A small but impactful modality, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), is a tool that has the power to redefine healthcare. In recent years, the medical community has grown increasingly aware of how the benefits of this technology can expand beyond its traditional uses and can elevate healthcare in both urban and rural communities.
At the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Certification Academy™ (PCA), we believe “that the future of ultrasound is portable, accessible in every country, and provides opportunities to change health outcomes.”
Our global provider community engages with POCUS at an academic and practical level. Healthcare professionals engage with POCUS collaboratively and independently, ultimately utilizing this modality to bring our society closer to achieving standardized, high-level, patient care worldwide. As a part of our ongoing efforts to bridge barriers and challenges in global health through point-of-care ultrasound, we launched our Ambassador Program.
Announcing the PCA Ambassador Program
The POCUS Ambassador Program is a community engagement initiative that allows us to partner with point-of-care ultrasound experts across the globe to discover the possibilities of POCUS in improving their practice. Through this cohort of POCUS Champions, the PCA and the Ambassadors will collaborate to help increase awareness of POCUS, share resources with the global health community, and truly convey the importance of getting certified in emerging imaging technology.
During this program, along with having access to training and networking opportunities, PCA Ambassadors will help expand the POCUS mission in three primary ways.
- Ambassadors will build POCUS awareness and visibility through attending PCA events, and sharing resources, certifications, and other information with their networks. Additionally, their thought leadership will be highlighted in webinars, podcasts, and other content published by the POCUS Academy.
- Our Ambassadors will contribute to our POCUS resource development by supporting the development of future POCUS educational resources and certifications.
- The PCA and the Inteleos Foundation will support Ambassadors as they each pursue a POCUS Pilot Project that will positively impact the utilization of the modality in their country.
A Global Community of POCUS Leaders
Our inaugural cohort of 2021 PCA Ambassadors consists of professionals that span across nine countries and six continents, and specialize in a range of medical disciplines. They are thought leaders who engage POCUS in their work and have innovative ideas of how mobile ultrasound can enhance healthcare in every practice setting.
‘Ultrasound is such a beautiful device which has been underestimated for years,” said PCA Ambassador for India, Dr. Deepa Shivnani, a Pediatric Otolaryngologist. “Everyone should know about this so we can implement this into our day-to-day practice.”
Dr. Shivnani has found that using POCUS, specifically in pediatric cases, can drastically impact disease management by providing more timely diagnostic information.
Certified Pathologist Dr. Karen Villar Zarra, POCUS Ambassador for Spain, spoke to the immediate impact of POCUS. “With the portable ultrasound devices, you can have an ultrasound in your pocket and perform this rapid, on-site decision making.”
While the cohort of PCA Ambassadors practice in various specialties, they share the belief that POCUS has an instrumental role in elevating patient care in any environment.
Through her first-hand experience, Dr. Shivnani feels that this modality as a screening tool can benefit both the diagnostic and treatment process for patients. As an Ambassador, she wants to support and teach her colleagues about the impact of this technology to help support the healthcare system overall.
“[POCUS] has many applications,” said Dr. Villar Zarra. “As medical professionals, the Ambassadors are committed to learning and teaching to uplift the healthcare community and the patients we serve.” After seeking training opportunities for herself, she now wants to help ensure pathologists around the globe understand that they are part of the POCUS family, and this imaging tool can help empower them in their daily practice.
Paving the Way to a Future of Better Care
As this portable, cost-effective technology continues to demonstrate how we can enhance patient care across specialties, medical professionals continually find innovative ways to expand their practices to incorporate the advantages POCUS offers.
Our Ambassadors’ passion for POCUS shines through their practice, as well as their commitment to supporting a larger audience of practitioners and patients in their community. Through their individual and collaborative efforts, the POCUS community will continue to grow rapidly and move forward in pursuit of excellent, equitable, global healthcare.
If you are interested in joining us on the journey to create change, visit our website to learn more about our Global Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Principles Certification opportunity.
