News Bureau

MSH Celebrates 40 Years of Impact: Over 200 Guests Gather at Washington, DC Reception


On Tuesday, June 14, 2011, friends and colleagues from around the world joined MSH at the Global Health Council conference in Washington, D.C. to celebrate its 40th anniversary at an evening reception. More than 200 guests were entertained by steel drum music from Oasis Island Sounds.

Guests at the MSH 40th anniversary reception at the GHC Conference 2011

Oasis Island Sounds performs

MSH President and CEO Dr. Jonathan Quick presented “Building Stronger Health Systems in Uganda," a new video highlighting MSH’s work in that country.

MSH CEO and President Dr. Jonathan Quick makes a toast at the MSH 40th anniversary reception at the GHC conference

Dr. Quick offered the first toast in honor of the vision and leadership of MSH founder and current board member, Dr. Ron O’Connor, pictured here speaking with Dr. Julio Frenk, Dean of the Faculty, Harvard School of Public Health:

MSH founder and current Board Member Ron O'Connor (right), Harvard School of Public Health Dean of Faculty Julio Frenk and others

Another new video, made by MSH staff around the world, was shown, highlighting the MSH philosophy of the Tao of Leadership.

The guests of honor—who included Dr. Felicia Knaul, Director of the Harvard Global Equity Initiative and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School; Jeffrey Sturchio, President and CEO of the Global Health Council; Len Rubenstein, Visiting Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; and Alvaro Bromejo, Executive Director of the International AIDS Alliance—each offered toasts commending MSH’s  work over four decades in  strengthening health systems (“even when no one was talking about health systems” or “health systems were seen as boring”); HIV/AIDS prevention treatment and care; global health policy (“MSH has lent its voice and credibility”), and MSH's recent contributions to the global non-communicable diseases (NCDs) movement, in particular MSH’s participation on the Global Task Force for Cancer Care and Control in Developing Countries.

Leonard Rubenstein, Visiting Scholar, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, makes a toast

Alvary Bromejo, Executive Director of the International AIDS Alliance  Jeffrey Sturchio, President and CEO of the Global Health Council

Dr. Jonathan Quick, MSH CEO and President, and Dr. Felicia Knaul,  Director of the Harvard Global Equity Initiative and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School

More photos of the event can be found on the MSH Facebook page.


For additional information or to arrange for a press interview, please contact Barbara Ayotte, Director of Strategic Communications, at 617.852.6011 or bayotte@msh.org.


Our mission: Saving lives and improving the health of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people by closing the gap between knowledge and action in public health.