East African Spine Fellowship
The East African Spine Fellowship is a specialized training program for orthopaedic and neurosurgeons to prepare them to identify and treat both pediatric and adult patients with common spinal pathologies and deformities. Carolyn Jane Foundation is developing an accredited spine surgery fellowship program with the College of Surgeons of East, Central and South Africa (COSECSA).
Carolyn Jane Foundation has designed the program to identify individuals who possess strong clinical skills, empathy, scientific curiosity, and spiritual strength, and who are committed to making a difference in their communities. Carolyn Jane Foundation will train fellows in various pathologies related to spinal disorders, including spinal deformities, spinal infections, spinal trauma, spinal tumors, and degenerative spinal diseases.
During the 2-year program, fellows will be encouraged to approach each pathology with enthusiasm and to take into account the diverse cultures, families, and communities that they will encounter in the region. Fellows will learn to work collaboratively with other healthcare professionals to ensure patients receive comprehensive care.
At the end of the fellowship, the fellows will possess the necessary skills and knowledge to diagnose, manage, and treat various spinal pathologies and deformities, and to make a meaningful impact on the communities they serve. The program’s ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life of patients with spinal disorders in the East African region by enhancing the capacity of local healthcare professionals to provide high-quality care.
Our hope is that in years to come this spine fellowship program will be adopted and expanded to more areas of Africa and beyond.
Carolyn Jane Foundation Buildings
CJF’s first building project started in March 2022. This building will provide housing for visiting volunteers and staff. The second building will provide housing for Fellows and their families during their training. Further plans involve a conference and research center.
CURE International
Kijabe, Kenya – CURE International, a Christian charitable organization that operates children’s hospitals in Africa and the Philippines, today announced groundbreaking for a new housing complex in Kijabe, Kenya. The complex is intended to provide temporary housing for surgeons completing fellowship training in spine surgery. The Carolyn Jane Foundation facilitated the project and is leading development and accreditation of the spine fellowship program.
The Carolyn Jane team has completed over 100 surgeries at AIC CURE International Hospital in Kijabe. CURE and Carolyn Jane began collaboration on acquiring land for the complex in 2019 and signed a memorandum of understanding for the build in 2020. Spine Art SA (Geneva, Switzerland) provided a grant to support the project, with the balance of the funds provided directly by the Carolyn Jane Foundation.
Craig Humphreys, MD leads the Carolyn Jane surgical team. “Housing is an important first step on our journey to establish an accredited, two-year spine fellowship program serving East Africa,” said Dr. Humphreys. “From our first visit in 2013, we have learned and grown alongside Dr. Theuri and the amazing staff at CURE. Many people have worked tirelessly to make this project a reality.”
“We are very focused on sustainable care,” said George Putnam, a director at Carolyn Jane. “This project aligns specialized surgical training, skilled local providers, acute need, and the generosity of our community members who support Carolyn Jane. We could not be more excited to break ground today.”
The team expects to complete the first of two building projects this Summer 2023.
About CURE International
CURE International is a Christian non-profit organization that operates a global network of eight children’s hospitals providing world class surgical care and intentional spiritual care to children living with treatable disabilities.
About The Carolyn Jane Foundation
The mission of the Carolyn Jane Foundation is to bring orthopedic spine care to rural areas of need through advanced training of local providers, aided by the development and deployment of market-appropriate logistical and surgical systems.
About Spine Art
Spineart is a privately held medical device company focused on simplifying surgery by designing, developing, and promoting safe and efficient solutions to spine surgeons, operating room teams, and patients.