Built to Lead 2026 Women’s Summit – Power, Progress & Presence in the Built Environment: Build Health International (BHI) Presentation
Build Health International (BHI) is a design-and-build nonprofit that delivers high-quality, dignified, and equitable healthcare solutions in low-resource settings throughout the world. With an office in Beverly, the organization was founded after the 2010 Haiti earthquake with the design and construction of a 300-bed national teaching hospital. Since then, BHI has worked on over 200 projects around the world. BHI partners with nonprofit organizations and local governments to provide architecture, engineering, construction, facilities maintenance, and training services that strengthen healthcare infrastructure and systems.
BHI actively champions women’s leadership, design, and project management in global health infrastructure, with up to 60% women-led workforces in field projects.
Director of Architecture Gerard Georges has nearly 30 years of experience in healthcare planning, design, and project management, including for University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) in Rwanda, the 150-bed Enga Provincial Hospital in Papua New Guinea, and the BSL-3 clinical reference laboratory in Mirebalais, Haiti. He has worked on several research and healthcare projects for Duke University Medical Center, Partners Healthcare, Mount Sinai Hospital, Southcoast Hospitals Group, Massachusetts General Hospital, Merritt Healthcare, Cape Cod Hospital and a new Pediatric Specialty Clinic for Yale New Haven Healthcare. Gerard studied and taught at the Boston Architectural College. He has published healthcare articles in Healthcare Design Magazine and Beker’s ASC Review.
Shanon Heckethorn is a nonprofit leader with more than 20 years of experience in mission-driven strategy. As Senior Manager of Corporate Partnerships at Build Health International, she leads strategic partnerships to advance global health infrastructure projects in communities from Haiti to Sierra Leone. Her work is grounded in a deep commitment to expanding equitable access to healthcare and strengthening systems in low-resourced settings around the world. She believes that access to quality healthcare is a fundamental human right and is passionate about mobilizing cross-sector partnerships to make that vision a reality. Shanon is a proud alumna of Simmons University.