“Community” isn’t just part of our public health approach; at Curamericas Global, community is ingrained in everything we do. Like any community, we owe a great debt to the memories of those who helped us grow and develop through the years. These are the heroes upon whose shoulders we stand today.
John Wyon (1918-2004)
John pioneered the concept of community based health, and developed the approach upon which all Curamericas Global work is founded, Census-Based Impact-Oriented methodology. John earned degrees from Cambridge University and the Harvard School of Public Health, going on to serve as a senior lecturer at Harvard and consultant to Curamericas Global and Oxfam America. John’s unconventional early medical career, which included stints in an Ethiopian hospital during World War II and a missionary doctor in India in the early 1950s, no doubt contributed to his passion to develop health approaches best suited to the needs of local communities. John joined Curamericas Global, then the Andean Rural Health Project, in 1979; his ground-breaking and at times unconventional work in community health has been key in the success of our programs around the world.
Frank Houser (1941-2008)
Frank began his career as a pediatrician in 1971 and went on to become a world expert in measuring quality of care in health systems and developed a passion for maternal and child health. As a member of the Georgia Council on Maternal and Infant Health , Frank helped develop minimum standards for neonatal and maternal healthcare for the state, leading to significant reductions of infant and maternal mortality rates in Georgia childbirths. Frank joined Curamericas Global in 1985 and served for over 20 years, including 12 years as a Chairman of the Board. Dr. Henry Perry says about Frank, “Curamericas’ bright future today is due in no small part to Frank’s persistent and long-term engagement, leadership, and support. Frank has made the world a better place through his personal engagement of concern for the less fortunate and through his gifted leadership, and his investment in Curamericas will pay ongoing dividends as the organization continues to grow and improve the health of ever larger populations.”. Following Frank’s passing in 2008, his wife Joyce began serving as a Curamericas Board Member to continue Frank’s legacy.
Bonnie Jones Geiwhieler (1932-2020)
Bonnie was one of the original founders of Curamericas Global, first known as the Andean Rural Health Project. Bonnie became passionate about Curamericas Global following the unexpected death of her beloved husband, Jameson, in 1982. Bonnie served as our first Chair of the Board of Directors and worked as full-time volunteer for the organization, traveling frequently to Bolivia and creating new connections for Curamericas through her work with the United Methodist Church. Dr. Henry Perry, friend and colleague of Bonnie, says, “Andean Rural Health Care could not have made the progress it did during those early years without the dedication and service Bonnie provided…The good that Bonnie did for our organization will continue to grow and spread, and for that we will always be grateful.”
Lynne Randall (1950-2020)
Lynne served on the Andean Rural Health/Curamericas Global board for many years and was integral in leading work teams to Bolivia. In addition to her work with Curamericas, Lynne was a talented quilter and had a passion for donating handmade baby blankets.