Study visit in Reggio Emilia from TCU (Texas Christian University)

For the biennial health system program, 20 students and 2 professors from TCU (Texas Christian University) Nurse School of Fort Worth has came in Reggio Emilia for a week of discovering and analyzing how the health-care system works in Italy.

After 2 weeks spent in Florence the students arrived on Sunday the 28^th of May for a whole week of visits and work around the health-care and personal assistance places and programs in the city of Reggio Emilia.

This week started with a visit of the hospice Casa Madonna dell’Uliveto followed by a lunch and a tour into La Polveriera (group of social cooperatives) where they discovered the social center Co.Re.s.s for people with mental or physical disabilities.

The morning of the Second day was dedicated to discover and learn more about the city, all of them enjoyed a little tour of the main squares and monuments followed by a visit of the tricolor museum. And this morning finished with the institutional welcome by the deputy mayor Serena Foracchia at Salla del tricolore. After this light morning they returned to the important part with a look at the CORE (the Oncology and hematology center of Reggio Emilia).

The Wednesday was on the same way as Tuesday a light morning with the visit of the cheese factory Latteria La Grande at Castelnovo di Sotto to see how the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is made, then we moved to Novellara for the Balsamic vinegar at Acetaia San Giacomo with in addition a lunch of traditional local meals. Then return to Reggio Emilia with a tour at CEIS the solidarity center for people homeless or with any kind of addiction (Drugs, alcohol…)

Thursday, the group went to the Immigrants Health Center (Centro per la salute della Famiglia Staniera) then spent the whole afternoon at the international center Loris Malaguzzi where they had a guided tour to know more about Loris Malaguzzi and the Reggio Emilia approach on the education and take part in a culinary masterclass to do some Tortelli and conclude this wonderful week with a big dinner at the center.

The majority of the group decided to use the Republic Day of Friday to travel and either go to see other cities or to go back home, as only 2 girls and the 2 teachers had the chance to visit the castles of Canossa and Rossena and see the rich history of this part of Italy.

At the end only good memories and a lot of new idea in their head, that’s the main things to keep from this great adventure, the fact of knowing how all the health care and the assistance programs works in another country in another continent will help them having a new point of view on their future job and maybe become the one’s that gonna make American health system great.