abuse, family planning, and trauma prevention. LIGHT health education efforts are also aimed at equipping other healthcare professionals with the motivation and skills to make this an intricate part of their practices.

Clinical screening and secondary prevention are relatively new concepts in Chinese society, and LIGHT is actively educating citizens about this importance. In this context LIGHT provides early detection of common diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. Well child care is meticulously provided by LIGHT, with emphasis on tracking growth and development, and appropriate intervention for delays.

Wireless Internet is widely available for a low cost. All of China is within one time zone, and is 13-14 hours ahead of Central Time in the U.S., depending on Daylight Savings. The telephone Area Code for Shenyang City is 024.

INMED invites all participants to consider raising extra funds to financially support this facility. While such efforts are not required, they provide opportunity for INMED personnel to become involved in this important aspect of international healthcare.

LIGHT East Asia

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