NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 22, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Internationally-recognized healthcare leader and entrepreneur Donato J. Tramuto has been appointed to the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights (RFK Human Rights) Board of Directors. Tramuto, a long-standing advocate for increased access to healthcare for the underserved across the globe, is the CEO of Healthways, the largest independent global provider of well-being improvement solutions, and the chairman and founder of Health eVillages, a non-profit that provides mobile medical diagnostic and treatment information for healthcare professionals in the most challenging clinical environments in the world.
In 2012, Tramuto was appointed to the Board of RFK Human Rights Europe because of his expertise and strategic leadership in global health, including his proven ability to develop and implement healthcare solutions in countries with underserved communities. Since 2014, Tramuto has served as chairman, where he led efforts to support the work of RFK Human Rights, bringing human rights education and advocacy programs to schools and communities around the world. Tramuto also serves on RFK Human Rights Leadership Board.
“Through our continued collaboration with his global non-profit, Health eVillages, Donato makes an impact by working with healthcare providers around the world to bring quality care to some of the poorest, most underserved regions of the world,” said Kerry Kennedy, president of RFK Human Rights. “He is a valued member of our organization, and I believe that Donato’s energy and passion for helping make this world a more just and peaceful place will make him a great addition to the RFK Human Rights Board of Directors.”
Tramuto joins a new slate of directors at the organization, including Apple CEO Tim Cook.
In 2011, Tramuto founded Health eVillages and, through this organization, has increased access to medical information via mobile technology in Haiti, Kenya, South Sudan and the U.S., including a rural community health center that serves residents of the poorest and sickest county in Tramuto’s home state of Maine. Most recently, Health eVillages developed a community outreach program with Healthways and Mercy Community Healthcare to provide support to meet the diverse health needs of uninsured and underinsured patients from across Middle Tennessee.
“I am deeply honored to be a member of this prestigious organization that is intrinsically connected to the beliefs I share with my childhood hero, Robert Kennedy,” said Tramuto. “Through the Senator’s writings and iconic speeches, I realized many years ago that each of us has the ability to drive change – both great and small – that has the capacity to improve the lives of others. RFK Human Rights is a reflection of his belief that all of us share in the responsibility to make this world better.”
Tramuto has been widely recognized for his professional and philanthropic contributions. In 2014, he was honored alongside Hillary Clinton, Robert DeNiro and Tony Bennett, with the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope award for his longtime commitment to social change.
He is the chairman and founder of the Tramuto Foundation, a Maine-based non-profit that is celebrating 15 years of helping individuals and organizations achieve their educational and healthcare goals. Tramuto serves on several executive leadership boards, including the Boston University School of Public Health, Brown University Healthcare Leadership Board, and Safe Harbor Compliance and Clinical Development.
Tramuto, along with Chris Black, is the author of Life’s Bulldozer Moments: How Adversity Leads to Success in Life and Business, a Hamilton Press publication that will be published this fall.
About Healthways, Inc.
Healthways is the largest independent global provider of well-being improvement solutions. Dedicated to creating a healthier world one person at a time, the Company uses the science of behavior change to produce and measure positive change in well-being for our customers, which include employers, integrated health systems, hospitals, physicians, health plans, communities and government entities. We provide highly specific and personalized support for each individual and their team of experts to optimize each participant’s health and productivity and to reduce health-related costs. Results are achieved by addressing longitudinal health risks and care needs of everyone in a given population. The Company has scaled its proprietary technology infrastructure and delivery capabilities developed over 30 years and now serves approximately 68 million people on four continents. Learn more at: www.healthways.com
About Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights takes a three-pronged approach to creating change. Through our advocacy and litigation efforts, we secure lasting legal change, bringing the arm of the law to the defense of the powerless. We engage the business community to be a force for change and prove that nesters do well by doing good. We train and educate current and future human rights defenders from the ground up to help prevent abuses before they occur. Learn more at: www.rfkhumanrights.org