SPH Alumni Questionnaire: E-Newsletter.

Bryan Eustis – Strategic Operations Officer for Partners in Health and Founder/Executive Director of BME Strategies.

What does your organization do?

Partners In Health is an international NGO dedicated to the fight for health care equality through providing a preferential option for health care among the most marginalized and vulnerable populations throughout the world.

BME Strategies is a Massachusetts-based public health consulting firm specializing in emergency planning, response, and public health program development.

What are your top three goals for the year?

Support PIH’s efforts to strengthen operations at their program sites. The operational realities that our colleagues face in Haiti, Malawi, Rwanda and other sites are staggering in their goal to provide dignified high quality health care to some of the poorest communities on earth. My goal is to support the tremendous effort already underway at these sites.

Reduce the cost of medicine that is assured at the highest quality to aid in the reduction of pharmaceutical stock outs at health facilities in developing nations.

Assist BME strategies in the work to strengthen the emergency response capacity of cities and towns throughout New England.

What is the toughest business decision you have made?

I struggled a lot with my decision to participate in the Global Health Corps fellowship two years ago. At the time I loved my job and colleagues in Boston and moving to Malawi felt like a significant change from something that didn’t necessarily feel like it required changing. In retrospect, I’m thrilled with the decision as the fellowship challenged and inspired me in ways I’d never been before and it directly led to wonderful opportunities to remain engaged in international health work – something that has been a life-long passion.

What is your overall impression of Boston University School of Public Health and how did it help with your career path?

Overall, I think that BUSPH is a tremendous school. The faculty is outstanding and the academic environment they create is something special, particularly in their institutional focus toward their students’ postgraduate careers. My culminating practicum while at BUSPH directly related to the founding of my company, BME Strategies, and I routinely connect with BUSPH alumni and faculty in my work with Partners In Health.

How do you give back to the community?

Being from Boston, I try to stay engaged in community efforts throughout our city but I see the responsibility we have to our wider global community as equally relevant and often requiring more urgent action.

The last book I read was?

Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace

No one has influenced me more than?

My family.

The moment I knew I didn’t know it all?

I have two very bright older siblings so I imagine they taught me this at quite a young age.

I wish when I was at the School of Public Health that I…

…wasn’t also working full-time and could have taken greater advantage of getting to know all of the interesting classmates I had.

My last meal would be?

Sushi, Seafood, or Pakistani/Indian food from Darbar in Brighton

The best part of my job is?

Getting to work with inspired and passionate people every day.

If a film were made of my life, I’d be played by?

Matt Damon? Are there any other decent actors from Boston?

Most people don’t know that?

People often seem surprised that I know American Sign Language.

Everyday I make the time to?

At least think about exercising. Hopefully, I can soon graduate to actually exercising every day.

Running a successful organization takes?

Equal parts hard work and determination. I’ve found most things will succeed if you want it badly enough and refuse to allow it to fail (the clear exception being my career with the Boston Celtics was doomed from the start)

My guilty pleasure is?

Really really bad reality TV.

If I could change on thing about the world, it would be?

The barriers toward quality health care that exists for poor people throughout the world.

I’m happiest when?

I get to share new experiences with people I love.