Global Urology Initiative and Multinational Partnership for Advancing Capacity and Training in Surgery
The Global Urology Initiative and Multinational Partnership for Advancing Capacity and Training in Surgery (GU-IMPACTS) is a multi-institutional program that provides needs-based support to low and middle-income countries to increase capacity in urology.
Our goal is to improve patient access to high-quality urologic care by transferring subspeciality surgical knowledge and skills across borders, enhancing access to standard of care technology and equipment, and supporting local provider-driven research.
GU-IMPACTS is dedicated to empowering local surgeons and improving patient outcomes in a way that is measurable, safe and sustainable.
About GU-IMPACTS
GU-IMPACTS conducts a urology-specific needs assessment in each of our partner sites. The assessment identifies gaps and challenges in providing urologic care and ensures that what we teach is safe, sustainable, and patient-centered. By performing an assessment of site needs, we strive to match each partner site’s educational and clinical needs with the educational and clinical support and instruction provided by the GU-IMPACTS teams.
The needs assessment includes an evaluation of the following:
- The availability and accessibility of urology-specific resources, equipment, and diagnostic testing
- Provider surgical skills and education
- Urologic case mix and volume
- Hospital infrastructure and adjunct clinical and diagnostic services
- Patient record keeping and follow-up protocols
- The local burden of urologic disease(s)
Due to the differing needs of low-and middle-income countries (LMIC), research and publications generated in high-income countries are often not generalizable to many nations around the world.
GU-IMPACTS is dedicated to bringing quality research work in urology from LMICs to the international stage by providing support in research design and implementation in partner countries. We work with local providers to develop research protocols and proposals to study local research questions in urology and apply for grant funding.
GU-IMPACTS can assist in developing database platforms to collect patient data and track surgical outcomes, provide statistical support for data analysis, and offer English-writing support for authoring manuscripts and abstracts.
Each GU-IMPACTS training program is developed in partnership with the national urologic association in each country site. The program is customized to fit local patient and provider needs, according to the results of our needs assessment. The length of the program is determined in coordination with local partners.
GU-IMPACTS utilizes a longitudinal, Team Model to deliver and implement each country-specific program. We assemble dedicated teams of volunteer subspecialty-trained urologists to meet subspeciality training needs. Team size is based on local need and relevant case volume. Each team focuses on surgical skills training, and clinical knowledge transfer.
Team members commit to traveling to partner countries at least once-per-year, for the duration of the program, to host a (minimum) 1-week-long, hands-on surgical workshop. Workshops are subspeciality-specific and focus on index cases with maximal educational value and relevance for needs-based training. Surgical workshops are conducted only in major teaching hospitals in order to include resident trainees, ensuring we help both current and future urologists.
Workshops are intended to provide active, hands-on teaching to local providers and trainees. Team surgeons are expected to provide active feedback to local providers on surgical skill and competency, as well as engage local trainees when possible.
The Surgical Skills Training program is designed to transfer comprehensive skills to local providers, ensuring local providers have full competency and can pass surgical knowledge and skills to the next generation after the GU-IMPACTS program concludes.
Team members commit to participating in virtual conferences organized by GU-IMPACTS leadership and the partner country’s urologic association. All association members and trainees are invited to attend.
Conferences
- Pre-operative planning conference: Meet to discuss patients for upcoming workshops
- Post-operative conference: Meet to discuss patient outcomes and complications after workshops
- Case-based indications conference: Local providers present challenging cases and team members provide advice and clinical recommendations
- Education conference: Team members provide a minimum of one educational lecture about a relevant topic to the partner site
Global Locations
GU-IMPACTS Rwanda
GU-IMPACTS Rwanda is a partnership with the Rwanda Urological Association and IVU-Med. Each program is 5-years in duration and focused on two subspeciality areas: Adult Reconstruction and Pediatric Urology.
Adult Reconstruction Program: 2024-2029
- Focus: Urethral stricture and urinary fistula, recurrent stenosis following posterior urethroplasty, diagnosis and treatment of complex cases of genitourinary tuberculosis (end-stage bladder and proximal ureteral stenosis)
- Frequency of Workshops: 3 per year
Pediatric Urology Program: 2025-2030
- Focus: Hypospadias and epispadias repair and post exstrophy care and reconstruction
- Frequency of Workshops: 2-3 per year
Research
- “Assessing the Transfer of Surgical Expertise in Urethral Injury Repair: From International Volunteers to Local Urologists in Rwanda”. Podium Presentation; AUA 2024, San Antonio, TX. To be presented by Dr. Theophile Ndayishimye, Urology Consultant, Rwanda Military Hospital, Kigali, Rwanda.
GU-IMPACTS Cambodia
GU-IMPACTS Cambodia is a partnership with the Cambodia Urological Association. The needs assessment has been completed, and the team is currently working towards designing the program
More information, including team focus, program duration, and opportunities to join the team will be available in the future.
Check back later for more information.
Partner with Us
To become a partner site or to join or US-based urology volunteer team for any of our partner sites, contact info@gu-impacts.org.