Middle East partnership

Saudi venture enters 15th year

Guyana, India, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, Nepal, Oman, the People's Republic of China, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, and Yemen. What do these countries have in common with Loma Linda University? These are all countries that have been, or are continuing to be, educationally assisted by the School of Allied Health Professions. Of these countries, the School of Allied Health Professions has had the longest affiliation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In 1986, Joyce W. Hopp, PhD, MPH, dean of the School of Allied Health Professions, traveled to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to explore the possibility of establishing a respiratory therapy program in that Middle Eastern country. With the inauguration of the program in 1987, LLU's School of Allied Health Professions became the first school in the United States to open a respiratory therapy program in another country. Today, Loma Linda University continues to be the only American institution of higher learning to offer a degree program in Saudi Arabia. "We are entering the final phase of our respiratory therapy educational program in Saudi Arabia," Dr. Hopp says. "We will complete our agreement with the Saudi Arabian government in June, 2001, when we will graduate our last respiratory therapy class." At that time, Loma Linda University will have educated 65 respiratory therapists--all of them Saudi. All of the graduates are currently working in Saudi Arabian hospitals. "Our graduates--and they are truly our graduates because, even though they were educated in Saudi Arabia, they received an LLU degree--have completely staffed the respiratory therapy department of the Prince Sultan Cardiac Center," Dr. Hopp continues. "This is a goal that they have been working toward for some time." The Prince Sultan Cardiac Center is an entity of the Ministry of Defense and Aviation. Loma Linda graduates are also working at the King Fahd National Guard Hospital and at the King Faisal Specialist Center--both located in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. "Our students and graduates are outstanding,² Dr. Hopp emphasizes. "They must pass a battery of entrance examinations prior to their acceptance into the program. The Saudi Arabia respiratory therapy program is essentially the same as that taught on the Loma Linda campus." The primary difference between the two programs is that the Loma Linda program takes two years to complete, while the Saudi Arabia program takes three years. This is primarily due to English language classes that the Saudi students must take to improve their proficiency in the language. The course is almost evenly divided between academic and theoretical respiratory therapy and clinical academic respiratory therapy. Clinical requirements amount to some 1,200 hours. After taking their prerequisites and professional courses at the Riyadh Al Kharj Hospital, students then receive clinical training at affiliated hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Following their completion of the academic program, students receive an associate in science degree from Loma Linda University and can apply for certification and registration as registered respiratory therapists.
		Mohammed Al Fagih, MD, chief of cardiac surgery, Prince Sultan Cardiac Center (wearing laboratory coat), presents a gift to a respiratory therapy graduate.
		School of Allied Health Professions dean Joyce W. Hopp, PhD, MPH, presents a diploma to Rakan Al Duwairij during completion ceremonies held for graduates of the University's respiratory therapy program offered in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
		Dr. Hopp delivers the commencement address to the respiratory therapy class of 2000. The graduates now serve on the staffs of Prince Sultan Cardiac Center and the King Fahd National Guard Hospital.
		Dr. Hopp and alumnus Kahlid Al Awan, MPH, RT (front row), pose with new graduates of the respiratory therapy program.

"When we complete our program in 2001, we will have accomplished all that we set out to do," Dr. Hopp states. "At our final graduation we are anticipating that all 15 students now enrolled in the program will graduate. This will be our largest graduating class."

Several of Loma Linda's Saudi graduates have come to Loma Linda where they completed the bachelor of science degree in respiratory therapy. In addition, a few of the students have completed the course work and received their master's degree in public health with an emphasis in hospital administration from the School of Public Health.

"One of our students, Khalid Al Awam, a 1992 graduate of our respiratory therapy program, finished his baccalaureate program at Loma Linda, then entered and completed a master's degree from the School of Public Health. He now serves as clinical coordinator for our degree program in Riyadh,² Dr. Hopp says.

After the formal program closes, the School of Allied Health Professions will continue to offer continuing education courses for the Saudi respiratory therapy graduates via the Internet, according to Dr. Hopp.

Loma Linda University has had a continuing relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that spans four decades.

In 1976, the Loma Linda University Overseas Heart Surgery Team was invited by Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defense and Aviation to begin the first open-heart surgery program in that country. Over the next 10 years, members of the heart team traveled to Saudi Arabia to assist in the heart surgery program. The Prince Sultan Cardiac Center is recognized as the leading cardiac center in the Middle East.

"I feel that we have influenced our graduates positively toward Loma Linda University and Seventh-day Adventists," Dr. Hopp believes. "Our graduates and those whom we work with in Saudi Arabia are very well aware of our Christian orientation. Loma Linda is highly respected there.

"Mr. Al Awam has made it very clear to us that Loma Linda's influence will never end in Saudi Arabia."

Even as the School of Allied Health Professions' formal ties in Saudi Arabia reach a conclusion, the neighboring country of Oman has asked Loma Linda's assistance in developing a health information systems program.

G. D. Mogli, PhD, dean of the Oman Institute of Medical Record Technology in Oman's Ministry of Health, has asked for assistance in developing a two-year curriculum leading to the accredited records technician certificate (ART)--equivalent to the associate in science degree.

"This will be their program,² Dr. Hopp emphasizes, "but they want us to make sure that their curriculum is compatible with ours, so that their graduates can come to Loma Linda for the bachelor of science degree program in health information systems.

"Right now we are evaluating their program to make sure that all of their courses will meet our requirements."

Prior to coming to Loma Linda University, Dr. Mogli visited several institutions in the United States that offer the health information systems curriculum, but asked Loma Linda to assist his program because he felt it is "the best."

Oman's health information system program is expected to begin sometime this year. "Dr. Mogli has asked that we come to Oman later this year to officially open their program," Dr. Hopp concludes.

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