Roberto Westbrook
MAKING A LEAP
s Brig. Gen. Ron Sconyers (USAF, Ret.) President & CEO
Dear Friends, What separates good organizations from great ones? In the now classic book, “Good to Great,” business guru Jim Collins presents characteristics that outstanding organizations share, including passion, discipline and a willingness to critically analyze strengths and weaknesses. In the spirit of that book, Physicians for Peace recently began a rigorous process of selfexamination. We’ve identified specific areas to improve, but we’ve also found a multitude of strengths.
Thanks to you, our supportive partners, our aspirations and accomplishments are multiplied.
Collins devotes sections of his book to the idea that excellent people stand behind excellent groups. We’re a staff of just 20 full-time employees; yet thanks to you, our supportive partners, our aspirations and accomplishments are multiplied.
This past spring, Physicians for Peace became one of the fortunate select beneficiaries of the Richard T. Clark Fellowship for World Health at Merck. Three of Merck’s finest employees joined us for 90 days to help craft tools to continue the transformation of Physicians for Peace from “good to great.” Our fellows, Darwin Cox, Sowmya Murthy and Suan Swensen, sacrificed time away from their families and jobs to travel to three continents, where they immersed themselves in the Physicians for Peace vision. They observed and participated in workshops and training sessions to discover a sense of our efforts to train, support and empower healthcare professionals working with the world’s underserved populations. Upon completion of their fellowship, they have emboldened us with a three- to five-year strategic plan, a supportable analysis of the economic and social returns on investment generated by our initiatives and core fundraising documents that will eloquently and passionately make the case for support for Physicians for Peace.
And our case is a powerful one. As I talked to these three experts and they reflected on their work, one theme came up repeatedly. Simply put, our model works. We leverage donor dollars to create real, lasting change in communities. With a strategic vision and the analytical tools to make and assess critical decisions, we are poised to reach even more people in need. Merck isn’t the only outside group to highlight our efforts this quarter. JSI Research & Training Institute Inc. recently recognized our work to ensure access to vision care for children in the Philippines with a $130,000+ sub-award funded by USAID. The award means that we can expand our services to reach more children living with untreated vision impairment, especially those in impoverished urban areas and in remote villages with little or no access to care. While Physicians for Peace is making a significant difference in regions around the globe, there is one area where we can improve. We know our educationbased approach is the best in the world, but we have to start telling more people about our results – the transformations we see through every training mission. Patients and healthcare teams are depending on us, and they don’t have time for us to be timid. That’s where you come in. You understand the value of empowerment through education. With your support, we’ve already made remarkable progress toward our singular vision -- a world where no one has to struggle with illness, disability or death due to the lack of quality local healthcare -- but there’s much more to do. I’m asking you today to take a great leap forward to a healthier future with Physicians for Peace. Together, we can bring health, peace of mind and opportunity to even more communities, creating a world that’s better – that’s greater – for generations to come. Sincerely,
Brig. Gen. Ron Sconyers (USAF, Ret.) President & CEO