Catalyst Life Services provides masks to staff for deaf and hard-of-hearing clients

A neuropsychologist and opera singer teamed up to create a form of vocal training for people on the autism spectrum.

Twelve million people are blind in India, and are robbed of their livelihoods as a result. A hugely successful chain of cataract hospitals in India helped its business by treating half its patients for free.

The Jaipur Limb organization based in India has developed prostheses at low cost, and services are free for the poor. The organization’s efforts have recently spread to other countries with impoverished people. Jaipur Limb reaches patients through branch clinics, traveling workshops, and limb camps in cities around the world.

Tooth decay affects children from all backgrounds, but it’s concentrated among low-income and rural populations, who have the most difficulty accessing and affording dental care. One approach gaining momentum in the United States to extend access to underserved groups is based on an idea that was pioneered in New Zealand 93 years ago, and has been adopted in more than 50 countries - the idea is to train “dental therapists,” who, like dental hygienists, work under the supervision of dentists, but who can also drill teeth and perform non-complex extractions.

Once-a-day generic AIDS drugs for poor countries are hard to make because each ingredient is patented by a different pharmaceutical company. The Patent Pool provides a way for companies to donate their intellectual property safely.

When a heart attack happens, the time of care and treatment is of utmost importance. Many people die of heart attacks every year because too much time passes between the care of emergency staff and the hospital cardiologists. New protocols, and new technology that transmits the EKG of a patient to the hospital before arrival, enable medical professionals to quickly and efficiently treat patients, thus saving lives.

In Honduras, tens of thousands of people have hearing disabilities. The National Autonomous University of Honduras has developed software that converts spoken language into an avatar on the computer who signs for the hearing impaired. Teachers in classrooms can teach hearing impaired students with this new software.

Even though most central line infections are preventable, they are a leading cause of death in the United States. The core of the problem resides in a hospital's approach, whether they put the effort into treating patients like they are in a car crash or a plane crash. Roseville Medical Center looked at the mistakes of other hospitals and have revolutionized how they treat central lines with a new checklist, a specialized vascular team tasked with the central lines, and annual competency tests for contract nurses.

After shortages of mental health options for kids and untold grief, counties in Wisconsin have responded with new kinds of support for at-risk youth. Wisconsin communities have increased access with reduced wait time, and have used horse therapy, support groups, charity golf that raises awareness, school-group therapy, as well as mobile live chat sessions, among others.

A non profit, Fair Shake For Youth, is a social emotional learning program which offers NYC middle school students from high-poverty neighbourhoods an opportunity to work hands-on with therapy dogs. The program helps the students deal with their stress and emotions, and teaches them empathy and social skills that help them in and out of the classroom.