June 25, 2021 • 8 mins
We revisit our conversation with Dr. Joan LaRovere, co-founder of Virtue Foundation, a groundbreaking nonprofit that provides actionable data as a way to deal with global health crises. To learn how you can make a difference go to virtuefoundation.org.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to this episode of Here's Something Good, a production
of the Seneca Women Podcast Network and I Heart Radio.
Each day we aspire to bring you the good news,
the silver lining, the glass half full, because there is
good happening in the world everywhere, every day. We just
need to look for and share it. Here's something Good
(00:28):
for Today. One of our greatest weapons against COVID and
other health crisis is something you might not expect. Of course,
vaccines and medicine are crucial, but we have an additional
tool at our disposal, and that's data. Virtue Foundation is
a nonprofit that provides healthcare resources to vulnerable communities around
(00:50):
the globe, and they're at the cutting edge of using
data to deliver healthcare words needed most. It's Actionable Data
initiative uses machine learning and AI to ensure a better
match between healthcare resources and need. The output of this
project can increase efficiency and significantly improve the lives of thousands.
(01:11):
Now this data is being published in an exciting new
book called Insights and Global Health. We recently spoke to
Dr Joan la Roverare, co founder of the Virtue Foundation,
to learn more at the Seneca Women form at the
New York Stock Exchange. Dr Laar Rover is a professor
at Harvard Medical School and a pediatric intensive care physician
at Children's Hospital in Boston, where she's been treating children
(01:34):
impacted by COVID. Here's what she had to say, Dr
Laar Rover, thanks so much for joining us. Thank you
so much for inviting me to join your ye today. Now,
before COVID, Virtue Foundation was providing essential on the ground
medical assistance in countries like Ghana and Mongolia. What impact
(01:55):
has the pandemic had on the Virtue Foundation and how
have you pivoted during this period. Well, COVID has effective
Virtue Foundation like every other organization, by forcing their work
to become remote. Um, we were in the midst of
planning our annual mission to Mongolia with the team of
(02:15):
over fifty clinicians, and that was mid March, and we
decided that we would utilize what we had done in
the planning to help on the ground in Mongolia, releasing
all the ppe that we had there, and then everything
that we had collected in New York that we were
going to send with our our teams. We donated to
(02:36):
Mount Sinai to be able to help in those early
early days, and then we began to really uh direct
our efforts into and accelerate our data mapping initiative where
we were trying to establish granular data on the ground
in countries, low and middle income countries around the world
(02:59):
to be able to better understand the health needs where
are the health centers, the infrastructure, the healthcare NGOs on
the ground to develop a more grmular picture. And we
have really directed all our efforts into into that over
these months and using that data to help on the
(03:20):
ground in countries where we have have been working and
sending teams but doing it all remotely. And I think
this COVID time has shown us how important it is
for us to have access to that information in in
countries around the world to be able to get ahead
of crises like these. So how does data mapping tie
(03:43):
with your efforts against COVID. Well, I think that um
it is born of on the ground work, right from
trips we have made and healthcare interventions and trainings in
Ghana and Mongolia and Cambodia, Al Salvador, many countries. It
really started to show us the need for more granular
(04:06):
information of where are the healthcare centers located, What are
the healthcare NGOs on the ground that can accelerate development,
what projects are already ongoing, where is the burden of disease,
and where are the healthcare workers in the infrastructure to
enable the levels of care that could be delivered. And
(04:30):
that really got us in this journey to try to
create remote, granular access to data on a web type
platform where people could do the necessary groundwork ahead of
being there physically on the ground, and I think COVID
(04:54):
really showed us how important this is. And within the
Foundation itself, we have used this data in Ghana remotely
to distribute oxygen to the health care centers around Cecially
East in the Upper West Region to develop um a
(05:15):
ventilation program for them in their district general hospital, so
that we could create the necessary infrastructure for the crisis
ahead of ahead of the curve. So we brought in
water buckets, we repaired the radio so a hundred thousand
people would have access to information to understand how to
(05:36):
protect themselves. And then we put in infrastructure with the
oxygen ventilators, tricycle ambulances so that they would be prepared
and we were able to share I think what was
phenomenal for me is that I would be on what'sapp
in my I see you at Boston Children's Hospital with
(05:57):
the the doctors, the disc health director, our nurse and
nise that is there to try to help them on
the ground to have the information ahead. And I think
that's been an amazing part of COVID, this sharing of
information and data and working together globally. I think I
(06:20):
wonder if the public knows just how much doctors have
been talking to each other across the globe to be
able to have access to information to protect and save
more lives. The work of the Virtue Foundation is so
inspiring and so forward looking. It really is the future.
So here's something good for today. Virtue Foundation shows what
(06:44):
can be accomplished when you look at what you have
in a fresh way. Data is not just data in
the right hands, it becomes a powerful tool to deliver
healthcare where it's needed most. And Virtue Foundation is also
a great example of collaboration doctors from the US and
countries around the globe sharing information in real time and
(07:05):
making a real difference. And more good news from the
Virtue Foundation Insights and Global Health. The book we mentioned earlier,
published by Taylor and Francis. It's a comprehensive directory of
information on nonprofits and health care facilities in twenty four
low income countries, and it's a first cut of the
data generated by the Virtue Foundation's Actionable Data initiative. Insights
(07:28):
and Global health will be a particular interest to medical professionals,
but also to other stakeholders interested in global health, be
they nonprofits, governments, or companies. But you don't have to
be in global health to make a contribution. You can
make a real difference today by supporting this project and
donating at Virtue Foundation dot org. Thank you for listening,
(08:00):
and please share Today's Something Good with others in your life.
This is Kim Azzarelli, co author of Fast Forward and
co founder of Seneca Women. To learn more about Seneca Women,
go to Seneca Women dot com or download the Seneca
Women app free in the app store. Care Something Good
is a production of the Seneca Women podcast network and
I Heart Radio Have a Great Day. For more podcasts
(08:27):
from I Heart Radio, check out the I Heart Radio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Welcome to this episode of Here's Something Good, a production
of the Seneca Women Podcast Network and I Heart Radio.
Each day we aspire to bring you the good news,
the silver lining, the glass half full, because there is
good happening in the world everywhere, every day. We just
need to look for and share it. Here's something Good
(00:28):
for Today. One of our greatest weapons against COVID and
other health crisis is something you might not expect. Of course,
vaccines and medicine are crucial, but we have an additional
tool at our disposal, and that's data. Virtue Foundation is
a nonprofit that provides healthcare resources to vulnerable communities around
(00:50):
the globe, and they're at the cutting edge of using
data to deliver healthcare words needed most. It's Actionable Data
initiative uses machine learning and AI to ensure a better
match between healthcare resources and need. The output of this
project can increase efficiency and significantly improve the lives of thousands.
(01:11):
Now this data is being published in an exciting new
book called Insights and Global Health. We recently spoke to
Dr Joan la Roverare, co founder of the Virtue Foundation,
to learn more at the Seneca Women form at the
New York Stock Exchange. Dr Laar Rover is a professor
at Harvard Medical School and a pediatric intensive care physician
at Children's Hospital in Boston, where she's been treating children
(01:34):
impacted by COVID. Here's what she had to say, Dr
Laar Rover, thanks so much for joining us. Thank you
so much for inviting me to join your ye today. Now,
before COVID, Virtue Foundation was providing essential on the ground
medical assistance in countries like Ghana and Mongolia. What impact
(01:55):
has the pandemic had on the Virtue Foundation and how
have you pivoted during this period. Well, COVID has effective
Virtue Foundation like every other organization, by forcing their work
to become remote. Um, we were in the midst of
planning our annual mission to Mongolia with the team of
(02:15):
over fifty clinicians, and that was mid March, and we
decided that we would utilize what we had done in
the planning to help on the ground in Mongolia, releasing
all the ppe that we had there, and then everything
that we had collected in New York that we were
going to send with our our teams. We donated to
(02:36):
Mount Sinai to be able to help in those early
early days, and then we began to really uh direct
our efforts into and accelerate our data mapping initiative where
we were trying to establish granular data on the ground
in countries, low and middle income countries around the world
(02:59):
to be able to better understand the health needs where
are the health centers, the infrastructure, the healthcare NGOs on
the ground to develop a more grmular picture. And we
have really directed all our efforts into into that over
these months and using that data to help on the
(03:20):
ground in countries where we have have been working and
sending teams but doing it all remotely. And I think
this COVID time has shown us how important it is
for us to have access to that information in in
countries around the world to be able to get ahead
of crises like these. So how does data mapping tie
(03:43):
with your efforts against COVID. Well, I think that um
it is born of on the ground work, right from
trips we have made and healthcare interventions and trainings in
Ghana and Mongolia and Cambodia, Al Salvador, many countries. It
really started to show us the need for more granular
(04:06):
information of where are the healthcare centers located, What are
the healthcare NGOs on the ground that can accelerate development,
what projects are already ongoing, where is the burden of disease,
and where are the healthcare workers in the infrastructure to
enable the levels of care that could be delivered. And
(04:30):
that really got us in this journey to try to
create remote, granular access to data on a web type
platform where people could do the necessary groundwork ahead of
being there physically on the ground, and I think COVID
(04:54):
really showed us how important this is. And within the
Foundation itself, we have used this data in Ghana remotely
to distribute oxygen to the health care centers around Cecially
East in the Upper West Region to develop um a
(05:15):
ventilation program for them in their district general hospital, so
that we could create the necessary infrastructure for the crisis
ahead of ahead of the curve. So we brought in
water buckets, we repaired the radio so a hundred thousand
people would have access to information to understand how to
(05:36):
protect themselves. And then we put in infrastructure with the
oxygen ventilators, tricycle ambulances so that they would be prepared
and we were able to share I think what was
phenomenal for me is that I would be on what'sapp
in my I see you at Boston Children's Hospital with
(05:57):
the the doctors, the disc health director, our nurse and
nise that is there to try to help them on
the ground to have the information ahead. And I think
that's been an amazing part of COVID, this sharing of
information and data and working together globally. I think I
(06:20):
wonder if the public knows just how much doctors have
been talking to each other across the globe to be
able to have access to information to protect and save
more lives. The work of the Virtue Foundation is so
inspiring and so forward looking. It really is the future.
So here's something good for today. Virtue Foundation shows what
(06:44):
can be accomplished when you look at what you have
in a fresh way. Data is not just data in
the right hands, it becomes a powerful tool to deliver
healthcare where it's needed most. And Virtue Foundation is also
a great example of collaboration doctors from the US and
countries around the globe sharing information in real time and
(07:05):
making a real difference. And more good news from the
Virtue Foundation Insights and Global Health. The book we mentioned earlier,
published by Taylor and Francis. It's a comprehensive directory of
information on nonprofits and health care facilities in twenty four
low income countries, and it's a first cut of the
data generated by the Virtue Foundation's Actionable Data initiative. Insights
(07:28):
and Global health will be a particular interest to medical professionals,
but also to other stakeholders interested in global health, be
they nonprofits, governments, or companies. But you don't have to
be in global health to make a contribution. You can
make a real difference today by supporting this project and
donating at Virtue Foundation dot org. Thank you for listening,
(08:00):
and please share Today's Something Good with others in your life.
This is Kim Azzarelli, co author of Fast Forward and
co founder of Seneca Women. To learn more about Seneca Women,
go to Seneca Women dot com or download the Seneca
Women app free in the app store. Care Something Good
is a production of the Seneca Women podcast network and
I Heart Radio Have a Great Day. For more podcasts
(08:27):
from I Heart Radio, check out the I Heart Radio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
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