, Loma Linda University Health
The global mission of Loma
Linda University Health came into clear focus at the 20th
anniversary of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, which was held recently in Hangzhou,
China.
The event underscored the
legacy of the late philanthropist for whom it is named and the contributions of
the Loma Linda physicians, administrators, and nurses who have nourished and
sustained the unique global partnership.
Richard H. Hart, president
of Loma Linda University Health, reflected on what happened when Sir Run Run
Shaw, who was in his 80s at the time, initiated a series of secret meetings between
Chinese communist officials and Adventist church leaders. The result, Hart
said, was that “a dream was born that has literally impacted health care
throughout the entire country of China.”
Those
initial meetings took place in the 1980s when Shaw sought to express his
gratitude for the compassionate care his family had received at Adventist
hospitals in Hong Kong and Shanghai decades earlier. In 1994, with health care
and administrative expertise from Loma Linda University, and support from Shaw
and the Chinese government, the hospital opened to introduce Western-style health care to the People’s Republic
of China.
Shaw passed away in January
2014 at the age of 106, so his widow, Lady Mona Shaw, attended the 20th
anniversary celebration with an entourage from four organizations she chairs, The
Sir Run Run Shaw Charitable Trust, The Shaw Foundation Hong Kong Limited, The
Shaw Prize Foundation, and The Shaw Group of Companies, all located in Hong
Kong.
In discussing the advanced
management model that Loma Linda introduced to the hospital, Xiujun Cai,
president of the hospital since 2013, said it has broadly affected health care
in his country.
“This model has greatly
been promoted and applied in many Chinese hospitals,” Cai said. “This is very
influential. LLUH has been very generous in cultivating and training a group of
elite clinicians, educators, and managers.” LLUH is the acronym for Loma Linda
University Health.
Cai said that in the
future, the hospital would like to provide opportunities and resources to help
Loma Linda set up schools and programs throughout China.
The 56-member Loma Linda
delegation was the largest international group at the anniversary. Officials also
attended from Cabrini Hospital of Malvern, Australia, and Mayo Clinic of
Rochester, Minnesota.
Hart said bonds established
during the last two decades continue to drive the unique collaboration.
“The
personal friendships that developed between those who went to work in China and
their counterparts is truly the heart of this partnership,” Hart said. “The
spirit of mission, of sharing what we know, of giving of ourselves to bless
others, is truly what it’s all about.”
He
Chao, who was president of the Chinese hospital, also known as SRRSH, when it became the first public hospital in China to receive Joint
Commission International accreditation, acknowledged his gratitude to Loma
Linda.
“Loma Linda has contributed to make
SRRSH grow and stand out as the example of integrated Eastern and Western
health care in China,” He said. “I am greatly moved by the LLUH people who have
provided continuous support and selfless care to SRRSH. Our strong
collaborative model is unique in China.”
Richard
Schaefer, Loma Linda historian, drew parallels between the foundational vision
for Adventist health care and the collaboration between Loma Linda and the
Chinese hospital.
“Ellen
White says our institutions are ‘established to relieve the sick and the
afflicted, to awaken a spirit of inquiry, to disseminate light, and to advance
reform,’” Schaefer said, quoting from page 104 of volume 7 of “Testimonies for
the Church.” “When I look at what’s happening between Loma Linda and China, it
seems like that’s what we’re doing.”
Hart
paid tribute to the men and women who forged this new frontier in international
health care cooperation.
“I
want to thank all those who made this happen and acknowledge the remarkable
legacy they have established,” he said.
, Loma Linda University Health
C
hina’s first dental hygiene program, a joint venture of Loma
Linda University School of Dentistry and Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, hopes to change
the way people view dental care in the country.
Although not officially recognized by the Chinese
government, two classes of dental hygiene students have graduated from the
groundbreaking program, the most recent on May 4.
Students are selected from a pool of dental assistants who
have demonstrated a passion for dental health.
“Dental hygiene attracted me because I want to help
everyone,” said graduate Oliver Zhang Yi.“I am very excited about this graduation. It is not only a graduation
ceremony but also an achievement of our success.”
Graduate Lily Hong Li Li said she hoped dental hygiene would
take root and grow not only in Hangzhou, where the hospital is located, but
also throughout China.
“I am very proud to be one of the first dental hygienists in
China,” she said.“We will
continue to grow and help others learn about the program.”
Ninety percent of the Chinese population has gum disease,
and that figure does not include children or people who only have cavities,
said Claudine Stevenson, who taught dental hygiene classes at Sir Run Run Shaw
Hospital.
“In China, dentists are only visited to have teeth
extracted, when people are in pain,” Stevenson said.
The 23 most recent graduates, who have been employed at the
hospital’s dental clinic, can apply for nine months of studies to
Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, starting in September 2015, said
Shirley Lee, a School of Dentistry teacher who mentored the recent graduating
class.
She said two people would be invited study in California and
afterward return to the Chinese hospital to work as instructors and program
directors.
“It is through this full circle of mutual collaboration that
we see the hand of God at work,” she said.
Lee said she had high hopes for the graduates. “From these
23 dental hygiene graduates in Zhejiang Province will emerge the future of
dental hygiene for the 1.3 billion inhabitants of China,” she said. “Many lives
will be improved.”
Article about 20
th anniversary on Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital's website
Article about Run Run Shaw’s legacy in Adventist World's April issue.
Read more about Run Run Shaw's life in obituaries
here and here.
