Day 9

Day 9 brought us to Iringa for the eleventh Ilula–Minnesota International Healthcare Conference. Dr. John Kvascicka facilitated the conference, and I had the opportunity to present alongside Cole and my mom, Teresa. 

This year, 140 healthcare leaders attended from 26 hospitals across Tanzania. Each hospital sent an interprofessional team of physicians, nurses, clinical officers, pharmacists, administrators and other hospital leaders.

The conference began in 2015 with 30 participants. The growth of the conference is a direct reflection of the thoughtful relationships that have been built over time and a shared commitment to lifelong learning.

This year’s focus centered on quality improvement. While we covered many topics, one core theme was: Change does not happen overnight; it happens one step at a time, one day at a time, one problem at a time. In Swahili, the message was captured as, “Kidogo kidogo, kidogo kinakuwa kikubwa.” Which means little by little, a little becomes a lot.

For me personally, having the opportunity to co-lead the conference with my mom was certainly unforgettable. 

Day 9 reinforced a simple truth - that improvement begins with the belief that tomorrow will be better than today. I am inspired by the Tanzanian leaders’ commitment and excited to see them bring these new quality improvement tools back to their teams, positively impacting the lives of patients and staff.

- Maureen