Meet Up: a New Experience in the Sixth Cycle for Professionals

In 2023, for the sixth year in a row, FUNCEI is streaming Stamboulian Talks, the series of free interactive talks to contribute to the continuous education of healthcare professionals. To celebrate this journey, on July 13, the first multidisciplinary hybrid Meet Up was held in the auditorium of the Barceló Foundation, in Buenos Aires. During four roundtable discussions, FUNCEI specialists and invited guests dealt with healthcare-associated infections; HIV and other sexually transmitted infections; lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic; and the importance of nutrition, food safety, and food security.

“It is a great privilege to have Dr. Daniel Stamboulian and these distinguished professionals as our speakers,” said Ricardo Znaidak, Dean of the School of Medicine of the Barceló Foundation, during the opening speech on behalf of the Honorable Superior Council of the University Institute of Health Sciences. Dr. Stamboulian, creator of Stamboulian Talks, responded: “For us, it is a pleasure to be here, and I am confident it will be the first of many joint activities.” After introducing the speakers, the topics, and the panel discussions, he thanked Barceló Foundation for sharing their facilities to hold the Meet Up. This nonprofit activity was also possible thanks to four sponsors: Moderna, Raffo, SIDUS, and Elea.

Meet Up Audience

More than 600 people registered to participate in the Meet Up through the Zoom platform. Professionals from several Argentine provinces, Mexico, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Venezuela, Spain, Chile, United States, Ecuador, and Colombia were connected. The peak audience was 232 users, with an average of 150 simultaneous views throughout the event. In addition, 227 users followed the talks live on FUNCEI’s YouTube channel, where videos can now be replayed in full.

María Agustina De Rosa, a recently graduated biochemist who opted for the on-site modality, highlighted: “It was truly a privilege to be able to attend this event, where I could listen to very valuable presentations by highly experienced professionals. They provided an update on key topics for daily practice.” Other members of the audience, including professionals from different health disciplines and students, shared their willingness to repeat the experience. Some of them had already virtually participated in the Stamboulian Talks cycle.

Experts caught the audience's attention during the four panel discussions. Upon arrival and between sessions, attendees learnt about other activities carried out by FUNCEI.

The speakers also felt enthusiastic and agreed that the Meet Up was a very useful and enriching initiative. “This type of meetings, with short and concise presentations, allow us to share evidence-based knowledge and clinical experience that can be useful for the everyday needs of the audience,” emphasized Cirlia Álvarez, certified Infection Control Nurse. According to Paula Rodríguez Iantorno, Infectious Disease Specialist, the dynamic and relaxed roundtable format allowed for a pleasant learning experience and created a warm atmosphere that helped build trust between the audience and the speakers to have a flowing exchange of ideas. “It is noteworthy that presentations are also streamed and can be followed remotely, expanding our reach,” added Guadalupe Benavídez, Nutrition Specialist.

In turn, Brian Cavagnari, Pediatrician and Master in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, valued taking part in multidisciplinary panels. Isabel Cassetti, Infectious Disease Specialist, appreciated the call for speakers who share knowledge and experience, and who give the best of themselves. “Really, the quality of the presentations and the knowledge level of the professionals are most valuable for our students and graduates, but also for the continuous education of professionals,” stressed Noelia Zamparuti, Head of Institutional Affairs and Communication at the Barceló Foundation. She then stated: “We are very pleased to have been able to host this event organized by FUNCEI.”

Offering a face-to-face activity as part of Stamboulian Talks is in line with knowledge exchange preferences after the pandemic, during which the cycle reached audience peaks because Latin American professionals needed reliable sources of information. With over 45,000 subscribers, Stamboulian Talks is firmly established as a leading platform for continuous remote education. The presentation format, attractive and synthetic, differs from webinars in which most of the experts and even the audience usually participate. For instance, speakers must prepare the talks taking into account that the audience is large and diverse: physicians, nurses, biochemists, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals from different countries within the region, with different social contexts. The public, in turn, has the opportunity to ask questions live or via email.

2023 Open Series

Stamboulian Talks is led by Dr. Daniel Stamboulian. The other working group members are Francesco Garabello, Carolina Savignano, and Liliana Moreno. Stamboulian Talks has the scientific backing of FIDEC, as well as the following organizations:

• Microbiology Association of Argentina (Asociación Argentina de Microbiología).
• Clinical Oncology Association of Argentina (Asociación Argentina de Oncología Clínica, AAOC).
• Infusion Therapy and Patient Safety Association (Asociación de Terapia de Infusión y Seguridad del Paciente, ATISPA).
• Interdisciplinary Association of Wound Healing of Argentina (Asociación Interdisciplinaria Argentina de Cicatrización de Heridas, AIACH).
• Medical Association of Argentina (Asociación Médica Argentina, AMA).
• Infection Control and Epidemiology Advisory Group (CODEINEP, Grupo Asesor de Control de Infecciones y Epidemiología).
• Institute for Science Cooperation on Health and the Environment (Instituto para la Cooperación Científica en Ambiente y Salud, ICCAS).
• Geriatrics and Gerontology Society of Argentina (Sociedad Argentina de Gerontología y Geriatría, SAGG).
• Society for the Study of Infectious Diseases of Argentina (Sociedad Argentina de Infectología, SADI).
• Society for Nutrition of Argentina (Sociedad Argentina de Nutrición, SAN).
• Society for Ophthalmology of Argentina (Sociedad Argentina de Oftalmología, SAO).
• Society for Urology of Argentina (Sociedad Argentina de Urología, SAU).
• Internal Medicine Society of Buenos Aires (Sociedad de Medicina Interna de Buenos Aires, SMIBA).
• Society for the Study of Infectious Diseases of Paraguay (Sociedad Paraguaya de Infectología).