Volunteering internationally allows you to focus on the real reason you got into medicine—to take care of people. Not only does it give you the opportunity to appreciate different cultures, but also to realize that as doctors we are basically…
Recently, the World Health Organization compiled a list of ten threats to global health in 2019. The highlighted threats are diverse and nuanced, like many of the challenges facing the global health community, ranging from antimicrobial resistance to noncommunicable diseases…
On World Cancer Day, we are all called to take action. At HVO, we believe educating and supporting health workers is essential to addressing the global cancer burden. We bring together individuals who are passionate about improving access to treatment…
2018 Golden Apple Award honoree Robert Hoffman, MD already had some international medical volunteer experience under his belt when he first learned about HVO during the 2006 American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) Annual Meeting. He was intrigued…
Pediatric cardiologist Mark Duster, MD believes international health volunteers “offer a vision of the possible” to their colleagues in resource-scarce countries by providing a glimpse into how increased health workforce capacity and health system strengthening may impact patient care over…
"My international volunteer experiences have been life changing and have caused me to recognize that our physical therapy profession has a major contribution to make in furthering global health." - Dr. Janna Beling
As we celebrate the New Year, HVO is resolved to work toward quality health care for all people.
In 2018, we continued our efforts to build health workforce capacity by connecting health workers in resource-scarce countries to education and professional development opportunities. We also explored new ways to share our mission and model with the global health community,…
Dr. George Meyer gained his first experience practicing medicine internationally as a member of the U.S. Air Force. He served in Thailand, Japan, and Germany. Through these experiences, he and his wife, Lynn Meyer, RN, realized their shared love for…
As the country observes the passing of President George H. W. Bush, I would like to remember one of his enduring legacies, the Daily Points of Light Award. President Bush was an optimist and he felt it was important to…
At Health Volunteers Overseas, we envision a world where everyone, everywhere has access to high-quality, affordable care delivered by local providers. To achieve this vision, we rely heavily on the members of our global health community, including our volunteers, trainees,…
This past week, I had the opportunity to attend the American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting in San Diego. During the meeting, I attended several sessions focused on the utility of alternative research methods, including PhotoVoice and digital storytelling,…