Board Members

Dr. Kathryn Halverson is the Medical Director for RENEW HEALTH, in collaboration with Renew World. A retired family medicine physician, Kathryn has also developed a culturally appropriate interactive approach to disease prevention and community health development in the Amazonian lowlands. The Duluth Campus alumna is also a medical School Alumni Board member.

Twelve years ago, in the Amazon lowlands of Peru, Dr. Kathy Halverson joined nationals and tribal leaders seeking to improve their communities well-being. “I came first with my black bag,” she said. “But it was apparent that everyone would soon be sick again from preventable disease. I became an educator, but it produced little change in community illness. These preliterate people were storytellers, conversationalists, and oral-based learners, not didactic. So, by building relationships, having conversations with these leaders, and learning from successful and experienced NGOs, I developed a culturally appropriate interactive approach to disease prevention and community health development.”

According to Dr. Halverson, the main goal was an improvement in local health with the use of local resources. “The method is equipping local leadership,” she said. “With the tools included initiating community dialogues and teaching in their language, culture, and people groups.”

Today, Dr. Halverson continues to train and strengthen efforts to share medical knowledge in remote, rural areas.

Dr. Halverson resides in Duluth, Minnesota with her husband, Phil.