UW-Madison RAD-AID Chapter

The UW- Madison chapter of RAD-AID was started in early 2013 as a mechanism of sharing common interests in Global outreach. A resident and two staff radiologists were the co-founders of the chapter. The goals of the members vary from sharing expertise in complex imaging to serving the extreme poor in global communities.

Currently, we are in the process of building an ultrasound program with Amos Health and Hope in Managua, Nicaragua. So far we have visited the Amos campus (August 2013) and utilized the “Radiology Readiness” tool to assess the potential for a sustainable program. We are working on funding for a portable ultrasound unit. The biggest challenges we have identified are funding, technical and service support for the equipment, and education for an ultrasound strong radiologist or technologist. There are no trained ultrasound technologists in Nicaragua.

The particular need identified to serve the group of people that Amos is dedicated to (un-served and underserved rural patients), was Obstetrical ultrasound, specifically growth measurement for IUGR, positioning, placenta previa and intrauterine fetal death. We saw several ultrasound machines that were nonfunctional in rural hospital settings. The goal of the rural medical service is to reduce fetal mortality and end maternal death.

The directors at Amos are extremely organized and well trained, both with an MD and MPH and one with an MBA. Infrastructure was in place for lodging to host medical teams.