February 18, 2010, Chapel Hill, NC—IntraHealth International named Maurice Middleberg vice president for global policy and head of CapacityPlus, a flagship project to strengthen the global health workforce, funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The organization also tapped Kate Tulenko to serve as a deputy director of the five-year project. Both leaders are based at IntraHealth’s Washington, DC office.

As vice president for global policy, Middleberg will lead IntraHealth’s efforts to promote evidence-based health policy, with a special emphasis on the global health workforce crisis. He brings over 27 years of experience in the field of international public health as an advocate, analyst, senior executive and teacher.

Prior to joining IntraHealth, Middleberg served as vice president for public policy at the Global Health Council, the world’s largest membership alliance dedicated to saving lives by improving health throughout the world. He led the Council’s advocacy efforts by increasing decision-makers’ access to evidence and encouraging dialogue on pressing global health topics. He has also held senior leadership positions with EngenderHealth and CARE International.  A political scientist by training, he is the author of numerous publications.

Kate Tulenko is a physician and global health specialist with extensive health systems experience.  She joined IntraHealth from the World Bank where she managed the Bank’s Africa Health Workforce program. With CapacityPlus she focuses on increasing the production and efficiency of health workers through improved education, training, retention and support.

Tulenko has been an advisor to national governments on health policy reform and has served on many expert panels for the World Bank, World Health Organization, American Public Health Association, Global Health Workforce Alliance, and American Hospital Association. She has published on an array of topics, and holds degrees from Harvard, Cambridge and Johns Hopkins University. Tulenko serves on the faculty of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the George Mason College of Health and Human Services.

“Maurice and Kate bring solid public health track records, including a thorough appreciation of the needs, constraints, and opportunities facing health workers in communities around the world. Together, they will work with our core partners in the Capacity Plus project while spearheading our effort to leverage IntraHealth’s Washington presence. We are grateful and honored to gain their talent and expertise,” said IntraHealth President and CEO Pape Gaye.

IntraHealth International is a global health nonprofit that champions the critical role of health workers in health and development. For over 30 years, IntraHealth has empowered health workers to better serve communities in need, fostering local solutions to health care challenges by improving health worker performance, strengthening health systems, harnessing technology, and leveraging partnerships. The nonprofit’s work is supported and funded by the US Agency for International Development, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, private foundations, corporations and individuals.

CapacityPlus addresses both the number of health workers needed in developing countries and the quality and performance of those workers. The project will build capacity in service delivery, thereby increasing access to vital family planning/reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and maternal and child health services. In addition to lead partner IntraHealth International, the CapacityPlus core partnership includes Abt Associates, IMA World Health, Liverpool Associates in Tropical Health (LATH), and Training Resources Group, Inc. (TRG).

Contact: Laura Hoemeke
IntraHealth International
+1 919-360-7799