Stories from the Road: Resource Exchange International-Vietnam

Brent A. Senior, MD, on behalf of the Humanitarian Efforts Committee

The author participating in on-site procedure with local physicians in Vietnam.Resource Exchange International (REI), based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, aims to “build people to build nations.” Since its incorporation as a US non-profit in 1990, REI has sent skilled and credentialed professionals, and a staff of servant leaders, to develop field-driven programs to countries around the world. Currently, REI programs are focused in Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

In each of these countries, REI equips and empowers local people to strengthen their communities and improve their quality of life. The organization works to build human capacity by partnering with key individuals and groups in emerging countries by first learning about their priorities and then seeking to respond to those needs through sustainable, field-driven efforts.

Overview of REI-Vietnam

The author, Brent A. Senior, MD, Chief, Rhinology, Allergy, and Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery, University of North Carolina.REI-Vietnam supports professional exchange in Vietnam and has been doing so since the early 1990s. Although groups of business professionals, nurses, agriculture specialists, teachers, and physicians in various specialties have all participated over the years, otolaryngology was the first group to participate and has continued to do so regularly for nearly 30 years. Beginning with the late Jack Van Doren Hough, MD, from Oklahoma, and Byron J. Bailey, MD, from Galveston, Texas, and more recently led by myself, teams of 10 to 20 otolaryngologists have traveled to Vietnam every year for one- to two-week trips, focusing on education in the major otolaryngology teaching facilities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Participants occupy all levels of training from medical students to residents and fellows, as well as senior-level attendings, both academic and private practice.

UNC Neurorhinology Fellow, Scott Hardison, MD, lecturing at National ENT Hospital in Hanoi.Each trip begins with a two-day “ENT Update” course allowing for participants to present state-of-the-art updates on a wide variety of otolaryngology topics. This is followed by several days working side by side with Vietnamese otolaryngology residents and attendings seeing patients in the clinic and doing surgeries in the OR. With an emphasis on education, work is always carried out in conjunction with the local physicians—and never solo—to maximize learning opportunities.

As an exchange, REI-Vietnam has also served as sponsor of about 45 Vietnamese otolaryngologists to come to the United States to spend time in hospitals and clinics, frequently staying in the homes of US otolaryngologists, providing unique educational experiences while forging lifelong friendships.

Location and Growth

Since the early 1990s, Vietnam has seen remarkable growth and change with a rapidly expanding population and improving quality of life. With a well-established healthcare program, teaching facilities in otolaryngology have been built primarily in the two largest cities, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. REI-Vietnam has partnered with four of these facilities, seeing the educational efforts expand out from these locations with local physicians venturing out to provide education and care in more remote locations and touching all corners of the country. 

Measuring Success in Lives Changed

I have traveled to Vietnam and led surgical teams for 25 years with this program. Although there have been hundreds of operations performed, thousands of patients seen in clinics, and hundreds of hours of lectures provided, what stands out to me are the relationships that have been built. Returning to Vietnam every year is a pleasure for me, not because I get to operate and see patients in clinic, but because I get to visit with old friends.

Through the forging of relationships with otolaryngologists around Vietnam, I have been a witness to not only to changes in healthcare, but changes in lives. I have grown up with many of these colleagues over the years. We have shared happy times and challenging times. I have seen my colleagues excel and lead otolaryngology programs and become leaders in healthcare in Vietnam.

I measure the success of REI-Vietnam’s otolaryngology exchange program in watching the kids that we treat grow up! And, of course, seeing the amazing changes in how otolaryngology care is taught, researched, and provided are testament to the great success of the program.

It is also about encouraging the next generation to give—seeing participants in our trips come back with us to Vietnam or go on their own trips to other locales. Seeing this little work over the years amplified around the world is extremely gratifying!

Watch the author and recent program participant Scott Hardison, MD, on a recent trip to Hanoi with the REI-Vietnam Program. Video reproduced with permission from REI.