Build Health International, Inc.
Building the Foundation for Global Health Equity
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Healthcare services require healthcare facilities. Many resource-constrained settings lack and sustainable health infrastructure, which ultimately inhibits clinicians ability to care for patients. In this context, access to quality healthcare in many places in the world remains hampered: - 5 billion people worldwide lack access to safe surgical care - 25% of hospitals in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have electricity, and 1/3rd of all hospitals in LMICs do not have access to running water - Nearly 1/3rd of all women in sub-Saharan Africa live more than two hours from the nearest hospital, contributing to thousands of preventable maternal deaths each year -40% of biomedical equipment in low- and middle-income countries is out of service By designing, building, equipping, and maintaining healthcare infrastructure in low-resource settings around the world, and training local workforces to do the same, BHI aims to improve health outcomes and increase health-equity where it is needed most.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Build Health International Programs
Build Health International (BHI) is a design and build nonprofit focused on healthcare infrastructure in low-resource settings. BHI develops dignified care spaces and solutions that elevate the quality and accessibility of healthcare worldwide. Working closely with Ministries of Health, partner organizations, and local workforces, BHI promotes sustainable design, empowers communities, and enables access to dignified and affordable healthcare in some of the world’s most resource-poor communities.
BHI was formally founded in 2014 and, to date, has completed more than 200 infrastructure projects in over 28 countries throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa.
Center for Global Health, Peru
April 2018 - Present
To support the ongoing battle against drug-resistant tuberculosis and other serious infectious disease, BHI is partnering with Socios en Salud in Peru and Quincy, MA architectural firm Studio Umbra to advise on and design a three-story diagnostic and treatment complex on the northern outskirts of Lima, Peru. In addition to containing outpatient and inpatient services for patients fighting tuberculosis,, the center will also include a research center and BSL-3 laboratory, which will allow for the diagnosis of disease including HIB, hepatitis, meningitis, cholera, Zika, and chikungunya.
Hôpital des Enfants au Niger Solar Project
January 2018 - January 2019
Build Health International (BHI) worked closely with CURE International to develop a hybrid solar array to supplement power to the CURE’s children’s hospital in Niger and ensure they have access to clean, reliable energy. This endeavor has upgraded and expanded on the existing 500 kW system by increasing capacity by 40%. The addition of batteries and new inverters will make the hospital a completely independent micro-grid.
St. Boniface Hospital CIDEC
September 2015 - February 2018
With funding from a USAID American Schools and Hospitals Abroad grant, St. Boniface Hospital partnered with Build Health International to design and build an Center for Infectious Disease and Emergency Care - CIDEC. Completed in February of 2018, the CIDEC features an isolation ward, a 25 bed emergency room, exam and testing facilities, and a pressurized HVAC system to improve infection control.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of organizational partners
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Build Health International Programs
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
These data reflect the total number of BHI's global health partners from FY2021 to FY2023.
Number of new programs/program sites
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Build Health International Programs
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
This number reflects the total number of countries with active projects from FY2021 to FY2023.
Number of new grants received
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Build Health International Programs
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
This number reflects grants received in FY2023.
Number of jobs created and maintained
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Build Health International Programs
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
These numbers reflect the growth of BHI's Haiti, U.S., and Sierra Leone teams.
Number of people trained
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Build Health International Programs
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
These numbers reflect participants trained from BHI's Medical Oxygen Education and Training Program, which commenced in FY2022.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
BHIs mission is to improve access to and build capacity for dignified, affordable, and high-quality healthcare infrastructure in resource-constrained settings around the world.
BHIs goal is to increase equitable healthcare coverage and access for the most marginalized populations, and to empower partners around the world with the resources and facilities necessary to deliver high-quality services to the patients they serve.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
BHI is committed to building and sustaining infrastructure in order to strengthen health systems for the long term. With a staff of engineers, architects, construction experts, and global health leaders, BHI oversees planning, design, and construction of healthcare infrastructure, as well as procurement of medical equipment and facilities maintenance for our partners. We also assist in clinical and operational planning and engage in research and evaluation of the built environment. Our strategies are centered on developing functional spaces that enable dignificed access to care. This work is done through a lens of not only social justice and human health, but planetary health. Thus, climate change mitigation is woven into our process, from implementing local wastewater treatment plants, to assessing and maximizing energy efficiency, and to designing and installing solar installations to reduce CO2 emissions.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
BHI has an in-house team of engineers, architects, construction experts, global health leaders and practitioners from around the world that make this work possible. The diverse experiences and backgrounds that range across our robust staff enable BHI to provide partners with sustainable, dignified, functional spaces centered around their local context. The team focuses on overseeing planning, design, and construction of healthcare infrastructure, as well as procurement of medical equipment and facilities maintenance for our locally based and global partners.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Since our founding, BHI has completed over 200 healthcare infrastructure projects in over 50 countries. We have worked alongside ministries of health and local nonprofit partners to create sustainable, culturally-informed solutions in the communities where we work. We also place a specific focus on workforce development of the trades including training teams of electricians, foreman, and plumbers in Haiti and Sierra Leone.
We hope to continue to grow as an organization and engage in meaningful projects in resource-constrained global settings that preferentially benefit patients who experience poverty. We also seek to leverage our experience in a variety of ways, including open access resources that document design, engineering, and construction processes, and broadly sharing our ideas around sustainable engineering and design for low-income countries. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that high-quality health infrastructure can be designed and built in a cost-effective manner, as well as more efficiently and sustainably maintained in the local environment. These principles have transformational effects on the ability for providers to deliver dignified, compassionate, safe care that improve the lives of patients.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Build Health International, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 01/09/2024
Patricia Maguire Meservey
Jean Shia
Autodesk Foundation
Rev. John Unni
St. Cecilia Roman Catholic Church
Karen Keating Ansara
Network of Engaged International Donors
Jim Ansara
Build Health International
Bob Broudo, M.Ed.
Landmark School
Harry Dumay, PHD, MBA
Elms College
Herby Duverné
Windwalker Construction
Regan Marsh, MD, MPH
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Jennifer Ailber
Shepley Bulfinch
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 01/08/2024GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.