Health Systems Strengthening in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone is a wonderful place, its people are welcoming and its landscape is stunning. However, due to years of conflict, corruption, public health crisis, and aid dependency, Sierra Leone’s natural resiliency has been diminished and its people suffer from some of the poorest health outcomes in the world.
Kate worked as a mental health coordinator with King’s College Sierra Leone Partnership from 2018-2019 and has seen firsthand the risks and benefits of partnership work through her work with the Ministry of Health, the mental health workforce, and the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS).
Kate earned her BSN at OHSU School of Nursing and has worked as a nurse in community corrections, hospital transitional care, and at Outdoor School with children. She also has her MSc in global health with a specialty in health professions education from King’s College London and has worked and taught in the US, the UK, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, and The Bahamas. Kate does not consider herself to be an expert in partnership but believes deeply that it is essential to explore the field before leaving home.
