FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:                                         

Melany Ethridge, (972) 267-1111, [email protected]

Laurent LamotheNASHVILLE, April 6, 2015 – Former U.S. Senate Majority leader Bill Frist, M.D., founder of Hope Through Healing Hands, and Laurent Lamothe, former prime minister of the Republic of Haiti, will convene an event at Belmont University on April 21 to discuss progress in Haiti 5 years after the earthquake, and what improvements can still be made for healthcare in that nation.

Frist and Lamothe will lead an hour-long, free public discussion at Belmont’s Curb Event Center from 10-11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 21, covering their efforts in Haiti immediately following the earthquake in 2010, as well as ongoing efforts to rebuild Haiti and its health infrastructure.

Opening remarks will cover Frist’s trip to Haiti within one week of the earthquake to serve on the surgical team at Baptist Bethesda Hospital in Fermathe, as well as the work of the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund in the subsequent years, until its recent transition to now step back, having empowered Haitians to chart their own successful future.

“Having spent quite a bit of time in Haiti during the aftermath of the earthquake, I can say the progress made in the health sector these last few years has been quite substantial,” Frist said. “With many organizations working together, and thanks in great part to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund contributing to long-term sustainable change, healthcare for Haitians has improved dramatically. However, there is still much work to be done.”

Lamothe agrees, citing infrastructure development in the areas of schools, bridges and roads which he oversaw during his tenure as prime minister between May 2012 and December 2014, the longest tenure of any prime minister in the last three decades.

“I am proud of what we accomplished, but I know there are still great improvements needed, especially in the area of healthcare for the poorest sectors of the Haitian population,” Lamothe said. “I am happy to be part of this event and to help bring greater attention to these continued needs for the future of Haiti.”

The public and members of the media are invited to this free event. Those interested in attending may RSVP to [email protected].  Parking is available at the Curb Event Center Garage on Bernard Avenue (between Belmont Blvd. and 15th Ave. South).

Hope Through Healing Hands is a Nashville-based 501(C) 3 nonprofit with a mission to promote improved quality of life for citizens and communities around the world using health as a currency for peace.  Sen. Bill Frist, M.D., is the founder and chair of the organization, and Dr. Jenny Eaton Dyer, Ph.D., is the CEO/Executive Director.

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Rebuilding Haiti