Organization: Sustainable Medical Missions
Background/Context:
Established in 2013, Sustainable Medical Missions (SMM) is a faith-based organization that has shown success in empowering indigenous leaders from underdeveloped Asian and African countries to combat neglected tropical diseases sustainably. SMM’s model consists of guiding local faith and medical leaders through a thorough process that enables them to be designated as leaders of excellence – individuals supported financially to oversee high-impact sustainable income projects and health initiatives in their local communities. These health initiatives are both preventive and treatment focused.
While the current model used by the organization is well-developed and functions efficiently, it lacks a descriptive framework that can be shared and used to educate other organizations with similar aims.
This project is funded by: Donors like you
Research Question:
Can we use insights from key SMM program leaders to describe the characteristics, methods, and sustainability of their global health model in such a way that others can learn from it?
Study Aims:
- How is the SMM structure implemented in the field?
- How do leaders of excellence uniquely impact this model?
- What competencies and knowledge areas are essential to replicate and scale this model with other non-profits and practitioners in this space of sustainable community health ministry
Impact:
This research will develop a conceptual model to describe the underlying framework behind SMM’s current model. The findings will be used for SMM to make strategic decisions and also in a case study commentary about the model’s elements. We expect that sharing this model will allow other organizations to consider strategies that will enhance the effectiveness of their programs.
Open Positions:
No additional volunteers are needed at this time.
Timeline: TBD
10 Responses
August 2024 Update: The research team has conducted in-depth interviews with Sustainable Medical Missions Leaders of Excellence in multiple countries. Our research assistants are now going through the interview transcripts to identify key themes and information which will be used to characterize the organization’s model. We look forward to seeing what key focus areas have risen to the top in creating their sustainable community health ministry programs.
November 2024 Update: Our research assistants are nearing completion of analyzing the interviews and we are eager to see how these insights will support Sustainable Medical Missions’ ongoing work as well as that of other organizations. One of our assistants was able to share her experience and some preliminary findings at Baylor University’s Global Health Fellows research symposium. Thank you for your prayers for this project!
February 2025 Update: We are in the final stages of our qualitative analysis and look forward to summarizing the insights to share. We’ve been encouraged by the wisdom and experience shared by community leaders and in how they’ve seen God at work. Thank you for your ongoing support!
May 2025 Update: Qualitative analysis is now complete and we have been busy describing our learnings in words and diagrams. We’ve shared the initial findings back with Sustainable Medical Missions leadership and we are enjoying the process of depicting the stories and strategies that make this NGO and it’s champions unique. We are working alongside the Sustainable Medical Missions team to write up our findings in a way that can be a blessing to other faith-based organizations as well. Thank you for your support and encouragement!
August 2025 Update: We have shared back results with Sustainable Medical Missions staff in various forms, including a PowerPoint, that can also be shared more broadly to tell the story of their ministry. The active work on this research is now finished and we are preparing a manuscript for peer-reviewed publication to share our findings and the organization’s approaches more widely. Thank you for your prayers and support for this work!
Such an inspiring initiative! Empowering local leaders to drive sustainable health solutions is a powerful approach to lasting impact. Developing a clear framework will not only strengthen SMM’s own work but also help other organizations replicate this meaningful model.
Thank you so much for your encouraging words! We agree – we hope this will help other organizations as well. We are eager to share it soon. Thank you for reaching out!
November 2025 Update: Our joint publication with Sustainable Medical Missions is in the collaborative writing stage, with a goal to have a final draft ready by the end of December. We are eager to share the findings with everyone soon. We appreciate your prayers and support!
This project analyzes Sustainable Medical Missions’ proven approach to empowering indigenous leaders to address neglected tropical diseases. By gathering insights from key program leaders, the study aims to define the model’s structure, leader impact, and core competencies, producing a clear framework that other organizations can learn from and replicate.
February 2026: We are in the final stages of manuscript preparation and look forward to sharing a publication this year. Thank you very much for your interest in this study!