Rick Manning
Medical Director
Dr. Manning has worked with CURE International since October 2004 when he participated in the planning, design and inception stages of the Kabul project. While initially serving as a consultant, he quickly moved on to work in a variety of key positions in Kabul. His roles over the past five years have included: technical support for the development/physical layout of the new operating theater; launching an MoPH recognized Surgical Fellowship program; launching Afghanistan’s first endoscopic and laparoscopic surgical services in the civilian health sector; and serving as the Medical Education Director. For the past year, he has served as the Medical Director in Kabul, where he mentors senior Afghan medical staff in strategic leadership, medical education and departmental administration to ensure sustainability and a solid Afghan leadership team at the foundation of CURE’s long term project. Together with his Afghan counterparts, Dr. Manning expanded CURE’s partnerships amongst health sector NGOs, Afghan government officials, surgical and medical suppliers, and other providers of medical education programs. Most recently Dr. Manning developed a customized training program for visiting Afghan physicians, surgeons, nurses and hospital administrators working in Afghan Provincial Hospitals. Early success of this didactic and practical training program on-site at the 90 bed CURE facility has led to a significant increase in demand for such services by Afghan hospital personnel across more than a dozen provinces. Dr. Manning completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania; medical school at the Thomas Jefferson University; and surgical training at the George Washington University Hospital.