Here is What We Accomplished Thanks to You: World Spine Care's 2020 Report
As this year ends, the World Spine Care Board of Directors wishes to thank our partners, donors, supporters and volunteers for your incredible support over this past year.
Despite numerous challenges, we are proud of what we were able to accomplish this year. Here are just a few of our successes, thanks to the support of so many people, just like you.
In 2020, the Global Spine Care Initiative Executive Committee continued to develop a proposal to drive the implementation of a multi-year research study to develop a model of care that would be implemented in multiple low and middle-income communities, thanks to the support of the Skoll Foundation;
This research initiative follows up on the 2018 Global Spine Care Initiative (GSCI) publication in the European Spine Journal, which included contributions from 68 clinicians and scientists from 24 countries;
If the proposal is successful, this model of care could revolutionize the way that spine care is delivered in under-served communities –all over the world;
Visit www.globalspinecareinitiative.org for updates on this exciting development.
World Spine Care is run almost exclusively by volunteers with over 100 individuals working passionately toward a shared vision. This year has been challenging, but we are incredibly proud of what our community has been able to accomplish – even during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
World Spine Care Staff and Volunteers provided educational seminars and information sessions whenever possible; hosting webinars and panel discussions, as well as educational documents for the community;
World Spine Care hosted a panel discussion on “Pain and Related Disability: Making the Vulnerable More Vulnerable” on Apr 1, 2020 as part of the Skoll Foundation’s annual World Forum;
To ensure patients with spine pain continued to be supported during the pandemic, World Spine Care released two separate guides to assist with Managing Back and Neck Pain in the time of COVID-19. The Clinician Guide and the Patient Guide were released in May 2020, and a paper has been submitted for publication and is currently in preprint. To date these guides have been shared and/or viewed over 5000 times;
To celebrate World Spine Day, World Spine Care brought together some of the world’s leading experts on spine health to provide a free one-hour webinar discussion on the Societal and Economic Impacts of Spinal Disorders. Watch the replay here.
In 2020, World Spine Care’s three registered charities (WSC US, WSC Canada, and WSC Europe) endeavored to support our clinics in 3 countries; Botswana, Dominican Republic, and India, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic;
The Botswana Program continued to offer support in our clinics, and our Clinical Supervisor, Mufudzi Chihambakwe was redeployed to help screen and triage patients to support the increased volume and needs of patients because of the pandemic;
The Dominican Clinic remained open until the local government mandated closure, and our generous Clinical Supervisors continued to support the community for months, awaiting the reopening of the clinic;
This year, to assist in raising awareness of our mission, and funds amidst a difficult year for fundraising, World Spine Care launched our new Helping Hands Campaign; a fundraising and awareness campaign that challenged spine care providers - and their patients – to donate $54 dollars in honor of the $540 million people in the world who are suffering from low-back pain. To date, this campaign is on track to raise close to $20,000, and we continue to collect donations.
Our volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization.
WSC is Looking for Volunteers: This Is Your Chance to Work at a World Spine Care Clinic
World Spine Care is currently recruiting volunteers to work as Clinical Supervisors in the Dominican Republic. We hope to fill these roles in early 2021, once international travel is safe.
This is a chance to develop a broad set of clinical skills in a dynamic and fun environment while helping patients in need. This is a clinical experience you will not find anywhere else. These opportunities are open to licensed clinicians who are registered to practice and who have advanced training in evidence-based spine care.
Learn more about the Clinic Supervisor role here.
If you are interested in this opportunity to provide care for those in need, please send a letter of intent and your resume via e-mail to Kait Graham, Volunteer Program Manager at kait.graham@worldspinecare.org.
Looking Forward to 2021
Even though most of our clinics remained closed for the majority of the year, we are proud of the various ways that we have continued to support the community. We’ve done it all thanks to the continued generosity of our network of friends, colleagues, and others who have a shared vision, and who believe in the power of education to build sustainable communities. Our sincere thanks to all of you for your continued dedicated support.
Join Us!
Do you share our vision to improve lives in underserved communities through sustainable, integrated, evidence-based, spine care? If so, it is not too late to make your 2020 donation.
