Virtual Training, an Economical Solution for Building a Resilient Biosecurity Workforce
Inter-organizational virtual training enhances national security by aligning diverse teams to share intelligence, strengthen operational coordination, and address emerging threats. By integrating applied learning and secure information exchange, virtual communities foster real-time collaboration, enabling dispersed personnel to develop strategic solutions to shared security challenges, from biosecurity risks to cyber threats and geopolitical instability.
During the COVID pandemic, GSSHealth already had the technical capabilities to expand our virtual networks due to the launch of our low cost innovative telehealth initiative in 2019 in collaboration with Project ECHO. From 2020 on, GSSHealth has leveraged these successes creating virtual networks of clinical practice across 40 countries.
“Our approach to virtual network-building is to work directly with project sponsors, in-country partners, and health workers to address the challenges of implementing high quality biosecure health services at facilities in resource-limited settings,” says Jorge Martins, program coordinator for GSSHealth. “We are creating communities that allow public health specialists, front-line clinical staff, and medical laboratory technicians to implement best practices across central and remote sites.”
GSSHealth-supported virtual sessions feature didactic presentations from subject matter experts and case presentations from health workers regarding site-specific successes and challenges. Drawing more than 100 participants per session, these virtual medical grand rounds have proven popular due to their ability to actively engage participants. The secret to the success of this approach is an “all teach, all learn” ethos that emphasizes participant sharing of real-world experiences.
According to Remi Charlebois, GSSHealth technical expert and Project ECHO facilitator, “our networks have reduced professional isolation among participants and provided a platform for them to share best practices in biosecurity with health professionals from similar contexts. As a result, health professionals are increasingly spearheading their own improvements to service delivery at their workplaces.”
Ongoing virtual sessions are focused on SARS-CoV-2, including the impact of COVID-19 on people with HIV, best practices in clinical and laboratory service delivery, and quality assurance considerations for the diagnosis, monitoring and control of HIV and other infectious diseases.
Moving forward, the GSSHealth plans to continue expanding its virtual networks, ensuring that sessions reach more remote sites and more countries where access to professional training is limited. In addition, GSSHealth is working with central health sites to establish country-level ‘hubs’ that will independently host Project ECHO sessions with other country health system sites.
To learn more about GSSHealth’s work with Project ECHO, please contact us at info@gsshealth.com.
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