Project HOPE and North Carolina GSK Foundation Announce First Dr. Charles A. Sanders/Project HOPE International Residency Scholar

Project HOPE has announced that Dr. Meredith Miller, Resident Physician in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, was awarded the first Dr. Charles A. Sanders/Project HOPE International Residency Scholarship, funded through the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation and administered by Project HOPE, a global health education and humanitarian assistance organization. Dr. Miller will work at HOPE’s maternal and child health clinic in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. The scholarship honors Dr. Charles A. Sanders, the former Chairman of the Board and CEO of GlaxoSmithKline and the current Chairman Emeritus at HOPE.

“I am honored to be the first Sanders Scholar and have the opportunity to address the health care needs of mothers and their children in Santo Domingo.  Through observation and interaction with patients and health care professionals, I will learn how Project HOPE is working from the ground up to meet the needs of local populations,” Dr. Miller said.

Dr. Miller has worked as a volunteer in the Central African Republic, assisting with HIV education at a local orphan care center before entering medical school. She also volunteered in maternity and primary care clinics in Costa Rica, while doing medical Spanish language training. (Check out the NC NOW, UNC-TV Interview with Dr. Miller.)

“Dr. Miller is the ideal Sanders Scholar. Her compassion for the less fortunate and desire to make a difference in the lives of the most vulnerable mirror the life-long pursuit and dedication of my friend and colleague, Dr. Sanders,” said John P. Howe III, M.D., President and CEO of Project HOPE.

Dr. Sanders, who served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Project HOPE for more than 20 years, has maintained Project HOPE’s focus on building the capacity of health care systems in emerging countries by training physicians and other professionals.  The scholarship program honors this commitment and supports the work to which Dr. Sanders has dedicated his life.

“Dr. Meredith Miller shares Dr. Sanders’ passion for improving the plight of the medically underserved and I believe she will be a great asset to young patients and their mothers,” said Marilyn Foote-Hudson, Executive Director of the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation.

About the Sanders Scholarship
The deans of North Carolina’s four medical schools are providing leadership and oversight for the scholarship program, which offers opportunities for medical residents from Duke University, East Carolina University, the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and Wake Forest University to provide care for underserved communities worldwide.

The Sanders Scholarship will cover all costs related to the program, including preparation/orientation, insurance, airfare, and an in-country daily stipend.  New applicants will be invited to submit applications for future scholarships to work at HOPE’s medical sites in the developing world.  For more information on the residency scholarship, please visit:  http://www.projecthope.org/scholarship

About Project HOPE   Founded in 1958, Project HOPE (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere) is dedicated to providing lasting solutions to health problems with the mission of helping people to help themselves. Identifiable to many by the SS HOPE, the world’s first peacetime hospital ship, Project HOPE now provides medical training and health education, as well as conducts humanitarian assistance programs.  www.projecthope.org

Project HOPE currently works with program sites in Latin American and the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, China and Southeast Asia, Russia/Eurasia, and the Middle East. Follow us on Twitter @projecthopeorg

About The North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation
Based in Research Triangle Park, the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation supports programs that promote the sciences, health, and education. Since its creation in 1986, the Foundation has granted more than $60 million to support North Carolina projects and programs that meet the educational needs of today’s society and of future generations. Follow us on Twitter @NCGSKFound.