[Washington, DC - November 17, 2011] HVO is pleased to announce the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors: Peter Curran, MD and Vidya Swaminathan, PhD.

Dr. Curran, an endocrinologist with strong interests in international health, public health, and health care delivery, serves on the Board of Health in south-central Idaho. He is also currently enrolled in a pioneering program at Dartmouth University studying ways to positively affect health care delivery in the US. He has served as an HVO volunteer in Cambodia, India, and Uganda and helped establish the internal medicine program in Bhutan.

Dr. Swaminathan, a graduate of Purdue University's School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, served as a Pfizer Global Health Fellow with HVO's program in Uganda in 2010. During her six months in Uganda, Dr. Swaminathan taught and worked with the Dean and faculty of the Department of Pharmacy at the School of Health Sciences at Makerere University. She focused on strengthening the academic capabilities and building the health research capacity of the department. Dr. Swaminathan received HVO's 2011 Golden Apple award for the sustainable difference she made in pharmacy education and training at the University.

"I am so pleased to have Peter and Vidya join HVO's Board of Directors," said Julia Plotnick, HVO's Board Chair. "They both bring a great deal of knowledge and experience from the field. They also have a lot of enthusiasm about their work and are eager to share that with others. I am particularly pleased to welcome them this year, as we celebrate HVO's 25th anniversary!"

A private, nonprofit organization, HVO was founded in 1986 to improve global health through education of local health care providers. In 25 years of service, HVO's training has transformed lives - of the health care providers, their colleagues and patients, and of the HVO volunteers themselves.  HVO designs and implements clinical and didactic education programs in child health, primary care, trauma and rehabilitation, essential surgical care, oral health, blood disorders and cancer, infectious disease, nursing education and wound management. In more than 25 resource-poor countries, HVO volunteers train, mentor, and provide critical professional support to health care providers who care for the neediest populations in the most difficult of circumstances. For more information, visit the HVO website.

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