On August 16, 2023, the TOMODACHI J&J Disaster Nursing Training Program participants attended a reception hosted by the Children’s National Hospital to celebrate the conclusion of their U.S. study tour.
The reception was joined by Vice President and COO of Children’s National Health System Kathleen Chavanu Gorman along with Co-Chair of USJC Susan Morita (Arnold & Porter, JALD ‘11), Minister and Head of Chancery AI Koichi, and a few other staff members of Children’s National Health System and USJC members in the Washington, DC area.
“I have great admiration and respect for what you have chosen to do with your lives,” USJC Co-Chair Susan Morita (Arnold & Porter, JALD ‘11) shared with the participants. “All of us have a deep gratitude for health workers up and down the line, and most definitely to nurses who are often on the front lines of healthcare, spending the most time with patients and their loved ones.”
“I learned that in times of disaster, focusing on support for recovering the daily lives of disaster victims can lead to their increased resilience,” participant Mai Kumagai shared. “I used to think that only minimum needs should be met when thinking about disaster relief, but in disaster nursing, the goal for relief workers is to help the person return to his or her normal life. That is what disaster nursing is.”
The ten students will attend a post-trip seminar in September in Hyogo, Japan to reflect on what they learned from their time in the United States. They will also share how they plan to give back to the community during their final project presentations in October.