Compiled by Hla Kyi, Dr. Don Simborg, Dr. Patricia Salber, Dr. David Holbrooke, Kathryn Johnson, Carol Patterson, Hla Kyi and Jeff Hardy
The political relationship between the United States and Myanmar worsened after the 1988 military coup and violent suppression of pro-democracy demonstrations. However, following signs of liberalization, the US government began the process of improving its links with Myanmar in 2011.
In February 2011, Tyler Darland, President of PMI International and Hla Kyi, Vice President of PMI International contacted Jeff Hardy requesting that he review the design of a hospital proposed to be built in Myanmar. Jeff (founder and now President of C4P), is a 30-year veteran in healthcare systems, service and facility planning and design. He facilitated innovative and widely publicized management operations and new-facility development services for over 120 hospitals all over the US. Clients included Kaiser Permanente, Catholic Healthcare West, Columbia/HCA Healthcare, Adventist Healthcare Systems, Disney Celebration Health, et al. Internationally, Jeff developed hospitals and healthcare systems for Kaiser Foundation International in the Bahamas, Bahrain, Curacao N.A., and the United Arab Republics, et al.
Most recently, Jeff led new facility development initiatives for the International Medical Center in Hanoi, Vietnam, the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, the Mobile Public Health Program in Delta State, Nigeria, and the Matibabu Hospital in Ukwala, Kenya.
After the United States formally eased sanctions on Myanmar with the three basic humanitarian assistances including Health Care support in July 2012, Mr. Tyler Darland and Mr. Hla Kyi went to Myanmar to give a message from Mr. Jeff to Myanmar President office about willing to support humanitarian Health Care, and then the President Office directed to Ministry of Health, as a result the Deputy Minister and Officials met with Mr. Tyler and Mr. Hla Kyi, and then follow up meeting with Dr. Than Sein. Subsequent discussions with Jeff led to a visit to the US by Dr. Than Sein on behalf of the president of Myanmar to look at several US hospitals.
Tyler Darland, Hla Kyi, Jeff Hardy and Linda Tavasi, CEO of the Marin Community Clinic hosted the visit. Based on this visit, the group decided to work together to help develop the Myanmar National Health System. Dr. Sein went back to Myanmar and founded the People’s Health Foundation (PHF). Jeff Hardy, with the guidance and support of the first C4P Board Chairman, Dr. David Holbrooke, founded C4P. Tyler Darland and Hla Kyi joined the C4P administration and Linda Tavasi became a Board Member of C4P.
In August 2012, Jeff, Tyler Darland and Hla Kyi met with Dr. Sein and the Myanmar Minister of Health, the Hon. Pe Thet Khin, to draft a Cooperative Agreement between C4P, the PHF and the Ministry of Health to collaborate in developing the Myanmar National Health System. The agreement was signed in October 2012.
Also in October 2012 the Myanmar Ministry of Health engaged Jeff and C4P to design one prototype “Mini-Medical Center (MMC)” in Rakhine State, Myanmar, that will exist as a showcase facility for considering potential implementation strategy for the next few MMCs to be built in Rakhine State. While the long-range vision is to build 250 MMCs where they are needed most in rural Myanmar, prudence dictates next-step planning will need to be carefully organized to ensure sufficient time and attention is given to any village interested in the slow-but-steady process of development required for securing success…and avoiding failure.