Currently designated as a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center (US-478), Emory University's Department of Rehabilitation Medicine is leading efforts to strengthen the health system in the Bahamas and is a leader in Emory University's commitment to global health rehabilitation efforts. We are promoting these initiatives.
The WHO Collaborating Center is a first for Emory, placing it among an elite group of only nine Rehabilitation Collaborating Centers in the world and the first in North America. The center is part of the WHO's Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), a specialized international health organization focused on the Americas and the Caribbean.
“In a world with aging populations and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, rehabilitation stands out as a key health strategy of the 21st century, playing a unique role in maximizing population well-being. ” says Sarah Pullen. DPT, MPH, Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and Director of Emory's WHO Collaborating Center. “We are excited that Emory will play a pivotal role as a WHO collaborating center addressing health rehabilitation needs in the Bahamas and around the world.”
In 2023, Emory WHO Collaborating Center conducted the first Systematic Assessment of Rehabilitation Status (STARS) in the Bahamas. Mr. Pullen and his team spent his two weeks working with local governments and community health workers on his two islands in the Bahamas. They gathered important information and insights about strengths and potential areas for development in the rehabilitation sector of the country's health system.
Following the evaluation, the Bahamas Ministry of Health and Human Services approved all of the Center's recommendations and the project is now in the strategic planning phase to implement these changes in the country's health system.
The WHO Collaborating Center is Emory's first facility and represents a significant milestone in the Department's dedication to pioneering research and practices that strengthen rehabilitation services globally.
At the core of this cooperation is WHO's Rehabilitation 2030 initiative. This is an important global initiative that draws attention to the deep unmet rehabilitation needs around the world and emphasizes the importance of strengthening health systems to deliver rehabilitation. This initiative represents a new strategic approach for the global rehabilitation community by emphasizing:
- Rehabilitation must be available to all citizens through all stages of the life course.
- Efforts to strengthen rehabilitation should be directed towards supporting the whole health system and integrating rehabilitation at all levels of care.
- Rehabilitation is an essential health service and essential to achieving universal health coverage.
Pullen and the Emory WHO team are addressing the challenges outlined in the Global Burden of Disease Report. Through cutting-edge research literature, collaboration with local governments and community health partners, and targeted education initiatives, this team will equip rehabilitation health professionals around the world to meet the evolving demands of the 2030 crisis. We aim to provide you with the knowledge and tools you need.
In addition to Pullen, the PAHO Collaborating Center team includes Gina Bell, Ph.D., DHSc, MPH, and David Burke, MD. They hope to expand the center by incorporating more faculty focused on global health initiatives within the department. Together, they strive to foster innovation, collaboration and positive change in the global healthcare sector.
For more information about the work of Emory University's Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and its WHO Collaborating Center, please contact rehabilitation@emory.edu.
