Build Health International Co-Founder Jim Ansara Receives 2025 AARP® Purpose Prize® Award
Award Reflects BHI’s Track Record of Positive Impact on Communities Around the World
Beverly, Massachusetts, September 3, 2024 – Today, Build Health International (BHI) Co-Founder and Managing Director Jim Ansara was named a recipient of the 2025 AARP Purpose Prize award, which is presented annually to “extraordinary people ages 50 and older who tap into the power of life experience to build a better future for us all.”
“I’m deeply honored to be among the recipients of the 2025 AARP Purpose Prize award, alongside such a wonderful, dynamic group of leaders,” said Ansara. “Beyond my own, personal journey, this award is a testament to the tremendous and ongoing work happening at BHI, where a dedicated team of more than 130 people are working day-in and day-out to build dignified, sustainable health infrastructure in some of the most challenging settings on earth. AARP, and the people they serve, know the importance of accessible, high-quality healthcare. BHI is at the forefront of efforts to extend that same level of care and comfort to communities around the world.”
BHI grew out of a partnership between Ansara – who had previously founded and run Shawmut Design and Construction, one of the largest design-build companies in the United States – and Dr. David Walton. They were tasked by Partners In Health (PIH) and the Ministry of Health of Haiti to design and build a 100-bed community hospital in Mirebalais, Haiti. As the initial designs were being completed in January 2010, Haiti was struck by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that caused widespread devastation, including to the country’s health infrastructure. In response, the Ministry of Health requested a dramatic expansion of the original plans – from a 100-bed community hospital to a 300-bed university teaching hospital. In just over two years, the new, 24,000 square foot Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais was open – providing critical care to the people of Haiti and strengthening the country’s medical workforce.
BHI was formally established shortly thereafter in 2014. In the decade since, BHI has designed, built, and equipped over 200 dignified spaces across the Caribbean, Latin America, and Africa. BHI works closely with ministries of health, partner organizations, local communities and workers to create facilities that are world-class, welcoming, and sustainable, and to overcome the challenges inherent in working in some of the most resource-constrained regions on earth.
Recently, BHI is one of the few international organizations to have remained active in Haiti, supporting an all-Haitian team that completed work on the largest solar energy project ever done in the country – ensuring that healthcare workers have the power to continue caring for patients, even as the country grapples with political unrest.
AARP, America’s largest nonprofit organization supporting people ages 50 and older, awards the Purpose Prize each year to nonprofit founders 50-plus from across the country. Past recipients include leaders from organizations working on everything from childhood literacy to supporting cystic fibrosis patients. Purpose Prize awardees receive $50,000 for their founded nonprofit, as well as a year of dedicated support from AARP.
“We look forward to utilizing the support from AARP to continue our mission of making high-quality healthcare possible in the most vulnerable communities around the world,” said Ansara, “and we hope that this award will raise awareness about this critical work. If you would like to learn more about BHI and how you can get involved, please visit buildhealthinternational.org.”
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