by Jeff Bendix

Twenty-four public health nurses and administrators from the Republic of Korea got a first-hand look at public health facilities in and around Cleveland last month, courtesy of World Health Organization Collaborating Center at CWRU's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing.

The nurses, representing nine provinces and seven cities in South Korea, spent two weeks in the Cleveland area. During that time they met with public health officials in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and Lake County, heard talks from faculty at the Bolton School and School of Medicine and toured hospitals and health clinics.

photo by Susan Griffith Public health nurses from the Republic of Korea visit the School of Nursing.

"We (South Korea) borrowed much of your health care system, so we have many of the same problems," said Bock-Soon Kim, a nurse and administrator in the health promotion bureau from the Ministry of Health in the city of Kwacheon. "We are here to compare how we are doing and apply your solutions to our problems, to learn from your experience."

Unlike the United States, South Korea has universal health insurance, which allows its citizens access to most forms of primary care. But middle-class and wealthy Koreans can also choose to pay for medical services out of pocket, meaning they can obtain medical services more quickly than the poor.

"Much of Korean public health is focused on getting health and medical services to the poor," said Dr. Il-Sun Ko, associate professor in the college of nursing at Yonsei University in Seoul.

The major public health problems South Korea faces, Ko added, are high blood pressure and diabetes. The group was impressed, she said, with the efforts American nurses make to educate patients with these diseases in managing them.

On the other hand, the Koreans felt the United States could learn from that country's emphasis on providing primary medical care, such as universal childhood immunizations, which prevent the need for costly care later in life.

Elizabeth Madigan, associate professor and director of international health programs at the Bolton School, said, "Any time you see a different way of providing community health care you start wondering how you can adapt it to your own country."

However, Madigan added, some differences are the result of deeply held beliefs and cultural factors. For example, the United States's health system emphasizes educating the elderly in how to care for themselves as long as they are able to. In Korea, placing that responsibility on an older person would be considered disrespectful.

The Koreans said the place they visited that most struck them was the Hospice of the Western Reserve.

"Korea has hospice care, but we were surprised by the well-organized system you have here," said nurse Kim Eun Young. "It's something we can learn from."

They were also impressed by CWRU's involvement in community health activities in Cleveland.

The nurses' visit was organized on the Korean side by Yonsei University in Seoul. Madigan said the Bolton School has long-standing ties with Yonsei that include a variety of educational exchange programs.

While here the Koreans also took time to relax and see some of the sights. They picnicked at Squire Valleevue Farm, toured the Great Lakes Science Center and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, rode on Lolly the Trolley, and visited Niagara Falls and Toronto.

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