Global Health Program - Affiliated Programs and Electives

Affiliate Programs

During the COVID pandemic many of our previous affiliated program and medical electives were affected or closed. As of 2023 we have reopened our global health program and are now rebuilding and resuming operations.

Affiliate Programs

1. Tiba Foundation:  The Tiba Foundation is a non-profit organization with the goal to build community healthcare in rural Kenya, which is often described as one of the world’s most medically underserved regions. This foundation sponsors programs financially to support outpatient clinics in Ukama, invest in well-trained local health physicians, supply needed medications, and has a medical volunteer program that sends hundreds of doctors and nurses to rural Kenya every year.  The Tiba Foundation reports that Kenya has the fourth largest HIV/AIDS epidemic in the world where women continue to be the highest affected by the disease.  In Siaya County, where this organization focuses it efforts, approximately 1 in 4 women have HIV/AIDS.  Their outreach programs can often make the difference between life and death in this population routinely decimated by drought, famine, and disease.
   Important: This elective requires a Kaiser Permanente physician preceptor to travel with the resident to provide supervision on site during the elective.

Partnered Medical Trips

Another option available through our Global Health Program is to participate in one of our partner medical trips. There is no set schedule, and the locations are variable. Future medical trips will be posted on this website once they are known.  Past medical trips have included Peru, Fiji, Mexico, Jamaica, and Thailand. Listed below are our current partnered programs:

1. Integrative Clinics International (ICI):  ICI is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization with a trips statement to improve healthcare of under-served communities worldwide by supporting the establishment and operation of long term, affordable clinics with a strong emphasis on community outreach. ICI forms and organizes medical teams twice yearly, in the spring and fall, who travel to Jamaican clinic sites to provide health care on a regular basis by partnering with similar volunteer medical organizations. The medical teams that ICI forms include volunteer physicians, nurses, and students who serve for one week.  During this week, patients are screened for chronic disease and treated in three days of clinic and two days of community health fairs.
2. Flying Samaritans: The Flying Samaritans is an international 501(c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing underserved populations in Mexico with free health services via clinics and other facilities in various communities. The San Diego branch manages a student-run free clinic in Ensenada, Mexico on a monthly-basis. Many students who volunteered along with our residents have found their experience invaluable, and it has helped the students to validate their desire to seek a medically related career.

Spanish Immersion Program

As part of the Kaiser’s Language Concordance Program there are also opportunities to learn Spanish and improve language fluency. This is accomplished through linguistic and cultural immersion for a 1 to 4 week period. Our current Spanish immersion program is available in Costa Rica and involves both classroom instruction and a community immersion experience. Ideally participants should have moderate fluency, but beginners are also welcomed.

Resident Designed Electives

Residents may also choose to design their global health experience provided the elective meets the ACGME requirements and is approved by their Program Director.  Prior to approval of this elective, the resident will need to provide the following essential information and logistic components.

• The resident will need to negotiate with host preceptor their workload (patients seen per day, required reading, presentations) during this rotation.  Ideally the resident will see at least six patients per day and serve five days per week.
• The resident will provide the name of the supervising preceptor along with their contact information (phone number, address, FAX number, and email), clinic or hospital name and location.
• The resident will need to provide the precise dates and duration of the elective.
• The resident will need to complete the Release and Hold Harmless Form form.
• The resident will need to complete the KP Global Health Code of Conduct  form.
• The resident will need to contact their Kaiser Permanente Travel Clinic to receive regional required immunizations, medications, and any additional recommendations.
• The resident will provide USA emergency contacts.