2006 Press Releases
Team of Latvian Nursing Profesors Will Visit American Nursing School
Riga, July 3, 2006. – On Thursday, July 6 a team of Latvian nursing professors from the Riga Stradins University will depart for the United States where they will be visiting the Lansing School of Nursing at the Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky. Besides three nursing professors, Uldis Likops, State Secretary at the Ministry of Health, will join the team for the second part of the visit.
The team will learn about Bellarmine’s distance learning programs for nurses with a view to introducing a similar program in Latvia. The trip is sponsored by a donor family in Louisville, Kentucky.
This visit is a direct result of the October 2005 visit by a team of Louisville health experts who assessed Latvia’s health care system at the request of American Ambassador Catherine Todd Bailey. The trip was organized by The Humana Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Humana Inc., one of the largest health insurance companies in the United States.
One of the pressing issues identified by the health assessment team was the shortage of nurses in the Latvian health care system. As better access to nursing education could help address this issue, the experts supported the Stradins University initiative to develop a distance learning program for nurses living outside Riga. Bellarmine University has developed a number of such distance education programs. During the Latvian team’s visit, the Bellarmine teaching staff will share their experience and knowledge regarding these programs with their Latvian colleagues.
The Latvian team members are: Uldis Likops, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Health; Inga Millere, the Dean of Nursing Science and Professor of Nursing, Riga Stradins University; Kristaps Circenis, Professor of Nursing, Riga Stradins University; Liana Deklava, Professor of Nursing, Riga Stradins University.
NOTE TO THE EDITOR:
American Ambassador Catherine Bailey and Rector of Riga Stradins University Janis Vetra will hold a press conference to discuss this project on Wednesday, July 5 at 11:00 AM at the U.S. Embassy (Raina bulvaris 7). For press credentials to access the embassy building and attend the press conference, please, call embassy Press and Media Specialist Kaspars Ruklis at 7509022 or send an e-mail at ruklisk@state.gov.
U.S. Embassy, Riga, Public Affairs Section
Smilšu iela 7
Rīga, LV 1050
Phone: 371 750-9022
Internet: www.usembassy.lv
Media specialist’s e-mail: ruklisk@state.gov