title: The role of short-term volunteers in a global health capacity building effort: the Project HOPE-GEMC experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increasingly, medical students and practicing clinicians are showing interest in traveling to low-income settings to conduct research and engage in clinical rotations. While global health activities have the potential to benefit both the individual and the host, there can be challenges. We describe one way to harmonize the desire of volunteers to have a meaningful impact on the health care delivery system in a developing country with the needs of that country.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Project Health Opportunities for People Everywhere (HOPE)-Ghana Emergency Medicine Collaborative (GEMC) Partnership has successfully integrated short-term volunteer physicians and nurses to facilitate the training of emergency medicine (EM) residents and specialist nurses in Kumasi, Ghana.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Since the launching of this partnership in 2011, eight physicians and 10 nurses have rotated at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH). The impact of these volunteers goes beyond the clinical service and supervision they provide while on the ground. They act as mentors to the trainees and assist the program leadership with teaching and assessments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although generally smooth, there have been challenges, all of which have been met and are being resolved. This partnership is an example of how collaborations can harness the expertise and energy of short-term volunteers to achieve the goals of capacity building and self-sustainability.
authors.affiliation: Global REACH, University of Michigan Medical School, 1111 East Catherine St. 236 Victor Vaughan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA.
authors.forename: Sarah D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Rominski
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan, 1500 E Medical Center Dr. TC-B1 354, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA.
authors.forename: Jamila
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yakubu
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan, 1500 E Medical Center Dr. TC-B1 354, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA.
authors.forename: Rockefeller A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Oteng
authors.affiliation: Project HOPE, 255 Carter Hall Lane, Millwood, VA 22646 USA.
authors.forename: Matt
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.affiliation: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tagoe
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Michigan, 400 North Ingalls St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA.
authors.forename: Sue Anne
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Bell
keywords: Capacity building; Emergency medicine; Ghana; Global health; Partnerships