Our Story

THE PROLOGUE

The vision for creating the World Nehemiah Project was born out of my involvement in building the Arizona Telemedicine Program. The program was founded by Dr. Ronald S. Weinstein MD, in 1996, at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. The program was a pioneering and award-winning program in the field of Telemedicine.

I worked for the company that provided the network infrastructure for the project. It was remarkable to see the architecture design/deployment come together under the guidance of Dr. Kevin McNeill. Once the core architecture was in place, the true value became even more evident, as it enabled Distance Learning programs as well. The Navajo Nation was the catalyst for this new paradigm.

Upon receiving a grant, the Navajo Nation was able to be annexed to the Telemedicine Program network. Their vision was to create a Distance Learning classroom environment leveraging the same topology and methodologies created for telemedicine.

It was inspiring to witness, firsthand, the difference the telemedicine and distance learning environments made in the lives of the people. The program(s) enabled much better healthcare and educational access; bringing strategic resources to bear where there previously were none.

Two things struck me then and have stayed with me ever since –

1. Being a part of the AZ Telemedicine Program was one of the most rewarding experiences I have engaged in relative to the Technology sector.
2. There is still an overwhelming need for these types of programs/infrastructures in the US and around the world.

So, the dream was born and is alive – to bring the best technologies/tools we have to bear in any environment – to improve the quality of healthcare, education and life experience for those who are in need.

As stated, this is the prologue, if you will, of the story. We invite you to help us write the next chapters. You can help write a chapter for a project/geography that you designate, or you can join us in writing one wherever the need exists.

Thank you, in advance, for your consideration and participation in the story. No project is too small. We have the tools. Together we can and will make a way and a difference!

Jim Rigg

“We make a living by what we get. But we make a life by what we give.”

-Sir Winston Churchill-