SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – On Tuesday a professor of cardiology from Poland visited the Sanford Heart Hospital In Sioux Falls. The professor came to give presentations on his research and teach student residents.

Professor Pawel Buszman has visited cardiologists on the east and west coasts of the United States before, but he says it’s unique to be able to compare the similarities between our needs here and the needs in the rural parts of Poland.

“It’s very important to organize the prevention and health service which will meet local requirements and compare the different methods to prevent cardiovascular incidents,” Buszman said.

That type of global collaboration is a key factor in medicine and technology advancements.

“Everybody has some new thoughts or new developments and new ideas and sharing those ideas improve the system in the world, in every place,” Buszman said.

Dr. Tom Stys with Sanford Health says they are no stranger to global collaboration.

“We love collaborating at international levels with physicians that frequently have visited us from Europe, South Africa, quite honestly, name a country and in the last 10, 15 years, we’ve had visiting professors, interventionalists during procedures with us in the cath lab. And it’s such a joy and benefit to us,” Stys said.

He says it’s a benefit to patients as well.

“It is the best experts in the world that get together and frequently come up with new ways to treat patients. Together with our European colleagues, we can combine our resources, our efforts, our talents that frequently will compliment each other,” Stys said.

Nurses at Sanford are also getting international experiences. Six nurses were chosen to be mentors as part of a Sanford World Clinic program.