Improved therapy has dramatically increased survival rates for children with cancer over the past three decades, but worldwide, fewer than 30% of children with cancer have access to modern treatment. The mission of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's International Outreach Program is to improve the survival rates of children with catastrophic illnesses worldwide, through the transfer of knowledge, technology, and organizational skills.
International Outreach transfers the progress achieved in the treatment of childhood cancer in developed countries to those with limited resources. To date, St. Jude has treated more than 20,000 children from across the United States and 60 foreign countries.
Recognizing the positive impact of International Outreach on the survival rates of children with cancer in countries with limited resources, the St. Jude Board of Governors approved two ambitious programs in 1999. With an emphasis on using advanced telecommunication technologies for increased education and training and the knowledge that nurse training is the basis for improved patient care, the two programs that are now implemented are:
*Cure4Kids - An Internet-based distance learning initiative at
www.cure4kids.org International Training Center for Hematology-Oncology Nurses in Central America - a collaboration with the professional nursing society in El Salvador, Sociedad de Profesionales de Enfermeria Sodeproe S.A. de C.V., to train Latin American nurses in the pediatric subspecialty of Hematology/Oncology.
At the local level, International Outreach develops partnerships with medical institutions and fund-raising organizations and facilitates the involvement of other agencies and organizations to support key programs and the education of local personnel; at the regional level, International Outreach develops programs through the use of technology. The primary goal is to promote local and regional self-sufficiency. This model results in significant overall improvement in health care facilities, the level of practice, the self-confidence of health care providers and local community involvement.
The Alpha Delta Kappa Foundation started a five-year St. Jude Altruistic Project during the 1981-1982 fiscal year to send at least a $60,000.00 annual contribution to St. Jude. This program and an additional $61,000.00 in recognition of our Founder, Agnes Shipman Robertson, was completed in the 1985-1986 fiscal year. Since that time, an annual contribution has been made from the Foundation funds to St. Jude for a total of $1,203,600.00. Adding the membership’s contribution of $23,000.00, Alpha Delta Kappa has contributed a grand total of $1,433,600.00 to help children plagued with dread disease through research and treatment. Adding donations made directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital from chapters on the local level, proceeds from Math-a-thon events, letter-writing campaigns and other efforts, cumulative Alpha Delta Kappa contributions have reached nearly $2.7 million (information received from St. Jude on March 16, 2017).
Eighty-five cents of every dollar received supports the research and treatment at
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.