• Train clinical toxicologists in poison control, and open a poison control center in Minsk.
• Develop training curriculum for nurses and conduct CPR training for physicians.
• Sponsor a general pediatric conference.
• Familiarize physicians with the diagnosis and therapy of auto-immune disorders, and of H. Pylori gastritis.
• Train physicians in the use of otoscopic equipment.
• Teach various ultrasound techniques for the diagnosis of renal disease.

• Complete and implement a new medical school curriculum focusing on problem-based learning.
• Open a Resident Resource Center.
• Conduct a joint conference on new procedures in obstetrics and gynecology.

• Teach current methods in the treatment of childhood cancer.
• Develop and expand existing pediatric cancer registry.
• Assess the need for cancer therapeutics.
• Train radiologists and staff to use radio-isotopes in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric diseases.

• Equip and open a Minsk Women's Wellness Center according to the guidelines of the AIHA Women's Wellness model. Include staff training in the set-up, design and daily operation of a teen clinic and education center.
• Develop a prenatal education program based on the model developed by the Pittsburgh-Moscow Partnership.
• Train staff in contraceptive technologies.
• Train nurse educators in curriculum development and domestic violence awareness.

• Conduct nurse management training seminars for senior-level nurses from Children's Hospital No. 4 and Maternity Hospital No. 2.
• Conduct a comprehensive review of Children's Hospital No. 4's nursing education program, including nursing practice in intensive care, allergy/immunology and gastroenterology.
• Develop a train-the-trainer program for nurses at Children's Hospital No. 4 and Maternity Hospital No. 2.

1993

• On March 3, US and Belarussian partners signed a Memorandum of Understanding to mark the launching of their partnership.
• In June, the Poison Center of Children's Hospital No. 4 and the Pittsburgh Poison Center established a poison information resource database and an intensive training program for clinical toxicologists from Minsk.

• In January, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and First Lady Irina Shushkevich of Belarus visited Children's Hospital No. 4. They met with the Minister of Health, the Hospital Director and a delegation from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and AIHA. During their visit, two truckloads of donated medical equipment and supplies arrived at Children's Hospital No. 4 through Operation Provide Hope, the US Department of Defense's project to dismantle US military bases in Europe. The contents of the shipment, part of $10 million in medical equipment donated to Belarus, were requested by the partners based on needs identified in the partnership's implementation plan.
• The partnership conducted a dissemination conference for over 500 pediatricians from all regions of Belarus that explored various topics in pediatrics including thyroid cancer, gastroenterology, toxicology and otoscopy. In addition, the partners have conducted training programs for faculty and administrators from Minsk Medical Institute.

• Nurses from Minsk and Pittsburgh participated in AIHA's conference "Developing Nursing Leadership" held in Moscow, April 2-6.

• US and NIS partners collaborated in the partnership conference, "Updates on Pediatrics," which was held in April. The areas addressed included pediatric medicine, gastroenterology, diabetes and auto-immunology, nursing assessment and intervention, thyroid cancer, medical and nursing education, immunizations and medical and nursing management. One hundred and twenty medical professionals from throughout Belarus participated in the conference.
• In May, a new Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Minsk partners and Magee-Womens Hospital.

• As a collaborative effort, the Belarussian and American partners facilitated a half-day Partners in Birth Conference in November. It was attended by 110 regional representatives from Minsk and other cities in Belarus.

• The Minsk Women's Wellness Center celebrated its grand opening on April 29. The event included the participation of the American Ambassador to Belarus; the Deputy Director of the Regional US Agency for International Development Mission and his healthcare adviser; members of the Belorussian Ministry of Health and the Minsk Health Committee; AIHA representatives from the United States and Ukraine; and members of the press. The Minsk Women's Wellness Center is a part of a network of twelve AIHA-sponsored Women's Wellness Centers developed under the auspices of the Women's Health Initiative.
• Magee Womancare International collaborated with partners at Children's Hospital No. 4 and the Minsk City Executive Committee in May to conduct a nurse management training seminar for senior-level nurses from Children's Hospital No. 4 and Maternity Hospital No. 2. Topics included: leadership, management styles, communication skills, teen education, clinical techniques, and quality improvement.
• In July, a four-hour seminar for fifty-five midwives and obstetricians from birth houses in the Minsk area was held at the Women's Wellness Center. The seminar focused on key health messages and the utilization of interactive communication strategies to convey information. In particular, the seminar addressed the primary health topics of Safe Motherhood, Adolescent Health, and Women's Healthy Lifestyle.

• The partners received a sustainability grant from AIHA to replicate the Womens' Wellness Center in Mozyr.

• The Mozyr WWC was opened on April 20, 2000. Specialists from the Center received training both in the US and NIS.

Poison Control (Children's Hospital No. 4)

• In June 1993, the Poison Center of Children's Hospital No. 4 and the Pittsburgh Poison Center established a poison information resource database and an intensive training program for clinical toxicologists from Minsk. The Pittsburgh Poison Center and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh donated computer hardware and Poisindex and Drugdex, two extensive computerized poison and drug information databases, allowing the Belarussian physicians instantaneous access to toxicology information in Russian.
• The Poison Control Center in Minsk receives an average of 20 requests daily for poison information or treatment from other hospitals and ambulance personnel, as well as the lay public. Doctors in both the US and Belarus have saved lives as a result of reciprocal partnership cooperation. For example, a child in Minsk ingested an unknown foreign medication which caused him to become comatose. He recovered, following a course of treatment suggested by the Poison Center at Children's Hospital No. 4. In the US, a child in Pittsburgh ingested a medication distributed in Eastern Europe, identified only after Pittsburgh toxicologists called the Poison Center in Minsk. The Belarussian partners identified the drug and suggested a proper course of treatment for the child.
• A gastroenterologist from Minsk was trained in the diagnosis and therapy of H. Pylori gastritis. During the exchange a study was done which compared two antibiotic regimens with regard to the eradication rate and re-infection rates after eradication of this type of gastritis. This training is essential to help reduce the morbidity produced by H. Pylori gastritis and the risk of gastric cancer during adulthood.
• In Minsk, delegates from Pittsburgh conducted a study on lead. Results from this study were utilized to prepare protocols to reduce clinically adverse outcomes associated with undetected lead poisoning.

Pediatric Medicine (Children's Hospital No. 4)

• A US physician initiated Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) classes for health professionals at Children's Hospital No. 4 using resuscitation mannequins donated by Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Over 30 individuals have completed the basic CPR course, which includes practical training in adult, toddler and infant CPR.
• Through partnership activity, Children's Hospital No. 4 initiated plans for development of a complete registry of childhood cancer in Belarus.

Nursing

• After attending an AIHA-sponsored conference on nursing leadership, the Minsk nurses conducted a comprehensive review of Children's Hospital No. 4's nursing education program, including nursing practice in intensive care, allergy/immunology and gastroenterology.
• Senior-level nurses from Children's Hospital No. 4 and Maternity Hospital No. 2 were trained in nursing management. As a train-the-trainer program, the seminar worked with twenty-five professionals who attended the seminar and will train other hospital personnel.
• Starting in 1997, 3 professional nursing associations were organized in Belarus.
• In 2000, The Belorussian Nursing Association was established. The Association includes nurses, feldshers and midwives from all 7 oblasts of Belarus. Major activities of the Association are aimed at increasing the role of nurses in health care.
• In 1999 new curriculum was introduced in the nursing schools of Belarus. Senior-level nurses from Children's Hospital No. 4 and Maternity Hospital No. 2 were trained in nursing management. As a train-the-trainer program, the seminar worked with twenty-five professionals who attended the seminar and will train other hospital personnel.
• The project of the state programs on nursing was developed jointly with the Ministry of Health.

Medical Education (Minsk Medical Institute)

• Minsk Medical Institute faculty and administrators redesigned parts of their curriculum and teaching methodologies to incorporate the problem-based learning curriculum and methodology learned from the University of Pittsburgh Medical School. The revised curriculum was implemented for first-year medical students beginning in September 1998. Changes to the curriculum have been completed for the first two years of instruction. It is anticipated that with additional training and exchanges, the third and fourth year curricula will be completed.
• To facilitate continued development, revision, and printing of the new medical school curricula, the partnership purchased several pieces of computer equipment.
• With assistance from AIHA, the Medical Institute established a computer lab, designed to enhance international communications for the medical students and provide access to international medical publications. Training for students was conducted and a core group of student trainers is now working to train other students at the Institute.
• An FTN Technology Based Network, medical bbs "Cito" and Medical Network information bulletin was created from the Learning Resource Center.

Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment (Minsk Radiation Institute)

• Radiologists from the Institute of Radiation Medicine have been trained in the use of radioisotopes and diagnostic imaging to diagnose and treat thyroid and other cancers. They have also studied the expansion of indicators and use of specific imaging methods for diagnosis of childhood diseases.
• A researcher from the Radiation Medicine Institute participated in a six-month fellowship in human genetics at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
• Through the partnership, Belarusian physicians have been able to meet the pressing need of improving protocols for detection and treatment of an increased number of pediatric thyroid cancers resulting from the Chernobyl disaster.

Women's Health (Women's Wellness Center, Maternity Hospital No. 2)

• The Minsk Women's Wellness Center (WWC) opened on May 4, 1998. Equipment, contraceptives, and childbirth education materials for the Minsk Women's Wellness Center were provided by the US partners, along with training for midwives, nurses and gynecologists. The Minsk WWC is part of a network of twelve AIHA-sponsored Women's Wellness Centers developed under the auspices of the Women's Health Initiative. The Women's Wellness Centers were established according to a model for an ambulatory, comprehensive healthcare center for women of all ages. The Centers include a commitment to patient-centered care and respect for the specific needs and concerns of each patient. The Women's Wellness Centers include a multi-disciplinary approach to health promotion, disease prevention and primary care.
• By the year 2000 the total number of visits to the Center was 26,217, 57% of those were preventive and family planning visits. 6,624 Pap smears and 1,156 ultrasound exams were performed at the WWC. Clinical breast examination was offered to 7,995 women.
• The Minsk WWC offers patient education courses. By the year 2000, 62 patients attended breast self-examination training, 67 attended family planning education, and 29 women received menopause education.
• The partners successfully sponsored three national symposia in Belarus: 1. Childbirth education and partners in birth, March 1999
  2. Belorussian-American Medical Scientific Practical Symposium, October 1999
  3. Medical and social aspects of adolescent reproductive health, December 1999.
• The partners successfully trained health professionals, renovated a building, and provided equipment and supplies to open a Women's Wellness Center in Mozyr, Belarus. The educators demonstrate increased confidence in their teaching role and letters and evaluations from families using the WWC indicate a high level of satisfaction.
• Since the opening of the Mozyr WWC in April 2000, 10,471 patients have visited the center. In 2000-2001 the specialists of Mozyr Center performed 421 clinical breast examinations, 286 patients were referred for ultrasound examinations, after which 2 cases of breast cancer stage II were diagnosed, and in 7 patients cyst aspiration was performed. During the 2 years of the Center's operation, 598 pap smears were performed.
• In addition to clinical services, Mozyr WWC provides a course on childbirth education. In 2000-2001 the course was attended by 204 couples and 801 women. Courses on prenatal care were offered to 226 women and breast-feeding education was provided to 503 women. 733 patients received education on breast self-examination.
• The partners developed two comprehensive binders (childbirth education and adolescent health education) to use for reference and training purposes. In the Minsk WWC, 2148 women and 623 men received childbirth education, this included 623 couples. 2148 women and almost 6,000 adolescents received training on adolescent health issues.
• The Woman and Family NGO was established in January 2000 by the Minsk WWC. The NGO has applied to an international foundation for support and has accomplished the following activities: Adolescent Reproductive Health Program for schools, health centers and community centers; Partners in Birth; a Breast Cancer Education program; and a program promoting equal rights for women and men in family planning decision-making including promotion of comprehensive participation of both men and women in their reproductive life, the shared responsibility for childbearing and household tasks, common access to family planning services, and current information on contraceptives and the consequences of the abortion, infertility and STDs.