Some of you may have seen the news that Paul Farmer, a true titan of global health, passed away today. I wanted to just take a moment to highlight that there is a direct line from Paul’s creation of Partners In Health, which then inspired and advanced the mission of OpenMRS, which then informed and guided the creation of the OHDSI Mission and Values.
So even if you did not have the great fortune to know Paul personally, you can be assured that he has very much influenced this community. And this tweet from one of the many tributes I’ve seen today will undoubtedly ring true for many of us:
I once asked Paul Farmer what had kept him in global health when so many people become disillusioned or burned out.
His answer – “Doing hard things with friends” – embodied the ethos of @PIH and has stuck with me throughout my career