Global Vision Form: Dr. Kespechara & Hospital OS in Thailand
We are delighted to announce Dr. Kongkiat Kespechara, Ashoka fellow, as our inaugural speaker for the Research Triangle Park's Global Vision Forum. An MD, software developer, healthcare IT visionary and agricultural pioneer, Dr. Kespechara uses Hospital OS, an open source software platform to enable small, rural hospitals around the world to provide improved health care services and make more effective use of the severely limited financial and human resources at their disposal.
The project “Hospital Informatics System for Small Rural Hospitals in Thailand” was started in 2000 with a grant from the Thai Research fund and developed it to be sustainable technology, whereby those hospitals can use “Hospital OS” and gain information to manage and improve their efficiency, as well as sharpen healthcare for the population in catchment areas with a limited budget and resources. At present, 90 hospitals, 325 clinics around Thailand are using Hospital OS daily. Being far-flung not only in its home country, Hospital OS also serves 5 of 20 of NGO-based hospitals and clinics in Nepal with the Wireless Nepal Project in a bid to improve healthcare for the Nepalese and increase efficiency of those healthcare providers.
After a decade of working with health data, he found a new challenge. The tremendous increase in chronic non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension will be a major health threat in the 21st century. Therefore, he has been spearheading the “PenSook Healthcare Center”, which is determined and dedicated to offer a better quality of life with an emphasis on upstream ways of promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative health services through proactive approaches and personal care in order to encourage behavioral change for healthy lifestyle across the board, local and worldwide communities.
Dr. Kespechara founded and fosters a number of social and IT enterprises: Open Source Technology Company, International Medical Software Company, Phuket Software Factory, Software Park Phuket, PenSook Clinic, PenSook Organic Shop, and Kalapattana Primary School. He has been re-appointed as the President/Managing Director of Bangkok Hospital Phuket, Deputy CEO – Bangkok Eastern and Southern Hospital Group, under the Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Public company, since late 2012 till now.
The Global Vision Forum was initiated by the Eisenhower Fellowship Network. Having had the compelling experience of their international fellowships, several American Fellows decided to create a forum to allow some of their most inspiring connections come back to the Research Triangle area to inspire the community. This effort has been further developed by the RTP Eisenhower Fellowships group.
The Global Vision Forum was made possible by support from:
Special thanks to Eisenhower Fellows: Peter Skillern, Rob Burns, Jeff Frazier, Aly Khalifa, Jimmy Rosen, Igor Jablokov and Joanie Myers.
- Login to post comments