Dermatology – Institute of Health

Background Information
Official Name: Jimma University, Department of Dermatovenereology
Background:
Jimma University Department of Dermatovenereology is one of the 22 Departments that operate under Institute of Health Sciences, Jimma University, South west Ethiopia, Ethiopia. The establishment of Department of dermatovenereology can be traced back to 1980s’. Dermatology is a field of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the skin, hair and nail. It involves also the study, research, diagnosis and treatment of disorders like infectious, inflammatory, malignancies,etc of the skin, hair, nail, oral and genital mucosaes. This includes diagnosis of these conditions aided by different investigational modalities like histopathology; and managing these disorders by different ways like topical and systemic medications, dermatologic surgeries, immunotherapy, phototherapy, LASER therapy, radiotherapy and photodynamic therapy. Dermatologists treat patients of all ages from infants and child to adolescents and adults. It also encompasses the promotion of good skin health.Venereology is a field of medicine that is responsible for diagnosis, management and prevention of sexually transmitted infections ( STIs) and other medical conditions of the genital-anal-oral tracts. It also concerns promotion of good sexual health.Under dermatology and venereology , there are different subspecialities including dermatopathology, pediatric dermatology, allergology, tropical dermatology, dermatosurgery, dermatooncology, photodermatology, immunodermatology, etc.According to the annual report of the ministry of health, skin and venereal diseases put together are the first in prevalence and dermatological diseases alone are the third most common health problems. The point prevalence of skin diseases in Ethiopia is 53.7%. though most of these skin diseases are not fatal, they carry significant morbidity and psychosocial burden to the community. the DALYs (disability-adjusted life year) of skin diseases is very high comparable to most chronic illnesses.In Ethiopia variants of different dermatological cases are seen with late presentations and complications. These complications are as a result of lack of diagnostic and treatment facilities as well as trained professionals in the field. Besides, there is lack of epidemiological and clinical data concerning dermatology in the country.According to 2008 WHO estimates, 499 million new cases of curable STIs occur annually through out the world in adults aged 15-49 years. In developing countries, STIs and their complications rank in the top five disease categories for which adults seek health care. Even though there is little information on the incidence and prevalence of STIs in Ethiopia, the problem of STIs is generally believed to be similar to that of other developing countries. Dermatology unit was established in the premises of the then Jimma Hospital by 1980s’E.C to address the point prevalence of skin diseases, to prevent late presentations and complications, to address the lack of epidemiological and clinical data concerning dermatology in the country and promotion of good skin health and sexual health.After alleviation of the existing problems of infrastructure, equipment and dermatologic work force and to address the training, service and research needs of the University, the dermatologic unit grew into a full-fledged Department of Dermatology by 2008E.C. This was a turning point in the history of the Department and a significant step towards contributing to promotion of good skin and sexual healths in the country.JU Department of Dermatovenereology is the only Tertiary skin care unit operating in south west part of Ethiopia with the catchment of over 15 million populations. Organization and administration wise, JU Department of Dermatovenereology belongs to Institute of Health Sciences.
Vision, Mission & Objectives:
MISSION
JU Department of Dermatovenereology has a mission of furthering excellence in the care of patients with skin and sexually transmitted disorders and prevention of complications, promotion of good skin and sexual healths and enhance productivity of citizines of the country:

The provision of a comprehensive range of services for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of skin and sexually transmitted disorders;
The provision of postgraduate training in Dermatovenereology , and continuing medical education opportunities;
 Basic, applied, clinical, and outcomes-related research into dermatologic problems, reinvestment of revenues generated through the cost contribution and private wing for sustainability of the dermatologic programs, and
The development of effective partnerships with other sister institutions at home and abroad, donors, interest groups and agencies interested in addressing skin care needs in the country in general and in southwestern part of the country in particular

VISION
JU Department of Dermatovenereology aspires to see Ethiopia reduced burden of different variants of dermatologic disorders and free of complications arising from sexually transmitted diseases.

To this end, it strives to:

Create a healthy productive society
Create advanced, comprehensive academic health science with a campus culture of learning &amp; discovery
Produce skilled professionals, specialists in skin and sexual health who are able to deliver total quality skin and sexual care for the public
Produce an adequate number of skin  Care providers who are able to reverse the sad reality &amp; promote skin health
Provide high level skin care service to the community which is affordable &amp; accessible
Conduct basic and advanced research to answer our problems

The Staffs at JU Department of Dermatovenereology are committed to providing high quality patient care, education and trainings. The Department maintains equity of the service, to the people and medical professional ethics and loyalty to the profession
CORE VALUES
Our values form the emotional heartbeat of our Hospital and apply to everybody irrespective of rank. All employees must relate to these values and they will be instilled to each and every employee and they all shall always LIVE by them. These values are:
Community First

We are here for nothing but to serve and satisfy our community.
We treat them as we would like to be treated.
We have three priorities: Community, Community, Community

Collaboration

We work together in spirit of mutual support and understanding to achieve our collective goals through teamwork.

Commitment to quality of care

We insist on quality and striving to get the basics right every time: safety, confidentiality, professional and managerial integrity, accountability, dependable service and good communication.  We welcome feedback, learn from our mistakes and build on our successes.

Change

We innovate new ways of doing things and be open minded to reforms.

Trust

We ensure maximum vulnerability and integrity to each other.

Continued Medical Education

Encouraging and achieving excellence, continual learning and improvement

Accountability and Responsibility

Being responsible and accountable for the outcome of services we provide

Ethics

Treating people with integrity and in a friendly, trusting and respectful manner and environment

Respect and dignity.

We value each person as an individual, respect their aspirations and commitments in life, and seek to understand their priorities, needs, abilities and limits. We take what others have to say seriously. We are honest about our point of view and what we can and cannot do.

Compassion

We respond with humanity and kindness to each person’s pain, distress, anxiety or need. We search for the things we can do, however small, to give comfort and relieve suffering. We find time for those we serve and work alongside. We do not wait to be asked, because we care.

Improving lives.

We strive to improve health and well-being and people’s experiences of our hospital. We value excellence and professionalism wherever we find it, in the everyday things that make people’s lives better as much as in clinical practice, service improvements and innovation.

Working together for patients.

We put patients first in everything we do, by reaching out to staff, patients, caregivers, families, communities, and professionals outside the hospital. We put the needs of patients and communities before organizational boundaries.

Everyone counts

We use our resources for the benefit of the whole community, and make sure nobody is excluded or left behind. We accept that some people need more help, that difficult decisions have to be taken – and that when we waste resources we waste others’ opportunities. We recognize that we all have a part to play in making ourselves and our communities healthier.

OBJECTIVES

To enhance the provision of  comprehensive quality skin care 
To develop compassionate, respectful, caring ability among staff of the department
To increase customer satisfaction 
To produce competent, compassionate, respectful and caring health professionals 
To develop &amp;/or implement evidence-based new technologies for clinical and support services as soon as possible
To enhance the culture of undertaking health problem solving researches by the staff and publishing on reputable national and international journals  
To improve staff clinical skill and  practice via in-service training 
To integrate and maximally utilize ICT  for  documentation, patient care and treatment