In 2009, Health Horizons International was formally established as a civil society health care organization with three initial goals for its work in the Dominican Republic: develop a Community Health Workers (CHW) program, meet existing health care needs through Medical Service Trips (MST) supported by on-the-ground systems, and establish a local infrastructure for a sustained in-country presence. In their first blog post, Dr. Angi Kang and Ms. Laura McNulty wrote about bringing “Medicine and Beyond” to HHI, stating, “…we anticipate that the next ten months will lead us down many unexpected paths.” Their words not only foreshadowed their first ten months but also the first ten years. Many changes and transitions have occurred since that original, small, passionate board brought together a dedicated on-the-ground team with a strong emotional commitment and dedication to the mission.

What is notable about HHI is how, through its life stages, the organization has been adaptable to the needs of patients and partners in the community, thereby establishing programming that is relevant and impactful. Examples of this are the first-of-their-kind cooperadores de salud and Saño y Feliz programs in the Dominican Republic, developed by HHI. They laid the foundation for a World Diabetes Foundation-funded program through which a capacity-building model and various training materials were developed and implemented. Through partnerships and collaborations, HHI has brought these innovations to a scale of work aligned with the national non-communicable disease strategy of the Dominican Ministry of Health. Our work adds to the growing body of global evidence that integrating CHW programs into health systems and communities is an effective policy option that strengthens program performance and furthers the global goal of primary care access for all. With the newly launched guideline on health policy and system support to optimize community health worker programs from the World Health Organization, we now have a framework by which we can assess one of our core programs against the standards of global leaders. Over the past ten years, the mission and vision of HHI have been revised and refined, and the organization has gone through many transitions. When necessary, HHI adapted, but the purpose remained relevant – to implement programming that empowers underserved communities in the Dominican Republic to promote health, well-being, and access to quality primary care.

HHI Staff Located in the Dominican Republic

This year brings another transition as we reluctantly say farewell to Ms. Laura McNulty. Working alongside our mission-driven staff and Board of Directors, Laura has had a tremendous impact on HHI and our partner communities. As a founding member, her energy for the dream has been infectious and a guiding light. We on the Board and her colleagues in HHI will truly miss her inspiration and friendship, and eagerly await opportunities to welcome her “home” again. Personally, I sincerely hope she departs with a sense of accomplishment for all that she has achieved during her tenure.

Despite the change in leadership, our Board of Directors remains committed to the four big priorities outlined in June 2018. We have rededicated ourselves to the work and mission of HHI for both the short term and the long term, and to making the board a philanthropic priority as the first step in our campaign to ensure the organization’s longevity. In continuing the legacy of strong, strategic leadership, my personal mission is to guide HHI to remain adaptable, relevant, and impactful to the needs of the communities with whom we engage through active listening and building and sustaining authentic relationships as we pursue these priorities.

At the same time, we are at the life stage of a nonprofit where we must shift from rapid growth to maturation. With much gratitude to the volunteers and donors who have invested in the HHI mission over the past ten years, we have arrived at a place where we no longer ask ourselves, “How can we build this to be viable?” but instead now turn to ask, “How can we ensure sustainability?” Margaret Mead is well-known for saying, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” She must have had in mind the small group of thoughtful, committed donors and volunteers who have generously given time, funding, services, and resources to build HHI into a viable organization. We have done our best to communicate to you our successes, failures, and challenges, as well as our gratitude. As we move forward into maturation, we will continue to communicate these aspects to our foundational investors. But this year, I also aim to open the avenues of communication with the goal of learning how we can better support you in your giving so that we build a foundation that promotes sustainability. What more do you, as investors, want to learn about HHI, the staff in the Dominican Republic, or our partner communities? How can we best show ourselves as an organization you are proud to advocate for to your family, friends, and colleagues? What stories about the organization are left untold? There is tremendous value in the lessons we have learned in the past ten years, and we continue to look to our supporters to help disseminate this knowledge.

I step into the role of President and Chair of the Board of Directors of Health Horizons International eager to support our staff during this transformative period and ready to move the organization forward with the urgency needed to capitalize on the opportunities being presented to us. I anticipate getting to know each of you better along this next phase of our journey.

Sincerely,
Romiya Glover Barry
President and Chair of the Board of Directors of Health Horizons International