For many years, the founders of Health Horizons International conducted medical operations along the northern coast of the Dominican Republic to provide primary care services to the neediest populations, particularly those who, due to barriers exacerbated by poverty, could not access quality health services. Our founders believed that making a meaningful impact in the lives of these communities required the communities to play a participatory and leading role in efforts to improve public health and create sustainable change.

In 2009, Health Horizons International was established as a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the United States. In Connecticut, co-founders Craig Czarsty, M.D., and Brad Wilkinson, M.D., Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, respectively, joined forces to secure the organization’s financial stability. Meanwhile, two other co-founders, Laura McNulty and Angi Kang, moved to the Dominican Republic for a year and played a key role in registering the organization under Dominican regulations. They also identified community leaders interested in becoming involved with the organization. Laura became our first Executive Director.

In this capacity, Laura and Angi worked diligently to empower community leaders and build relationships with public health officials in the country. They identified and trained the first group of health promoters – individuals from the same communities who would be trained to contribute to the development of healthier, happier communities. As noncommunicable diseases began to surpass infectious diseases as the leading causes of death worldwide, a chronic care program was established in partnership with the Ministry of Public Health. This program addressed conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and epilepsy. Our early public health efforts also focused on providing clean water and improving sanitation in the communities we serve.

Over the past decade, our programs and reach have expanded significantly as we strive to promote public health and ensure that access to primary care is a right that is both available and affordable in socially, economically, and politically vulnerable communities across the Dominican Republic. We have been fortunate to count many employees, interns, talented and dedicated Board members, donors, partners, and volunteers among the HHI team, all of whom have contributed to our impact. Our model is unique to the Dominican Republic and continues to adapt to the country’s cultural, economic, political, geographical, and social realities.

We continually reevaluate our operations from the perspectives of development and international cooperation, human rights, social justice, and access to basic needs such as education and sustainable housing. In short, we focus on addressing the social determinants of health and finding the best ways to tackle them.

Ten years later, what began as a dream has become a powerful vehicle for change, social justice, equity, and advocacy. We promote and defend access to health care as a fundamental human right for vulnerable populations around the world.