Norfolk, Virginia.– Building on a longtime partnership, students from the College of Health Sciences, Old Dominion University (ODU) will join Physicians for Peace (PFP) in  Santo Domingo next week for an educational exchange.

From Nov. 6 to Nov. 12, the group, which includes eight graduate students from ODU's School of Physical Therapy, will gain firsthand knowledge of how healthcare is delivered to burn victims and patients with disabilities. 

Students will learn about the challenges of and opportunities for advancing patient care in underserved regions through meetings, lectures and direct observations at PFP partner clinics around the city while under the supervision of ODU faculty and healthcare professionals from the Dominican Republic.

Gail Grisetti, PT, ED, an associate professor at ODU and longtime PFP volunteer leader mobilized this mission -- the eighth educational exchange of its kind in 10 years. For her support of PFP, Grisetti was awarded a 2010 Healthcare Heroes award from Inside Business in Norfolk.

Next spring, The College of Health Sciences, ODU and PFP will build on this partnership when, for the first time, a multi disciplinary team of students from the School of Nursing and the School of Physical Therapy will travel to Santo Domingo.