Dear Friends,
Reflecting on the past year, I am so deeply proud of our global teams, who have simultaneously fought COVID-19, delivered ongoing and lifesaving care, and responded to unexpected shifts in how we operate—always keeping our work centered on patients’ health and well-being.
We have risen to these challenges with optimism and a plan. We are not emergency responders, but we respond to daily emergencies by leaning on strong health systems built over time—in some cases, decades—in partnership with local governments.
Our recent earthquake response in Haiti is one such example. Many of the first responders arriving in the southwest had been trained in emergency medicine at PIH’s University Hospital in Mirebalais, a teaching and referral hospital we built with government partners in response to the 2010 earthquake. These Haitian clinicians, who graduated from the first and only such emergency medicine residency in the country, worked tirelessly for weeks to save lives and provide support. Meanwhile, PIH colleagues from around the world reached out and offered support during this trying time. That’s solidarity. That’s family. That’s what I’ve come to call OnePIH.
Over the past year, we have explored how to best live our mission of ensuring health care is a human right. I am grateful to the global teams, coordination site staff, board members, and partners who worked collaboratively and dedicated countless hours to craft a strategic plan for PIH’s next 10 years. This foundational document lays out three pathways to action, which are highlighted in this year's Annual Report: build and strengthen health systems; advance the field of global health delivery; and center the needs and rights of the most vulnerable, specifically those of women, children, and adolescents.
In the following pages, you will see the many ways in which PIH teams innovated and adapted to an ever-changing COVID-19 pandemic, in turn inspiring our ongoing response across the United States. You will learn about our steadfast progress in training the next generations of global health practitioners. And you will read stories about how we have broken down barriers to care for some of our most vulnerable patients—mothers, infants, and youth.
Every day, I am heartened by the hard work and dedication
of the PIH community around the world. Thank you for your unwavering commitment and support in service of
our shared mission—in moments of crisis and celebration—as we work toward a more just and equitable world.
Thank you for accompanying us along this journey.
In solidarity,
Dr. Sheila Davis
Chief Executive Officer