Celebrating Health Workers: HVO Golden Apple Honorees Announced

For Immediate Release

Health Volunteers Overseas

Media Contact: Katie McMullen

E-mail: k.mcmullen@hvousa.org

Phone: 202-296-0928 ext. 125

HVO Volunteers, Partners Recognized for

Commitment and Leadership in Global Health

[Washington, DC - April 7, 2017] Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) is pleased to announce the recipients of the twelfth annual HVO Golden Apple Award. As part of its World Health Day observances and in celebration of World Health Worker Week, HVO recognizes the extraordinary contributions of HVO members, volunteers and supporters. Each individual honored with this award has demonstrated a commitment to HVO’s mission to improve global health through the education, training, and professional development of the health workforce in resource-scarce countries.

The recipients of the 2017 Golden Apple Award are: Charles Bloomer, DDS; Theresa Coetzer, PhD; Christian Fuentes, MD; David Goldstein, MBBS, FRACP, MRCP(UK); Judith Hembree, PT, PhD; Silvia Plattner, PT; and Julia Plotnick, RN, MPH, FAAN, RADM, USPHS(ret).

These individuals have contributed to global health and the HVO mission in a number of ways. Their work includes project assessment, development, and monitoring; advocacy and promotion of HVO’s mission; cultivation of connections between HVO volunteers and overseas trainees; acquisition and development of educational resources; and teaching, training and mentoring overseas health workers to expand their knowledge, skills and professional development. Learn more about their individual contributions on the HVO website.

“The HVO members, volunteers, and partners receiving the 2017 HVO Golden Apple Award have contributed to the quality and availability of health care around the world, strengthening our mission and transforming lives,” says HVO Executive Director, Nancy Kelly. “I’m thrilled to honor these extraordinary individuals on World Health Day. They are inspirational leaders, and we are grateful for their dedication to empowering health workers and ensuring more and better care is available where it is most needed.”

The efforts of HVO Golden Apple Award recipients are an integral part of HVO’s response to the global shortage of health workers. By highlighting the achievements and contributions of the Golden Apple Award recipients, HVO fosters an awareness of global health issues, especially the human resource shortage, which serves as a serious constraint to the delivery of health care around the world.

The HVO Board of Directors established the HVO Golden Apple Award in 2006 to recognize and thank the individuals and health educators who make exceptional contributions to HVO and our mission to improve global health. Each year, a handful of individuals - nominated by HVO members, volunteers or leadership, or by our overseas partners - receive the award in recognition of the substantial impact they have had as teachers, advisers, mentors and leaders.

Since 1950, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the international community have celebrated World Health Day on April 7. The day always focuses on a relevant global health issue and this year’s theme is “Depression: Let’s Talk.” At the core of the campaign is the importance of talking about depression as a vital component of recovery. For more information on World Health Day 2017, visit the WHO website.

World Health Worker Week, celebrated for the fifth consecutive year, runs from April 2-8. The week serves as an opportunity to mobilize communities, partners, and policy makers in support of health workers around the world. It is a time to celebrate the amazing work that they do and to raise awareness of the challenges they face every day. Learn more about World Health Worker Week.

About HVO

Health Volunteers Overseas is a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve global health through education of the local health workforce in resource-scarce countries. HVO volunteers build local capacity by empowering health care professionals with knowledge and skills to address the health care needs of their communities. HVO volunteers are trained health care professionals - physicians, nurses, dentists, physical therapists and others - willing to donate their time and expertise to work side-by-side with their colleagues overseas. Since 1986, HVO staff and volunteers have collaborated with a variety of health institutions to design, develop and implement each HVO project, working toward better patient care around the globe in trauma care, child and maternal health, essential surgery, cancer care, rehabilitation, and more. Visit www.hvousa.org to learn how you can become part of their global health community.