by Jenny Eaton Dyer, Ph.D.

Last night, Hope Through Healing Hands and the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health partnered hosting a meeting with the members of the Tennessee Global Health Coalition (TGHC). Doctors, academicians, nonprofit leaders, faith leaders, and private sector leaders alike joined together representing over 80 different organizations to discuss their work in global health and ways in which we could all work together better. 

Senator Bill Frist, MD and Sten Vermund, MD PhD both spoke to the members encouraging the building of relationships and partnerships between NGOs, universities, and the private sector. Both shared successful examples of how working together, pooling together resources, knowledge, and expertise, can save lives. 

Breaking out the guests among topics such as Haiti, South America, Africa, Orphan Care, Emergency Relief, or Medical Mission, the members had the opportunity to get to know one another and learn more about one another’s organizations with shared interests. 

To close the evening, we discussed how the TGHC might better serve the global health community of individual organizations. Suggestions included more meetings per year, a breakout of topical meetings, better portal for communication among members, better marketing of the TGHC as a whole and its members, and aid with grant writing, among others. 

As a hub for the coalition, HTHH will work on these recommendations and convene another meeting in the near future! Many thanks to all who participated, and a special thanks to our co-host, the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health.