Post-Orientation

Went to Boston for my orientation today. Finally, I can attempt to answer the question:"So what exactly are you going to be doing in Lesotho?"

Here are some simplified answers without actually asking you to read hundreds of pages of grant-funded proposals:
1) Working with the lead Lesotho-based person on capacity building in all the hospitals in Lesotho, or at least 4 of them. So working with the management team of each hospital to see how things can run more smoothly
2) Coordinating a Problem Solving for Better Health (PSBH) workshop to take place in March. More details to come.
3) Helping finish up a report for the International Finance Corporation (an arm of the World Bank) so that the new referral hospital in Lesotho can be built.
4) Administering a physician satisfaction survey in the hospitals and analyzing this data
5) Identifying, meeting with and documenting 273 registered physicians in Lesotho

And to a lesser extent:
1) Working with Sarah (the other intern) on developing training and evaluation procedures for the newly instituted Family Medicine Residency Program in Leribe.
2) Finding, Documenting and Evaluating the community based health centers in the country

Etc, etc, etc. This list is going to change, become more or less defined and hopefully be expanded upon, maybe even as soon as next week when I arrive. If you need a very simple answer, "I will be working on health systems management and capacity building within the hospitals."

Oh, and I ordered some South African Rand from Androscoggin Bank today. Who knew you could get that currency in the middle of Maine?!