Dr. Scott Harrison, President and CEO of CURE International, founded the organization with his wife, Sally, in 1996. His decision to start CURE is the direct result of his passion to cure the neediest disabled children in the world and to train others to do the same.
He began his 26 years of orthopedic surgery after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh Medical School in 1963. His experience is extensive, ranging from a year of medical service in Vietnam during the war, personally treating 3,000 disabled children in Malawi, as well as assuming the following posts:
- Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Penn State Medical School
- Director of Scoliosis Service for the Pennsylvania State Crippled Children’s Hospital
- Chief of Orthopedics at Harrisburg Hospital in Pennsylvania
Then in 1991, Kirschner Medical Corporation, an international orthopedic supply company, asked Dr. Harrison to serve as CEO and President. He accepted, and in 1994, led the company through a merger with Biomet, Inc. The success of that merger provided the funding and the freedom for Dr. Harrison to pursue his vision for healing disabled children. He and his wife Sally began the construction of CURE’s first hospital in Kenya in 1998.
His commitment to disabled children around the world has been acknowledged by a number of venerable institutions:
- In 1999, Dr. Harrison was honored with the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons first annual AAOS Humanitarian Award.
- In 2002, upon invitation by the Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Harrison was recognized as a Legacy Laureate, identifying him as a distinguished alumnus who has “excelled both professionally and personally.”
- Also in 2002, Dr. Harrison was honored by the WorldSpace foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to the production and delivery of social development and educational programs to disadvantaged communities in the developing world, for establishing teaching hospitals in Africa.
- The Caring Institute in Washington, DC selected Dr. Harrison as a recipient of a National Caring Award for the year 2002.
Harrison values these awards, but only insofar as they help build awareness for the children of CURE International. Thanks to his inspiration and guidance, CURE today has a presence in 12 developing countries around the world.