Global Faith-Based Healthcare Systems

The project explores the domain of healthcare services provided by international faith-based organizations, which intervene and work on a global level to offer and guarantee healthcare in countries where the local systems cannot completely provide them. Organizing and supporting healthcare systems represents for the faith-based healthcare organizations a commitment to realize globally and locally the “mission for health” and the main commitment “for the poor”, to improve a sustainable development for these communities. Starting from the experiences of FBO’s representatives and of local healthcare leaders, and involving local communities, the project analyzes their needs and resources, and searches for possible models of healthcare intervention in these realities, integrating also digital technologies.

Funding agency: Health Law Initiative, Georgetown University

Consortium / global partners: Georgetown University & Bruno Kessler Foundation; John Creighton University (Arizona); Loyola University of Chicago

Global FBOs: Commonspirit Health; Catholic Medical Mission Board; Catholic Health Association, Healing Hands for India

Local partners: Baromari Mission, Religious Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy, Sister Doctors Forum India

PI: Bette Jacobs, Kevin FitzGerald, Collen Scanlon

Researchers: Bette Jacobs (GTU) & Kevin FitzGerald (Creighton University), Marco Ventura (University of Siena), Lucia Galvagni (FBK), Therese Lysaught (Loyola University, Chicago)

Start date: June 2017

End date: December 2022

Main project outputs (publications, conferences etc.):
–   Meetings of the core group and with healthcare representatives and leaders of the local communities
–   Publications and conferences
–   Networking with relevant institutions and local communities
–   Research projects
–   Webinar series “Facing an Outbreak: Issues of Global Health, Ethics and Technology” (May-July 2021); program and videos available at https://isr.fbk.eu/en/events/detail/19338/facing-an-outbreak-issues-of-global-health-ethics-and-technology-webinar-series-2021/