These are stories directly from our volunteers and members.
The seed for the website Top Upgrade was planted during a month-long leadership training course for physical therapy professionals, which took place in Kigali, Rwanda in 2015 with support from HVO. During the course, participants were divided into groups of…
Jody Olsen, PhD, MSW, Chair of the HVO Board of Directors, writes this installment of Trends in Global Health, sharing a personal experience with using storytelling to identify the unique strengths and limitations that affect health systems in resource-scarce settings…
In October 2016, HVO volunteer and leader Linda Wolff, MPT shared her experience helping to deliver the World Health Organization’s Wheelchair Service Provision Training program in Thimphu, Bhutan with HVO blog readers. Ms. Wolff collaborated with an international team of…
“If you’re going along in your practice and you think you’ve done about everything you can ever get to do, why not try to push your envelope and volunteer with HVO.” These were the words that inspired 2017 Golden Apple…
Editor’s Note: This is the third and final post in a series written by Victoria Elliot, MSPH, a public health professional and medical student who accompanied HVO staff member April Pinner on a recent trip to Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap, Cambodia.…
Editor’s Note: You may recognize the name Dr. Jim Matiko from last year’s HVO Photo Contest. Images captured during Dr. Matiko’s 2009 assignment in Malawi won in both the “Celebrate” and “Grow” categories. Every health worker has a story, and…
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of three posts by Victoria Elliot, MSPH, a public health professional and medical student who accompanied HVO staff member April Pinner on a recent trip to Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Victoria’s background in…
Early this year, HVO began collecting stories from around the world. We asked our volunteers, leaders, and overseas partners to share their stories – the tales of compassion, commitment and determination that inspire them. As HVO celebrates its 30th anniversary,…
Editor’s note: This post was provided by HVO volunteer and leader Linda Wolff, MPT. Ms. Wolff traveled to Bhutan in May 2016 to participate in the Wheelchair Service Providers Training program. Despite being classified a Least Developed Country (LCD) according to…
If you are a long-time member of the HVO community, you are likely familiar with our Biennial Photo Contest. Since its inception, this contest has provided an opportunity for volunteers to share a small piece of their overseas experience with…
Since 2000, Health Volunteers Overseas has had the honor of counting Julia Plotnick, RN, MPH, FAAN, RADM, USPHS (ret) as one of its members. For nearly two decades, she has been a dedicated volunteer, member, leader and supporter. She has…
“Wherever you go, just take care of patients the very best you can and treat them like you want to be treated yourself.” This is the advice Samuel R. Baker, MD offers prospective global health volunteers. With more than ten…