The Role of Organizations like IVUmed in Developing Centers of Excellence

Abstract

As healthcare disparity gaps continue to grow across the globe, so too are the efforts aimed at addressing them. Here we review the most common platforms currently used in global health and advantages and disadvantages of each. We highlight international organizations that have prioritized health system strengthening and long-term sustainability and apply the lessons learned from these endeavors to propose mechanisms for developing centers of excellence in low- and middle-income countries. Health system strengthening must be prioritized in international urologic endeavors. Without recognizing this as a fundamental goal, well-intentioned efforts are bound to have only short-term benefit and suboptimal use of valuable resources and will neglect a critical opportunity to promote local self-sufficiency and sustainable improvement in patient outcomes.