AID grant no. EUR-0037-G-00-1083-00 to Medical Service Corporation International for a program entitled `improving the management of cardiovascular diseases in Bulgaria" under the partnerships in health care in Eastern Europe project

MSCI will work with Michigan State University"s College of Human Medicine and its affiliate, the Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of Sparrow Hospital, to develop, for replication nationwide, a continuing medical education (CME) program at the Second National Center of Cardiovascular Diseases (SNCCD) in Sofia. An exchange study tour program will be established to permit Bulgarian and U.S. cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, and intensive care and cardiac care nurses to visit each other"s facilities, and a CME program in cardiology will be developed for SNCCD. Based upon this program and with the assistance of their U.S. counterparts, SNCCD staff will: (1) review existing cardiac patient management protocols and disseminate them to health professionals through Bulgaria; (2) develop a CME program for general practitioners, specialists, nurses, and ancillary staffs at 20 general hospitals throughout Bulgaria (including the cities of Karzoli, Hashoko, Smoljean, Blav Goegrad, Petru, Kjostevdez, Vidin, Vraca, Pilven, Zargoviste, Ruse, Rograd, and Silistia); and (3) help initiate a national campaign to increase public awareness of heart disease. The grant also funds some basic cardiac diagnosis/care equipment, such as echocardiographs, treadmills, and lab equipment.