Dear Friends,

One of my predecessor's favorite quotations by the anthropologist Margaret Meade still rings true for Global Healing today, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." It never ceases to amaze me the impact we can make in the world together when we work today in true cooperation. When I joined the organization in 2007, Global Healing had remarkably already established twelve projects in three countries without any paid staff. Committed local teams have invited us to Georgia, Honduras, Armenia, Dominica, Nepal and Moldova as if to fulfill our name.

Our first project started with a group of ambitious doctors in Tbilisi, Georgia shortly after the breakup of the Soviet Union, and has turned into a cardiac center providing pediatric and adult patients numerous life-saving cardiac services. The project highlights what is possible through true cooperation. Global Healing continues to draw upon the success of our model from working in Georgia in the 1990s. In-kind support from corporations, volunteer medical professionals, individual contributions, co-optation of governmental support, and -- perhaps most important of all -- an ambitious local team are the key ingredients to all our successful programs. We have used these elements to establish impactful programs beyond Georgia: pediatrics in Honduras, primary care in Nepal and blood banking in Armenia, Dominica and Moldova. This model enables us to transfer control of operations to our local colleagues and move on to new communities.

In the course of our work, we have seen war in Georgia, a presidential coup and hurricanes sweep across Honduras, and democratic protests in Moldova. Amidst it all, our colleagues abroad have remained resilient in their continual improvement of healthcare in their communities. The spirit of our supporters and beneficiaries is a source of strength and inspiration whenever we confront adversity.

Our mandate is truly global, as we look to far off horizons for future partners. In 2012, we will be working with Partners In Health to establish the blood donor center and transfusion service at their new teaching hospital in Mirebalais, Haiti. We will be returning to our flagship blood bank in Tbilisi to work with the National Center for Disease Control to improve standards for blood donation and transfusion across Georgia. In the future, we will return to many of the medical specialties we first developed in Georgia: critical care, anesthesiology, nursing and more.

As we reflect on the accomplishments of Global Healing and our colleagues abroad, we are able to draw the energy needed to move forward with ever more challenging programs. We are proud of the sustained growth of the Jo Ann Medical Center in Tbilisi, Georgia and we look forward to partnering with them to train physicians in the developing world in cardiac care. They have been training medical residents in cardiac surgery, and have already independently accepted physicians from abroad for training. With our capabilities combined, we can meaningfully address the lack of self-sufficient cardiac facilities in the developing world. By returning to work with our colleagues from the Jo Ann Medical Center, we perpetuate the cycle of sharing knowledge and technology that empowers medical communities to deliver the high quality medical care their patients deserve.

We thank you for being an ally in truly healing the global community. Without your support, none of this would be possible.

Sincerely,

Luke Ifland