25. Kim Tranquada - Bringing healthcare equity to the underserved around the world

Kim Tranquada has built Healthcare Alliance for an Equitable World from her experiences developing a telemedicine system for the VA and her passion about serving the 84% of the world's population who lack access to even basic medical care. From the Philippines to border regions of Kenya and Uganda, she brings hope to a vastly underserved group. A truly inspiring story, and an opportunity for you to serve - even if for only a few hours a year.

Thank you to our sponsor Lotus Clinician Wellbeing

 

Recap: 

Til Jolly and Kim discussed their professional backgrounds and shared interests in telemedicine, rural healthcare, and community building. Kim, an emergency medicine doctor, founded the Healthcare Alliance for an Equitable World (HAEW) to connect doctors with underserved populations. She described the success of HAEW’s telehealth program in the Philippines, which treated over 1,000 patients in a year, and its upcoming expansion to Uganda and Kenya in February. Partnering with Global Telehealth Network and I Triple E, HAEW is able to support rural hospitals, clinics, and schools. They discussed the challenges in rural healthcare, such as the lack of specialists, infrastructure, and emergency transport, emphasizing the importance of public-private partnerships to navigate regulatory and connectivity barriers. Kim outlined her goal of recruiting 1% of the world’s doctors to provide 700 daily telehealth hours and integrating telehealth into medical education, starting with a project in South Africa.

Moving forward, Kim is continuing to recruit doctors and launch telehealth initiatives.  Their conversation underscores the need for increased visibility, addressing burnout, and strengthening healthcare communities worldwide.