An Introduction to HVO
HVO’s Mission
Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) improves the availability and quality of health care
through the education, training and professional development of the health workforce
in resource-scarce countries.
HVO is a private, nonprofit volunteer organization founded in 1986.
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HVO’s Vision
We envision a world where all people have access to high
quality health care delivered by local health professionals.
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The Global Health Workforce Crisis
➢global shortages of health workers
➢skill imbalances
➢uneven distribution of providers
➢poor work environment
➢weak knowledge base
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The Global Health Workforce Crisis
➢ The estimated deficit of health
care workers in 2022 was 15 million.
➢ By 2030, the shortage is estimated to
still exceed 10 million.
➢ Resource-scare countries are expected
to bear the worst of the shortage.
World Health Organization. Health Workforce. https://www.who.int/health-
topics/health-workforce#tab=tab_1
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The Global Health Workforce Crisis
“The chronic under-investment in education and training of health workers
in some countries and the mismatch between education and employment
strategies in relation to health systems and population needs are
contributing to continuous shortages.”
World Health Organization. Health Workforce. https://www.who.int/health-topics/health-workforce#tab=tab_1
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HVO – A Snapshot
➢ More than 12,600 volunteer assignments completed since 1986
➢ 95+ projects in 22 countries
➢ 35 e-learning projects
➢ 3,100+ health professionals trained, mentored, and educated by HVO volunteers
annually
➢ 400+ volunteer assignments annually
➢ 15 program areas that encompass dozens of health care specialties and address
numerous global health challenges
➢ 245 international partners since 1986
➢ 243 scholarships awarded between 2011 and 2022 to colleagues abroad to participate in
professional development opportunities
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HVO – A Snapshot
More than 95 HVO projects are hosted on 4 continents
•Bhutan
•Cambodia
•India
•Laos
•Costa Rica •St. Lucia •Myanmar
•Honduras •Ghana •Nepal
•Guatemala •Malawi •Vietnam
•Rwanda
•Guyana •Tanzania
•Peru •Uganda
•Mauritania
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HVO Programs
➢ Administration Training ➢ Oral Health
➢ Anesthesia ➢ Dentistry
➢ Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
➢ Dermatology
➢ Orthopaedics
➢ Emergency Medicine
➢ Hematology ➢ Mental Health
➢ Internal Medicine ➢ Nutrition
➢ Pharmacy
➢ Nursing Education
➢ Obstetrics and Gynecology ➢ Residency Training
➢ Oncology ➢ Pediatrics
➢ Rehabilitation (PT, OT, SLP)
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Virtual Learning
➢ In 2020, HVO added online educational opportunities including lectures, case consultations, and
mentorship.
➢ The Remote Educational Interface (REI) was developed as an online platform to facilitate virtual
learning where volunteers and partners can schedule, meet, provide comments, and share
resources.
➢ HVO has:
➢ 35 e-learning projects
➢ 32 active REIs
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Scholarships
➢ The Wyss Scholarship for Future Leaders in Global Health
➢ Allows HVO to support the professional development of local health care
providers at HVO project sites.
➢ Feinberg Fellowship for Long-Term Volunteers
➢ Enables HVO to meet requests from our partner institutions that require
volunteers for focused, long-term assignments at specific project sites.
➢ Specialty specific scholarships:
➢ Warfield Scholarship for Anesthesia Professionals
➢ Orthopaedics Traveling Fellowship
➢ SEA-HVO Traveling Fellowship
➢ HVO-ADA Foundation Volunteer Fellowship
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HVO Impact
➢ Expanding access to health care
➢ Developing national leaders in health care
➢ Building educational infrastructure
➢ Forging global partnerships
➢ Improving global health through education
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HVO Sponsors
➢ American Academy of Dermatology ➢ American Dental Association
➢ American Association of Colleges of ➢ American Foundation for Surgery of the
Nursing Hand
➢ American Association of Nurse ➢ American Physical Therapy Association
Anesthesiology
➢ American Society of Clinical Oncology
➢ American Association of Oral and ➢ American Society of Hematology
Maxillofacial Surgeons
➢ British Society for Haematology
➢ American College of Obstetricians &
Gynecologists
➢ American College of Physicians
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HVO Volunteers
➢ Complete short-term, long-
term, and virtual assignments
➢ Come from diverse backgrounds
➢ Serve in person and online
➢ Often form long term
relationships with international
colleagues
➢ Choose to return year after year
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Providing education, training & opportunity for
thousands of health workers…
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… who will provide care now & for years to come.
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Ways to Support HVO
➢Become a member
➢Give a cash or stock donation
➢Include HVO in your estate plans
➢Workplace Giving (United Way/CFC)
82.2% of all HVO spending goes directly
to HVO's teaching & training programs.
*This data is from the HVO 2018 IRS 990 Form.
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Get started!
➢Visit www.hvousa.org/volunteer
➢Call us @ (202) 296-0928
Follow Us:
@hvousa
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