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Russian visitors to tour health care, retirement facilities in Osage
Osage will be hosting a delegation of Russian visitors early next month. The unique group consists of 10 professionals who are interested in observing community-based health care systems. They will arrive in Osage at about noon on Monday, April 9 and depart later that evening.
The delegation plans to tour many of the local facilities here in town, including Mitchell County Regional Health Center (MCRHC), Evergreen Retirement Home and the Faith Home Assisted Living Center. Stops on the agenda also include a stop at the new Mitchell County Services building for panel discussion with youth services providers.
The tour of health community care systems in Osage is part of a larger trek across the Midwest for the Russian delegation, which consists of a pediatrician, a family advocate, an educational specialist , the vice-president of a public charity fund, a psychiatrist, a child psychiatrist and a journalist who focuses on health care and social issues.
Community Sister City Organization joined World Services of La Crosse, Inc. in providing the professional program for visitors from Stavropol Krai and Rostov Oblast, Russia in cooperation with World Learning and USAID. "The three-week professional program offers the Russian visitors with an opportunity observe American community based health care systems where citizens recognize they are responsible for their own health and where community groups are involved in providing organizational capacity, fund-raising, and other activities to deliver health care," explained Judy Champion, co-chair of the Community Sister City Organization. "We are excited to host them and show them what we have here in Osage."
Upon arrival on April 9, Mitchell County Regional Health Center will host the group with a noon lunch followed by a discussion with the hospital administrator about organization and collaborative services, including outreach and specialty clinics.
The group will then meet at the County Services building for a panel discussion with Youth Services providers. Stops at Evergreen Retirement Home, the Faith Home Assisted Living center and Faith Lutheran Home are next on the agenda. The visitors will tour facilities and participate in a discussion about the continuum of care for senior citizens in the Osage area.
Finally, the group will gather at Godfathers Pizza for an early dinner. Members of Community Sister City and interested individuals in the community are invited to join the group for a dinner or for a program which follows the meal. The program will allow each of the delegates time to talk about their participation in the exchange. The group plans to leave Osage around 7 p.m. for Des Moines
Interpreters for the afternoon in Osage will come from Des Moines. Three of the delegates are from the Stavropol Krai, Iowa's Sister State. One of the three is from the town of Pyatigorsk, close to Osage's Sister City of Lermontov.
--by David Namanny, Press-News Editor
Story created Mar 27, 2007 - 12:24:44 CDT.
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