Baystate REACH Global Health Initiative

Baystate REACH (Residents Educated in All Cultures and Health)

Founded in 2003 as one of the nation’s first global health interest groups for medical residents, REACH (Residents Educated in All Cultures and Health) brings together Baystate faculty and residents who are interested in global health and cultural diversity.

Through our work, we hope to instill a sense of global social consciousness and raise awareness of cultural, socioeconomic and international health issues within the Baystate community.

REACH's curriculum provides an overview of important topics such as public health policy, the role of global health organizations, social and cultural issues related to global health work, and health-related issues typically underrepresented in traditional western medical education.

REACH is not a masters program and does not confer formal certification. It is a low-stress outlet for anyone with an interest in global health. Anyone can benefit from REACH to any extent that they chose.

REACH Program Highlights

• The REACH Global Health Lecture Series: A dedicated global health mini-course that has been imbedded into the pediatric residency curriculum. Lectures are now being offered to other specialties as well
• Global Health Away Electives: Fascinating opportunities both domestic and abroad to work with culturally diverse, underserved communities
• REACH Bulletin: A quarterly publication of important REACH announcements and updates, recommended reading, and global health opportunities
• Medical Language Tutoring Program: Funded private tutoring for residents in medical French or Spanish with a local language school
• Global Health Career Opportunities and Educational Resources: An up-to- date collection of recommended global health literature, learning resources, and training opportunities

Join us to learn about:

• A broad range of health care issues facing the developing world
• The role of culture and socioeconomic factors in the practice of medicine
• How to function in resource-deficient medical systems and environments
• Using evidence-based medicine related to international health issues

International Medical Education Opportunities

Our global health sites provide you with a variety of experiences, including: outpatient or hospital based work, urban or rural setting, teaching or research.

Elective Sites Span the Globe

We've offered rotations across the world, including in these prior locations:

• St Damien’s Consortium: A children’s hospital in Haiti
• Sacre Coeur Hospital: Haiti
• Katosi Village, Uganda
• Indian Himalayas: The Himalayan Health Exchange
• Targu Mures, Romania
• Hospital Loma de Luz: Colon Honduras    

> More information on our international sites.

REACH Grants

REACH is proud to provide travel grants to help offset the cost of away electives. Learn more about our grants.

Meet your REACH directors

Katherine (Horan) Murphy

Kate (Horan) Murphy is a native of the Boston area. She completed medical school at Ben Gurion University where she was able to work on global health education for medical students and spend two months at a clinic in rural Burundi. Shortly after completing pediatric residency at Baystate she fulfilled a lifelong dream of working for Doctors Without Borders. Over two years she worked in a variety of conflict and post-conflict zone settings focusing on pediatric critical care, tropical medicine, malnutrition and global neonatology. After completing neonatology fellowship at the University of Miami she was thrilled to return home to work in the Baystate NICU. She became the director of REACH in 2021 and is happy to mentor any current or prospective Baystate residents about global health opportunities.

Contact: Katherine.murphy2@baystatehealth.org

Links to MSF videos, papers

• Horan KM. ‘The Breath of Life: Helping Babies Survive’. The Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics. September 2017
• Horan, Katherine. Presenter: ‘Pediatricians: Join the Movement’ Doctors Without Borders USA. October 2017 https://youtu.be/Zz5FajTtnGY
• Horan, Katherine. Presenter: ‘Ivory Coast: Infant and Maternal Mortality’ Doctors Without Borders France June 2017. https://youtu.be/mFThERJlKmE

Jenny Jones

Jenny Jones is a native of Washington state. She completed her undergraduate studies in Chinese language before transitioning to medicine. She attended medical school at The University of Queensland in Australia followed by emergency medicine residency training in Louisiana. Jenny completed a global emergency medicine fellowship at Stanford University where she had the opportunities to work and do research in Rwanda, Peru, and India. She is currently completing a masters in health professions education (MHPE) from The University of Illinois at Chicago and working as faculty in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Baystate. She recently became co-director of REACH in 2024 and is enthusiastic about promoting global health education at Baystate.

Contact: jenny.jones@baystatehealth.org

Publications:

• Jones, J. et al. Health Care Workers’ Motivations for Enrolling in Massive Open Online Courses During a Public Health Emergency: Descriptive Analysis https://mededu.jmir.org/2024/1/e51915
• Jones, J. An Amazonian Evacuation https://www.doximity.com/articles/877c8581-b269-4130-b8dd-431b1a864060
• Jones, J. Judicious Resource Utilization: Comparing Low and High-Income Countries https://www.doximity.com/articles/2d50a6b4-f027-494e-a670-14c10b0ee332
• Jones, J. A Tale of Two Countries: Gender Equality in Medicine https://www.doximity.com/articles/8900e59f-b52e-4686-860e-eb50eeb4aab8

Kate and Jenny are founding members of the Pediatric Association of Global Health Educators of the Northeast (PAGHEN) and are passionate about building relationships with other global health educators and programs and providing an array of exciting opportunities for our Baystate community.