CURE International Names Steve Hitt Executive Director of CURE Zambia

    NEW CUMBERLAND, PA, August 07, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Today, CURE International, a Christian nonprofit organization that operates charitable hospitals and programs in 29 countries, formally announced Steven E. Hitt as the new executive director of CURE Zambia, a pediatric teaching hospital specializing in the treatment and care of children living with physical disabilities in Lusaka, Zambia.

As executive director, Hitt will oversee the operational, financial, and spiritual health of the hospital, as well as any related CURE programs within the country. In addition to being the central contact for CURE U.S. headquarters, Hitt will serve as the primary spokesperson and representative of the hospital and its programs in the Zambian community.

At no cost to families, CURE Zambia provides inpatient care to treat children under the age of 18. There is also an adult inpatient unit, where patients pay a reasonable amount for care and treatment to help offset the services provided to children.

"What most attracted me to CURE is the opportunity to leverage my leadership experience in U.S. hospitals by leading teams devoted to improving healthcare services in the developing world, based on Christian principles," Hitt said. "At CURE Zambia, I have the opportunity to provide leadership to build value and help grow the network in this nation of 17 million people."

CURE Zambia works with the Zambian Ministry of Health, as well as with other hospitals and clinics in Lusaka, and throughout the nation. Patients travel from all over Zambia and neighboring Zimbabwe for care and treatment.

With nine regional programs throughout Zambia, CURE's clubfoot program works with local private and governmental health care providers, where patient evaluations, education, supplies, and treatment services are provided at no cost.

"Our goal is to add two to three additional programs annually to help provide treatment to children and families dealing with clubfoot. Overcoming longstanding preconceived notions in some communities that clubfoot disease is a curse and not treatable is a major challenge in rural areas, where there has been a lack of resources," said Hitt. "Our Zambian health team is steadily growing in capabilities to reach rural areas, as well as more populous cities, to help educate families and reach patients in need of non-surgical treatment like the Ponseti method."

With over 30 years of experience in health care, Hitt has an extensive background in fiscal management, clinical and support service development, and productivity enhancements. He served as chief executive officer in a community hospital, vice president of clinical services, and most recently, manager of Huron Healthcare.

Prior to CURE, Hitt also worked with other nonprofit healthcare organizations--including University of Florida Health Shands Hospital, where he served as the associate vice president of operations for five years, and Carolinas Healthcare System in Charlotte, North Carolina, one of the most comprehensive nonprofit systems in the country.

Local resident of Gainesville, Florida, Hitt holds a master's in healthcare administration from George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

About CURE International
CURE International is a Christian health care network that operates charitable hospitals and programs in 29 countries worldwide where patients experience the life-changing message of God's love for them, receiving surgical treatment regardless of gender, religion, or ethnicity. Since 1998, CURE has had over 3.3 million outpatient visits, provided over 230,000 life-changing surgeries, and trained over 8,100 medical professionals. For more information, visit https://cure.org/.

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