AAI honored at 7th Annual Hilde and Bill Birnbaum Endowed Lecture on Benefiting Patients through Health Care Research in Seattle, Washington
"Time to Focus on Global Health" was the attention of the 7 th Annual Hilde and Bill Birnbaum Endowed Lecture on Benefiting Patients through Health Care Research, held in Seattle Washington on Thursday October 5th 2006. The lecture was followed by a tribute to health care professionals and Aid Organizations working internationally. Australian Aid International and Seattle native Sasha Poll, a nurse who has been working with AAI, were among the honorees.
The Birnbaum endowed lecture was established in 2000 to honor a local Seattle couple's commitment and active participation in the not only the founding of the Group Health Center for Health Studies, but for their passion and determination for using research to improve patient care. The Group Health Center for Heath Studies was founded in 1983 to promote the prevention and effective treatment of major health problems. To that end, the scientists and medical teams conduct epidemiologic, health services, behavioral, and clinical research addressing a wide and evolving range of clinical and public health questions. The lecture provides an annual opportunity for nationally prominent leaders and innovative thinkers to address the scientific and medical community.
Guest speaker William H. Foege, former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, presented a compelling lecture titled "With so Many Problems, Why Worry About Global Health?" Dr. Foege touched on many issues, but child survival and development, injury prevention, population, preventative medicine, and public health leadership were of special interest, particularly in the developing world. By writing and lecturing extensively, Dr. Foege has succeeded in broadening public awareness of these issues and bringing them to the forefront of domestic and international health policies.
Dr. Foege, joined by representatives from The Group Health Center for Health Studies, The Birnbaum endowment fund, The Group Health Community Foundation, and The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation celebrated the organizations and individuals committed to global health.
Australian Aid International and Seattle native Sasha Poll, a nurse who has been working with AAI, was among the honorees. Sasha initially assisted the AAI Emergency Medical Response Team (EMRT) who deployed to Pakistan directly after the earthquake by providing vital medical logistics support in Bangkok . She then went to the earthquake that hit Java in May 2006 and now advisors AAI on all medical programs.
