In February of 2003, a $2.5 million multi-year grant established the Green Family Foundation Initiative in Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology and International Health.
The key areas are:
· Control of HIV/AIDS infection,
· TB eradication, and
· Access to basic healthcare and medications.

The grant was awarded jointly to the University of Miami Pediatrics Department and Project Medishare, a local not-for-profit organization working in Haiti to bring much-needed health care to remote regions of the Hemisphere’s poorest country.

The Initiative seeks to develop and expand the following programs:

University of Miami Department of Pediatrics
· Direct Psychosocial Care and Services – Enhances vital psychosocial services to the Support Groups through the provision of educational materials, supplies, and the yearly “Celebration of Life” beach party for the children.

· Pediatric Infectious Disease and Immunology Research – Allows UM’s Department of Pediatrics to continue to enhance its academic mission of excellence in research, education and health care programs for children through the recruitment and support of physician-scientists and the provision of seed funding for innovative research. Specifically, the Initiative will support ongoing TB research that could affect worldwide childhood vaccination practices.

· Communication & Public Awareness – Educates various publics throughout the South Florida and Haitian community with outreach programs that focus on prevention and treatment of HIV and infectious diseases. Publicity of the initiative’s progress and accomplishments raises awareness about the importance of this issue to UM’s Department of Pediatrics as well as the children it helps.

Project Medishare
· International Health (Haiti) – Project Medishare is a 501(c)3 non-profit, registered in the State of Florida, dedicated to improving the health of the Haitian people by re-establishing the health infrastructure in several communities and facilities throughout Haiti.

The Green Family Health Initiative allows Project Medishare to dramatically expand the community health program. The grant allows Medishare to hire and train more community health workers to provide “direct observed therapy” (DOT) to TB and HIV/AIDS patients and educate the community health workers in other illnesses and diseases, which are afflicting their communities. These health agents will provide basic health care and health education to the most remote and rural sections of Thomonde. As a result, over 40,000 people will have access to quality health care and desperately needed medicines.

· International Education and Exchange –a program where information, training, and supplies are shared with physician scientists in targeted areas throughout the world.

The Green Family Health Initiative is housed at the Batchelor Children’s Research Institute at the University of Miami.