Ocean Medicine Foundation
3351 El Camino Real Suite 200
Atherton, CA 94027-3802
(650) 328-5222

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Ocean Medicine Foundation

The Ocean Medicine Foundation

The Ocean Medicine Foundation, a non-profit organization, is working to improve the health and healthcare of children and adults on islands throughout the world and prevent global spread of infectious disease and epidemics.

Our Programs Seek To:

Bring the most up-to-date medical information to physicians and public health workers on developing island nations.

Provide the training and training materials required to use these tools effectively.

Deal with diseases before they become worldwide threats by providing current, evidence-based information about prevention, diagnosis, treatment and containment.





Ocean Medicine Foundation Overview

The Ocean Medicine Foundation programs provide island healthcare professionals with access to current evidence-based medical information and resources, and the training on how to use these tools effectively. The result is a significant improvement in the health and healthcare of children and adults in developing island nations. Because islands frequently are stepping stones in the global spread of infectious disease and epidemics, improving the health of island residents is a critical global health issue.

The Challenge: Prohibitive costs prevent access to needed medical information

Island residents have lower standards of living, shorter life expectancies, and more chronic illnesses than their counterparts in mainland countries. Infectious diseases such as malaria, dengue, AIDS and parasitic infections abound, and epidemics spread rapidly in these small isolated populations, and from these islands to mainland nations. Most island medical providers lack access to current medical information because of the prohibitive cost of bringing this information to these isolated islands, which significantly compounds the problem. Island physicians are well trained, but their ability to treat patients successfully is jeopardized by having medical information that is years out of date.

Our Solution: Provide evidence-based medical databases in electronic format

The Ocean Medicine Foundation provides reliable, current medical information about prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and containment in an electronic format, which can be accessed on state-of-the art mobile technology, anywhere island nation physicians deliver care. When purchased, these medical databases can cost thousands of dollars. We’ve been very fortunate that the creators of several of these databases, like Epocrates and the Medical Letter have donated the use of these tools for our island sites. Financial contributions from our donors have enabled the Foundation also to provide hospital-wide access for physicians to the most essential medical resource, UpToDate, as well the necessary training and support to effectively use these devices and databases. The foundation is partnered with a network of medical schools, specialists, and scientists across the United States, who provide critical information and medical expertise to island health professionals. We collaborate with organizations that focus on enhancing local healthcare capacity, such as the World Health organization (WHO), the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC).

Ongoing Support: Training and professional development is critical

Technology is improving continually and the medical knowledge base constantly is changing and growing. Regular in-person or Skype-based training sessions are crucial to supporting physicians’ effective use of these medical databases and devices in their daily practice of medicine. We provide such training directly, as well as training on-island “super users” who can train and support others in turn, when questions or problems arise.

Where We Work: Developing island nations in the Pacific

The Ocean Medicine Foundation currently works on numerous islands throughout the Pacific.

Who We Are

Andrew Newman, M.D., F.C.C.P. is the Chairman and Managing Director of the Ocean Medicine Foundation. Dr. Newman also serves as Chairman Emeritus of Stanford University's Health Information Management Committee, overseeing the application of computers in clinical activity at Stanford Hospital. In his clinical practice in Atherton, CA, Dr. Newman specializes in pulmonary diseases, undersea, and sports medicine.

Sunny Chin, M.Sc. is the Director of Pacific Island Health Initiatives with the Ocean Medicine Foundation. He holds a Master of Science in public health from Harvard University, School of Public Health and also is a graduate of UVM with a degree in psychology. His research interests focus on how new innovative technologies can empower medical professionals, enhance patient care, and reduce medical costs.

Annette Adler, M.A., M.B.A., Director of Strategic Initiatives. She holds a Masters in Anthropology (ABD in the PhD program) and a Master in Business Administration from Stanford University. Her research interests include exploring how digital technologies support education and collaboration over long distances and informatics for advanced medical, clinical and biological research applications.

Visit Dr. Andrew Newman's Website



ISLANDS

The Ocean Medicine Foundation currently works on numerous developing island nations throughout the Pacific, including the following:

 

Islands we work with throughout the pacific

American Samoa
Confederation of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI)
Saipan

Fiji
Federated States of Micronesia
Chuuk
Kosrae
Pohnpei
Yap

Guam

Marshall Islands
Ebeye
Majuro

Palau

 


Contact Us

Ocean Medicine Foundation

3351 El Camino Real, Suite 200
Atherton, CA 94027-3802
Email: info@oceanmedicine.org

(650) 328-5222

(650) 324-4374