The Frist Global Health Leaders Program offers modest grants to universities and medical centers for graduate level students and residents in the health professions to do service and training around the world.

CGI SealIn 2009, Hope Through Healing Hands Frist Global Health Leaders Program was accepted at the fourth annual Clinton Global Initiative Conference in New York City. Our commitment was to raise funding "to address the shortage of global health workers to improve the quality of life for citizens around the world through providing volunteer services and building self-sustaining caregiver capacity in underserved communities." This included sponsoring 100 Frist Global Health Leaders, directly providing service for over 20,000 patients, and training 1000 community health workers.

By the end of 2019, we completed this commitment with more than 140 Frist Global Health Leaders: 

• 21,263 patients (directly affecting lives) – 100% complete
• 1,655 community health workers (indirectly affecting lives) – 165% complete
• 1,676 other staff
• 322 training sessions

Countries around the world, especially in Africa, are facing a severe shortage of health workers. Sub-Saharan Africa holds 24% of the global burden of disease, yet it only has 3% of the world’s health workers. Health workers from across the spectrum are needed: doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, community health workers, and caregivers. The shortage of trained workers is especially evident and devastating during global disease outbreaks, natural disasters, or conflicts, and presents a major obstacle to achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals.

We believe in the power of health diplomacy. The United States has the opportunity to use global health as a vital diplomatic instrument to strengthen confidence in America’s intent and ability to bring long-term improvements to citizen’s lives among our partners. The fight for global health can be the calling card of our nation’s character in the eyes of the world. 

The Frist Global Health Leaders Program allows young health professional students, residents, and fellows the opportunity to serve and train abroad in underserved communities for up to one semester. In doing so, they will bolster capacity in clinics in need of support as well as offer training to community health workers to promote sustainability upon their departure from these communities. The Frist Global Health Leaders represent the goodwill of America and the hope for building a foundation of health in communities wherein economies can begin to bloom.

We have partnered with the following academic institutions to date:

  • Belmont University, College of Nursing and Health Sciences
  • Duke University
  • East Tennessee State University College of Public Health
  • Lipscomb College of Pharmacy
  • Meharry Medical College
  • Princeton University
  • Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health
  • Vanderbilt University Department of Emergency Medicine
  • Vanderbilt University Department of Surgery
  • Vanderbilt International Anesthesia
  • Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
  • Vanderbilt University School of Nursing
Please contact Erin Rogus at [email protected] to inquire about the program.

 

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