Chairman Bill Frist, M.D. gives a roundup of Global Health Activities so far in September.

Good morning,

Today I’m writing the first of what will be a bimonthly update of the global health activities your generous support helps drive. It’s been a busy month already and we still have a long way to go. Feel free to forward this email or encourage others to sign up at the top of our homepage, www.hopethroughhealinghands.org. Here’s a brief run down on what I and HTHH have been up to:

HTHH Frist Global Health Leaders: They are still out in the field, saving lives and changing local healthcare for the better! The latest update I have is from Courtney Stanley and Sarakay Johnson, both from East Tennessee State, who this month have traveled to work in Munsieveille, South Africa. They are at the very beginning of their time in South Africa but are already working to improve basic sanitation and safety at their adopted facility. One of the highlights (check HTHH’s blog for a full reporting) was putting on a Health Fair in Mshenguville, one of the more disadvantaged and underserved settlements in the area. Teaching basic health education like sanitation, hygiene, and even when and where to get help can and will save lives.

Save The Children: As Chairman of the Newborn and Child Survival Campaign, I’m proud to announce that our new “Every Beat Matters” campaign was launched this week with the Ad Council. This will mean a broad range of new educational and awareness raising efforts, all aimed at saving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable citizens: its children. Special thanks to the band OneRepublic for its song, “Feel Again” which has already played an integral part in raising awareness for this wonderful and worthwhile work. You can download it now on iTunes.

Clinton Bush Haiti Fund: As many of you know, I represent HTHH on the Board of the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, which has sought to “build back better” in Haiti, particularly in terms of economic development, which is a little different approach than many of the other charities and NGOs working there today. It is also a great approach, and one that does not necessarily leave off the medical aspects that HTHH focuses on. One particularly noteworthy recent development is that CBHF has decided to move forward on a nearly half million dollar grant to Hospital Bernard Mevs in Port-au-Prince shortly after I visited and evaluated the site a few weeks ago. Bernard Mevs is one of the only trauma, critical care, and rehabilitation centers in Haiti. In 2011, the hospital treated over 60,000 patients and performed 150 surgeries each month, many of them pro-bono. As I recommended, helping this facility will help hundreds of thousands of Haitians over the next few years alone.

United States Global Leadership Coalition: I am scheduled to keynote the USGLC Impact 2012 Event in Columbus, Ohio on September 21 st. The Impact Initiative seeks to educate the Presidential and select Congressional candidates on the importance of America’s global leadership, which is something I have always believed in and honored to support both in and out of office. At the event I will speak to a collection of high level policy makers, educators, military, business and faith-based leaders on the importance of American leadership and how soft power, like our many global health initiatives, secure America at home and win it friends and allies abroad that no amount of trade or force could achieve. As the very mission of HTHH states, helping anyone, regardless of his nationality, find health and hope makes the entire world, especially America, more prosperous and secure.

Bill Frist

Chairman, Hope Through Healing Hands

Big Kenny, as well as John Rich, Gretchen Wilson and Cowboy Troy donated 100% of the proceeds from their Nashville performance at the Fontanel Mansion to Operation Finally Home, and surprised the Staff Sargent by bringing him on stage in the middle of their performance to make the announcement.

“This is a wonderful organization I’ve worked with for years. They have a very simple but very important cause,” said Big Kenny, who first approached his touring partners about the idea. “Building a home isnoble, but constructing a home tailored to the needs of a specific injury or disability is one of the things Operation FINALLY HOME really understands and has done well time and again. It’s an honor for us allto have them working with us here in Music City. I’m willing to jump out of a perfectly good plane to raise awareness of the great needs of so many of our returning soldiers!”

Daniel Vargas, a retired U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant runs Operation FINALLY HOME out of NewBraunfels, Texas. Born out of the Bay Area Builders Association Support Our Troops effort, the programprovides custom-made homes to wounded and disabled veterans as well as to widows of the fallen in aneffort to get their lives back on track.

“For many of our soldiers the real battle begins once they’ve left the hospital and returned home,” saidVargas. “We are committed to helping make sure that these men and women will have the security ofa roof over their heads. This mission is possible only through gifts from donors and sponsors. We aregrateful and proud to have country music stars Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson and Cowboy Troy support our efforts.”

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Country Superstar Big Kenny: God bless the Lasso family

Author: Will Lewis, Reporter, Will.Lewis@wfmz.com

ALLENTOWN, Pa. -

Country stars Big and Rich were on stage at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown Friday, and the duo was doing-good while entertaining for thousands.

Ten percent of the ticket sales are being donated to the family of slain Freemansburg police officer Robert Lasso.

Before the concert started, people in attendance were told officer Lasso had tickets to attend Friday night’s concert.

Fans said Officer Lasso was there in spirit and were happy to see the group helping his family.

The bright lights and high energy of Big and Rich, Gretchen Wilson and Cowboy Troy rocked Coca-Cola park.

The fans were excited.

“Honestly it’s a night out for us. We work together, it’s just the two of us at work, stressful and we’ve been looking forward to it all week,” said Williams Township resident Holly Schultheis.

Read more and watch the broadcast at the original article here.

On Wednesday, August 17th, Ms. Castle and Ms. Baker will deliver their presentations on the Boone Watershed Partnership and the Tennessee Cancer Coalition, respectively.

This is the second year that the Love Everybody Fund and Dr. Bill Frist’s Hope Through Healing Hands have worked with Dean Randy Wykoff of Eastern Tennessee State University to select two public health scholars  who will be working in rural Appalachian communities to receive the ASPIRE Appalachia Scholarship.

They’re in the process of building a world-class soapbox derby track facility–which is the largest of its kind on the east coast–and they need your help! Check out their website and donate on this page.

On this Tuesday night, July 19th, ESPN will debut an episode of their popular show E-60 about the Soap Box Derby. This documentary feature is set to highlight the phenomenal sport, the town of Culpepper and some dear friends of Big Kenny. Here are some words from friends, Steve, Todd and Michelle:

Progress is being made, and your generous help can keep it going! To stay tuned with the New Life Restoration School, and find out how you can get involved, check out their website. And you can find a detailed writeup of the school and its children here.

In what he considers the backyard to his home  in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Big Kenny personally witnessed the destruction of our beloved Appalachian environment, its effect on clean drinking water and its unique public health issues, in 2010 set up the Alphin Scholarship to Promote the Integration of Research and Environmental Education in Appalachia (ASPIRE Appalachia) Scholarship.

Read more about the 2011 recipients here. Find out about last year’s scholars here, as they report from the field!

Yesterday, Big Kenny and family hosted an incredible party that raised $25,000 for The African Children’s Choir.

The talented young singers were there and performed an amazing 35 minute set that left everyone in attendance in smiles. Here are some photos from the evening:

I’m really moved by the artist Emmanuel Jal, a Sudanese war child, now with a global name and helping his people.  I promise where this guy came from should inspire us all.   As Sudan gets closer to a referendum vote this January, it is going to being trying times for these people who have seen decades of relentless war.

On his website he says,  ”The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war” ~ Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit: www.we-want-peace.com Let’s keep this going all the way…tell your friends, DJs and local press…share, tweet, scream and shout we must do everything we can to prevent more pain, in Sudan, and the world.

I’m sharing and screaming,  the more people who are aware of this global hot spot the more of chance we have to keep peace for these people.  I’ve personally seen enough of the effects of war in my life.   I continue to be moved by people like Emmanuel and people like Sister Gloria White Hammond and Sara Rial of My Sister’s Keeperwww.mskeeper.org .  You’ll recall MSKeeper as the organization we helped to build the Kunyuk School For Girls in Akon, Sudan.  They have and continue to work relentlessly to educate and empower the women of the country whom we all believe will be the coming peace makers.  It’s no doubt a continue battle of will.

I recently read in a Bob Lefsetz blog:

Somehow our country has been turned topsy-turvy.  A patriot is one who asks no questions, always beams sunnily and says “my country, love it or leave it.”  But a true patriot is one who questions the status quo, who agitates for something better.

And I responded to him:

Bob,

Loved your thoughts on patriotism.  Does seem like we are becoming a country mired in our own self preservation,  when the reality is the only thing that divides us these days is what we choose to believe and the depth of our faith that sustains what we choose to believe.

I was really inspired by this video that my friend Greg Scholl just sent me.  I think you’ll dig it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1ZEJWVSiEI

Emmanuel Jal, a rapper who is a Sudanese war child turned activist.  Cool fellow.    I love the idea of education as a preference to war.   I love the idea of Peace on Earth, good will towards all men.

Love Everybody,

bk