Barnabas Health Appoints New Director of Global Health

On Apr 22, 2015

Ernani Sadural, M.D., FACOG, a board certified obstetrician and gynecologist and a member of the medical staffs at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, and Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, has been appointed director of global health for Barnabas Health. Dr. Sadural maintains a private practice at Regional Women’s Health Group in West Orange and Kearny.

While continuing his medical practice, in his new role Dr. Sadural will coordinate the system’s widespread national and international humanitarian outreach and help to assess future initiatives.  Barnabas Health physicians, nurses, employee teams and individuals have traveled to countries throughout the world and many areas in the United States on supportive missions to aid in disasters as well as to provide medical care to underserved areas.

Dr. Sadural is co-founder and chief medical officer of the Life is Great Global Foundation, Inc., (LIG) a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing medical and non-medical volunteers to underserved populations and creating sustainable change through education and training of local residents.  He and his wife, Sarah L. Timmapuri, M.D., an adult cardiologist and co-founder of LIG, were inspired into action by the catastrophic suffering and deaths caused by the Haitian earthquake of 2010.  Since then, LIG teams have made more than 30 trips to 10 different countries to bring medical and other services to impoverished and underserved communities across multiple continents.

One example of their work took place in January 2014.  LIG, in coordination with the Marian Rose World Mission, a relief organization headed by Cristina Pamaar, M.D., a Saint Barnabas anesthesiologist, led their biggest team ever of 75 doctors, nurses, medical staff and other volunteers on their 3^rd annual joint medical mission to the Philippines to help that country recover.  The team performed roughly 50 gynecological, plastic, cleft palate, breast reconstructive and thyroid surgeries at the local hospital and did fieldwork in disaster areas.

“Barnabas Health is fortunate and excited that Dr. Sadural will bring his exceptional talents and experience to guide Barnabas Health’s global endeavors,” said Barry H. Ostrowsky, president and chief executive officer of Barnabas Health. “By definition, health care workers are compassionate people who have chosen careers to be of service to others.  Many of our staff are eager to offer their energies and skill as volunteers.”

Dr. Sadural commented, “My first goal is to discover and recognize all of the individual efforts people within the Barnabas Health System are making – some silently and some within other organizations – and share information, resources, global contacts and volunteer opportunities. On many levels, volunteer healthcare providers face similar challenges in global health.  This position will allow us to expand our reach and, if we can align each of our individual efforts unified by the idea of making the world a better place, then the sky truly is the limit.  For when people look outside of themselves and express their natural compassion, it helps fuel their internal happiness.  For me, this work has been an incredible personal journey and I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity.”

Dr. Sadural received both his Bachelors of Arts degree in Biology and Doctor of Medicine degree from Northwestern University.  He completed his residency training at Saint Barnabas Medical Center and is an active fellow in the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a board member of the New Jersey Obstetrical and Gynecological Society. Among multiple honors, he and his wife were named “Humanitarian of the Year 2012” by the Waves of Health nonprofit organization.

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