October 20, 2010, Chapel Hill, NC—Global health nonprofit IntraHealth International has named Josh Nesbit, executive director and co-founder of FrontlineSMS:Medic to its Board of Directors. FrontlineSMS:Medic is a global nonprofit that advances health care networks in underserved communities using appropriate mobile technologies.

Named this year as one of the 40 Under 40 Leaders in International Development, Nesbit became inspired to start FrontlineSMS:Medic after working with volunteer village health workers in Malawi while completing his degree from Stanford University in international health and bioethics. Offering an open source platform for large scale, two-way text messaging, FrontlineSMS:Medic has implemented projects in more than ten countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to improve communications between clinical staff and health workers in the field in such critical areas as patient records, referrals, emergency care, and commodity updates. After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Nesbit helped coordinate Mission 4636, which set up an emergency texting number to relay information about trapped individuals and aid relief.

“Josh’s work and perspectives harmonize with IntraHealth’s mission to enable and empower health workers to serve communities most in need,” says IntraHealth President and CEO Pape Gaye. “He brings tremendous energy to the fast growing field of global health technology supporting local action and ultimately saving lives.”

Nesbit first became involved with IntraHealth as an advisor to the IntraHealth OPEN Initiative to build local innovation in open source systems for health in Africa. Through OPEN, IntraHealth recently partnered with FrontlineSMS:Medic and Hope Phones to provide mobile phones to health workers who provide maternal and child health services in Senegal.

“IntraHealth has an opportunity, given its current footprint and its willingness to innovate, to be a global leader in strengthening the use of new tools and technologies,” says Nesbit.

As a member of IntraHealth’s Board, Nesbit plans to take advantage of his networks to listen for ideas that transition well to IntraHealth’s work. “I’m hoping to offer access to new networks and new ideas, to bridge ties between leaders in social innovation and an organization with the capacity to deliver innovation at scale,” he notes.

Nesbit received the 2010 Truman Award for Leadership and Innovation from the Society for International Development. He is a 2010 Echoing Green Fellow and a Rainer Arnhold Fellow, and was a 2009 PopTech Social Innovation Fellow.

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.

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