Giving Back: International Volunteers in Urology
"Half the world lacks access to essential health services," according to a World Bank and WHO report.
During our 2022 offsite gathering, we had the honor and privilege to partner with International Volunteers in Urology (IVU). IVU promotes urologic health equity worldwide by providing urologic healthcare, education, training, and research mentorship in low-resource areas. Our time together not only allowed us to celebrate all the good from 2022 but also to serve the global community - it brought purpose forward.
We met with the IVU med Executive Director, Danielle Sweeney, MD, FAAP. Under Dr. Sweeney's direction, we packaged, sorted, and cataloged critical medical supplies for their workshops. Something so simple as organizing supplies knowing they would be used for great impact was meaningful. We learned a lot of nuances to various medical instruments and the difficult reality many people face when trying to access specialized healthcare.
The United Nations cites that the lack of healthcare is a root cause of extreme poverty in the world today. IVU’s work is important and life-changing. They are creating exponential change on a global scale by providing hands-on training to local providers. Over the past 25 years, IVU has led in-person workshops in more than 40 countries, trained more than 3,024 surgeons and 1,077 nurses, performed 7,540 surgeries, and provided care to 11,297 patients. They enable "What’s Next" for urological healthcare in entire communities across the globe. Health is an ultimate freedom, and specialty care is a luxury far too many of us take for granted.
The Next Practice is dedicated to unlocking the energy that exists at the intersection of purpose, analytics, and human creativity. We partner with our clients to best define their purpose so they can do good in the world while still driving business results. We desire to live out these values ourselves to not just individually but as a collective. We believe it is ultimately "What’s Next" in business and what's best for our communities.
If you have an opportunity to volunteer with IVU or donate to their work, we highly recommend it. We hope to again work alongside and support the IVU team as they continue to live out their mission and purpose.
