Media & Events

Sullivan County is facing severe strain on its health-care system, as Garnet Health hospitals enact cuts and EMS services struggle with long response times in rural areas amid reduced federal funding. In response, a community-led effort, the Highland Health Access Initiative, is deploying local “health champions,” telemedicine, AI tools, and a revamped EMS “fly-car” system to rebuild care from the ground up.

The town of Highland looks set to become a regional hub for community healthcare access, as local leaders prepare to open the doors on a new community health hub. Called the Highland Health Initiative, the project will restore the former offices of Dr. Richard Daboul for use as a community health hub.

When Chris Dickey saw gaps in Sullivan County’s healthcare system, he thought that someone should fix it. And then he thought, why not me? As a public health professional, he worked to create clinics in rural areas of India and Africa, seeing firsthand the unique challenges that rural communities face, and saw that it wasn’t all that different from home.

In January 2026, AGPHI's Mycetoma Team hosted an engaging conversation on the challenges and opportunities in tackling neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), highlighting the realities of addressing NTDs from the frontlines. The panel explored current interventions, emerging research, and the urgent need for more equitable global health action with global health leaders across research, policy, and implementation as they share frontline perspectives, key lessons, and pathways forward.

Panelists included Ezra Jerome of UNICEF USA; Alemayehu Kassahun of Arba Minch University; Dewit Getachew of WHO TDR; and Behailu Merdekios of Global Initiative for Vision Ethiopia. 

In November 2025, AGPHI hosted David Gold, an attorney and global health advocate with more than three decades of experience in international health policy, communications, and advocacy.

In 2002, he co-founded Global Health Strategies (GHS), advancing the use of strategic communications to address global health and development challenges. Under his leadership, GHS has grown from a New York–based firm into a global network spanning six regions, working across issues including infectious diseases, family planning, climate change, and health systems strengthening. He has also served on advisory panels for the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and the National Institutes of Health.