2021 AwaH Program_DRAFT__011321

Dear Castilleja Community,
The MAVEN Project is honored and grateful to be the beneficiary of Castilleja’s
2021 Arts with a Heart production of Compassion, Together We Care - their first
ever virtual event. This past year, COVID-19 has upended our lives in ways we
couldn’t have imagined. It has also laid bare the inequities in our health care
system that The MAVEN Project is working to remedy. We believe health is really
about connection, and that by connecting expert physician volunteers to frontline
providers at community health centers through telehealth, we can remove the
barriers that prevent people from getting the care they need. After a year of
caution, distance, and sacrifice, I can think of no better way to connect than
through the joyous expression of dance.
When I joined The MAVEN Project as a volunteer, I was moved by the mission of
making universal access to the highest quality health care a reality for every
person in this country. I joined as CEO during the COVID-19 pandemic because I
knew the work we were doing was going to be needed more than ever. A consult
between a provider and volunteer can be the difference between a child staying
sick or returning to school. A mentoring session can be what prevents a nurse
from burning out. An education session can be the difference between
uncontrolled diabetes and doctors confidently supporting patients via telehealth.
As one of our providers said recently:
Having MAVEN Project physicians has been a tremendous blessing.
It is the best thing for a clinic like us that has no support when it
comes to specialty care. Thank you for being such a gift!
That’s why we do this work. Our health care system should be about facilitating
connections. Instead, it has too many barriers that prevent everyone from getting
the care they need, and COVID-19 has only magnified these challenges while
adding more to the mix. But if we persist in our mission to make universal access
to care a reality, we can build a health care system that fosters connection and
compassion for every person.
We are honored to be working with the Castilleja community to bring attention to
this crucial issue, and look forward to a wonderful weekend of dance, celebration,
and connection.
Warmly,
Ramona Doyle, MD
CEO, MAVEN Project