Following the Footsteps of Operation Walk

Operation Walk Boston began in 2007 with a simple goal: to help patients with arthritis and joint disease in the Dominican Republic get back on their feet through knee and hip replacement surgeries.

Six years later, Operation Walk has performed surgeries on more than 200 patients—enabling them to walk, run and even dance in this island nation—thanks to the team of BWHers who volunteer to travel there each year to perform joint replacement surgeries.

Continue reading “Following the Footsteps of Operation Walk”

Redefining Health Care Delivery

“If delivery systems can be transformed around the principle of value, the promise of health and productivity for those now facing both poverty and disease will not be squandered.” This is the core take-away message of a new paper out  in the Lancet by Global Health Delivery Project advisors Drs. Paul Farmer and Jim Kim, and Prof. Michael Porter at the Global Health Delivery Project at Harvard.

The paper represents six years of teamwork across institutions and geographies with the generosity of investors and implementers. Read more on the Global Health Delivery Project blog.

Celebrating Haiti’s New Teaching Hospital

I was honored to speak at the opening of Haiti’s national teaching hospital on April 28. The Haitian flag bears a phrase meaning “strength through unity,” and the Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais – also known as HUM –  is a shining example of the power of unity. Many of our committed staff at BWH have worked tirelessly in Haiti to design, build and outfit the facility, including Dr. David Walton from the Division of Global Health Equity, who played an instrumental role in shepherding HUM from ideas to reality. I admire and commend David as well as the countless others whose collaboration and guidance helped transform a rice field in the Haitian countryside into a world-class teaching hospital.   Continue reading “Celebrating Haiti’s New Teaching Hospital”