John Karpuk, MD
Albany Medical Center, Pediatrics- PGY2

During my two-week mission in Malawi from April 13-24 with Bridges to Malawi, I participated in a variety of clinical and educational activities at Kasungu District Hospital. My primary objective was to support neonatal resuscitation by teaching local providers the WHO-led global initiative known as “Helping Babies Breathe.” My teaching focused on bedside education on how to manage newborns during the “Golden Minute” of life, a critical period during which proper resuscitation techniques can prevent lifelong injury and cerebral palsy. 

I led bedside teaching sessions using specialized inflatable mannequins for practicing resuscitation skills, then helped providers translate these newly-acquired skills into practice by supporting their resuscitations of neonates in real time with coaching and hands-on demonstration. 

During my time in Malawi, our team also provided home visits to local community members after our days in the hospital and set up an outreach clinic in a nearby village. During the outreach clinic day, I provided primary care to 22 families, seeing a variety of pathologies including many cases of malaria.  

I also gave a lecture on recognizing and diagnosing pediatric heart murmurs during the hospital’s grand rounds and acted as a consultant for challenging pediatric cases. Two of the salient cases included helping diagnose and manage a 9-month-old in heart failure due to congenital heart disease and helping to recognize and treat an 8-year-old with skin peeling due to Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.

Overall, I feel like my educational contributions and bedside management made a lasting impact on current and future patients alike.