London 2015

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Graduation!

        I had my graduation from Suffolk University’s Master in Healthcare Administration Program today at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion. I grew nostalgic not waking up in London next to my roomie, but the feeling subsided quickly because I had to prepare for the big day. I am fortunate to have three of my four grandparents alive and able to come and witness this big moment in my life. Most of all, I am so lucky to have such a loving and supportive family, who have all contributed to my happiness, success, and motivation. I could not have done it without them!

    As I reflect on my time at Suffolk and on this amazing excursion to London, I feel so grateful for all the experiences I encountered. I met so many influential, interesting, and wonderful people throughout my time and I feel incredibly blessed to have gotten to share my time with them. More than anything, I feel so lucky to have shared my experience in London with the amazing group of individuals who went. I have made some life-long friends who have added so much value to my life. I can’t wait to see where life takes me, but for now I can rest easy knowing I ended my MHA experience in the most positive way possible.  

    Thank you so much Professor Gregg and Professor Al-Amin for all the hard-work and dedication you put into coordinating this adventure to London. Additionally, I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate all the insight and education you provided me over the past two years. It has truly been a privilege to meet and learn from you. I look forward to coming to London again as an alumni and being a guest speaker in your classes!

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The Health Foundation, Saint Bart’s Hospital, Gordon’s Wine Bar, & Final Dinner

    It is sad to think, but today is our last full day in London before leaving tomorrow to go back to Boston. We started at The Health Foundation, where Richard Taunt, the Director of Policy, spoke with us about NHS policy and social considerations. I found this discussion the most engaging out of the whole trip, because we were sitting around a conference table, rather than in classroom style. I found Mr. Taunt amusing and very smart. Another thing I recognized instantly was the strong and predominate branding and marketing of the organization. 

    We then headed over to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, which is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, hospital in the world. The tour guide informed us of all the wars and devastation the hospital has withstood.  Subsequently, Arta, Freda, Kevin, Brian, and I went to Gordon’s Wine Bar, the oldest wine bar in the world. I found this little basement, cave-like wine bar to be incredibly fascinating and was very happy to have gone. After a glass of wine, we headed back to the hotel to change for our final group dinner. The dinner was seven courses and many of us got a wine pairing with dinner. It was a lot of food to consume, but such a great send off from an absolutely wonderful and amazing trip!

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University College London Hospitals, Royal College of Physicians, & Harrods

     We didn’t have to travel too far to our first location, because University College London Hospital was right down the street from our hotel. We got a guided tour of the hospital where we got to see the urgent care and emergency departments. The highlight was the teaching labs we saw, where students can practice clinical skills on fake patients to enhance their skills. 

    After some lunch at UCLH, we ventured out into the rain and walked over to the Royal College of Physicians to meet with Dr. Kevin Stewart, the Director of Clinical Effectiveness and Evaluation. I was very eager to learn more about this organization and draw correlations between it and Massachusetts Medical Society. As part of the presentation, Dr. Stewart had us take a short quiz on the NHS and Arta got the most correct, so we added more candy to our growing collection. I finished my day off with a trip to Harrods and rewarded myself with a couple of celebratory souvenirs for finishing the semester.

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NICE, Westminster Abbey, & the Globe Theater

       Today we only had a half day of presentations at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence given by Francis Ruiz, a senior advisor, and Emily Crowe. The organization develops national evidence-based guidelines and advice for practitioners to improve health and social care based off medication and technology comparisons. I feel like NICE is the type of organization needed in the United States, yet it would most likely be controversial and many large lobbies, such as the pharmaceutical industry, would oppose an implementation of this type of organization. 

    After NICE, we went to the historic Westminster Abbey for a guided tour. I have always been fascinated with English history, so I found it so exciting to be in this monumental place and see the burial grounds of many influential characters.  Then we strolled over to The Swan restaurant for a group dinner and finished the day at Shakespeare’s’ Globe Theater to see The Merchant of Venice. I will admit, the play was difficult to follow at times, but the acting was superb and the overall experience was extraordinary.

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Regents University, GOSH, & London Eye

    We started our day back at Regent’s University for a presentation by Susan Went, a Quality Improvement Fellow at the Health Foundation. I found her particularly inspiring. She started off telling us there will be times in our lives that things will be difficult and we may want to give up, but it is important to remember why we entered healthcare and where we came from. I thought that was a great way to begin. She proved to be not only a great speaker, but a strong female leader with an abundance of fascinating experiences.  By the end, Ms. Went knew my name from all my questions. 

    After, we got transported over to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for a guided tour, lunch, then a series of lectures. The topics covered included developing strategies in difficult times, the mission, vision, and values of GOSH, and the ethical concerns surrounding a children’s hospital. Our last stop was to NHS England for a discussion with Deborah El Sayed and Dr. Sam Shah. Luckily, the organization was close to the London Eye, so the majority of the group ventured to the famous location. The sights from the top were absolutely breathtaking and I didn’t want it to end. This experience was one of the best things I have ever done and I can’t wait to go back and do it again.

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Paddington Green Health Center and Regents University

    Luckily, I got enough sleep last night, because today was a long, but informative day. We starting our NHS learning experience off strong with Paddington Green Health Centre, where Dr. Neville Pursell and Sir Brian Jarman gave great insight into the structure and general operations of the health center, as well as the NHS. Sir Jarman has done a fair amount of work with MMS and NEJM, so we connected on that common interest. I thought he was a great speaker, very personable, and an extremely interesting individual. 

    We continued over to Regents University, where we heard presentations from Lord Nigel Crisp, the author of 24 Hours to Save the NHS and the former CEO of the NHS, and Dr. Peter Lachman, the Deputy Medical Director for Safety at GOSH. Considering it was our first day of learning, both presented an overview of the English healthcare system. By the end of the day, the group was tired, but equipped with a solid foundation of the NHS operational and governance structure. After, Alexa, Paige, Nicole, and I consumed some food and Sangria at a swanky tapas restaurant then headed off to bed to prepare for another long day.  

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Tour of the London Tower, London Bridge, & St. Pauls  

    Today we played tourist. As a group, we all met in the lobby and departed for the infamous and historic Tower of London. A “beef-eater” gave us a quick tour around the grounds and we got to see the Crown Jewels, which are magnificently beautiful. Most of the jewels only date back to about 1660’s, because during the English rebellion, which claimed King Charles I head, the rebels destroyed most of the royal assets. From there, we continued with a walk over the London Bridge and down the Thames’ river where we got to see a mixture of historic monuments, as well as more modern architecture. Finishing off the day, we wandered over the Millennium Bridge, which frames St. Paul’s cathedral perfectly, to a London pub for a drink and come group bonding.

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Arrive in London & Group Dinner at Villandry Restaurant 

    After a 6 hour red eye flight and some great conversation with my flight friend, Xiaowen, I arrived at Heathrow Airport. After some difficulty locating the shuttle, we finally got to our residence for the next week, the Grange Fitzrovia Hotel. Since the rooms were not ready by the time we arrived, those of us that had arrived took a short stroll through the beautiful Regents Park. We became acclimated to our surroundings and got our first glimpse at the outstanding architecture that shaped the city. After a few hours, we headed back to the hotel and Arta and I settled into our humble abode. Then we congregated as a full group and had our first dinner in London at the Villandry Restaurant that was right across from the hotel. To finish off the night and continue our sight seeing, our tour guides, Glyn and Louise, took a group of us out to the Black Friar,where I experienced my first London pub. Exhausted after a long and jet-lagged day, I went to bed giddy and excited for what the following day would hold.