Parchman participates in humanitarian, research trip to Ghana

What healthcare basics do we take for granted? Clean water, electricity, indoor plumbing, pain medication, equipment sterilization, oxygen tanks, ventilators and ambulances. The list could go on and on when discussing areas of the world where healthcare providers face significant challenges due to critical shortfalls in funding, infrastructure, training and access to necessary supplies, according to Erin Parchman, Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Education for Respiratory Therapy.

As part of a humanitarian and research trip to Ghana, West Africa, May 21-June 13, Parchman experienced those constraints first-hand and came home inspired by the expertise of the practitioners she met there. “Their rapid assessment skills, their resourcefulness, their hunger for learning and their dedication to their work, their people, and their country at whatever the personal cost is awe-inspiring,” she says. “We have a lot in the U.S., but we also have a lot to learn.”

The trip was organized by Dr. Lisa Trujillo of the University of Kansas Medical Center with the primary purpose of conducting Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) training at 14 different healthcare settings across Ghana, from large trauma hospitals to small rural clinics.

“This training helps to ensure healthcare workers in limited-resource settings have the necessary skills and competencies to provide life-saving care to newborns after birth,” says Parchman. “We also guest lectured on topics requested by the sites, such as mechanical ventilation and arterial blood gas interpretation.”

Parchman and a USI respiratory therapy student, Rachel Borman, were part of an interdisciplinary team that helped lead the HBB training, and they were able to observe various healthcare areas, including emergency rooms, intensive care units, health administration, finance and nutrition.

In the northern Savannah Region and Bono East Region of Ghana, rural clinics shared many success stories of babies who are alive today because of the HBB training, according to Parchman. “We got to meet these babies. We would walk to the home, or the mothers came to us once they got word of our arrival,” she says. “We were also told that more mothers were utilizing the local clinics, which has led to more timely referrals and improved long-term outcomes for both babies and families. The experience of seeing those children who were saved changed me in ways that won’t fade.”

Parchman used funding from an Early Career Faculty Grant from the USI Provost’s Office to help pay for the trip and her research project, which is focused on creating ethical and sustainable medical outreach and international educational experiences, in addition to highlighting the need for respiratory care outside of the United States. In Ghana, her data collection consisted of pre- and post-training surveys and one-on-one interviews with all participants, both Ghanaian and U.S. citizens.

“The impact of this immersive trip on all participants and partners was undeniable. I am incredibly proud to be part of a university that supported this endeavor and deeply grateful to the many individuals who made it possible,” says Parchman. “The insights gained from this research are profound, and I am eager to apply them both personally and professionally. Looking ahead, I hope to continue this partnership and welcome future interdisciplinary teams—including students, practitioners, staff and faculty—to contribute to this meaningful work."

Parchman stresses the importance of community outreach experiences. “When faculty and students engage in meaningful efforts, they’re doing more than just fulfilling academic obligations,” she says. “They’re building bridges between theory and practice, between campus and community, between self and others. Often, we must be placed far outside our comfort zones, away from anything familiar, with no way of turning back to truly move forward.”

Especially for students, international educational experiences help cultivate critical thinking, problem-solving, cultural competency, confidence and empathy. “It transforms learning into lived experience, exposes them to greater things, and often ignites a lifelong commitment to service or advocacy,” says Parchman.

She says for faculty, involvement connects scholarship to real-world impact, allowing them to stay engaged with evolving issues, deepen their teaching and even shape public policy or practice through their expertise. For community partners, she says these efforts can create innovative solutions, promote equity and bi-directional benefits and amplify hidden stories, voices and experiences.

But the biggest takeaway for everyone involved? Impact. As one Ghanaian local on the trip stated, “The essence is impact,” according to Parchman.

Parchman, who describes herself as a “homegrown country cowgirl from Montana,” started teaching at USI in August 2024.

She obtained her bachelor’s degree in respiratory therapy from Weber State University in Ogden, UT. A few years later, she received a master’s degree in respiratory therapy education from the same university. She practiced as a respiratory therapist at a trauma one facility in Salt Lake City Utah, before relocating to Arkansas where she practiced at a small clinic focusing on sleep medicine and whole-body health.

“Both teams are still very dear to my heart. However, my dream has always been to teach at the collegiate level,” she says. “So, when I moved to Indiana and saw the opening at the University of Southern Indiana, I had to apply. I would not be here without the outstanding USI leadership that has encouraged me, supported me and helped me grow.”

Before entering the field of respiratory therapy, she worked as an intel analyst for the U.S. Air Force, specializing in overseas joint operations. She says her time in the military taught her many lessons that carry over into healthcare and academia, including “information is power” and “no matter what we do, whether it is taking out the trash or ‘saving the world,’ we must do it with excellence.”