Edward Martin II, MHA 

Edward Martin II, was born in Georgetown, Washington DC, in 1974.  Rooted in Christian education since kindergarten,   Edward attended high school at Pine Forge Academy where he then went on to pursue a BS degree in Biology Education from Oakwood College then onto receiving a Masters degree in Healthcare Administration from Loma Linda University. 

Mr. Martin currently serves as Executive Director of Adventist Health International Services Zambia and has been doing so since 2005.  He is responsible for managing and providing direction for the SDA healthcare institutions within the country of Zambia. 

Edward Martin currently serves on the Institutional Support Committee as a Board Advisor to the Churches Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ).  He also serves as the Vice Chairman on Kings Highway School Board, Lusaka.  Prior to that, he served as AHIS Zambia Liaison, Lusaka, and Director of Community Kids Connection for the SIMS Program at Loma Linda.  Senior Administrator for Covenant Hill Facility,  Loma Linda, Student representative to Faculty for Health Administration and Deputy Director of The National Association for the Prevention of Starvation during his formative years at Oakwood College. 

He attributes the direction of his life first and foremost to God, who is the purpose giver and definer, then to his parents and sister who are committed to God and continue to share in the gift of outreach. Finally, he recognizes the committed and nurturing professors who helped to shape his understanding of what’s truly important. 

"My Vision of Health Mission"

As I stare outside my window viewing the lemon and jacaranda tree, I am left to reflect upon the collision between the simple and complex.  This organism called healthcare which over the centuries has evolved into a dynamic body of interlocking pieces is being influenced by a variety of factors such as, shifts in demographics, global warming, political ideologies, emerging markets and the scramble for limited resources. 

My personal perspective on the Vision of Health Mission in light of its delicate and intricate parts is a healthcare system which not only caters for the temporal but mobilizes humanity towards the eternal.  The foundation to this process is embodied in three main biblical concepts; prevention, redemption and salvation. 

Prevention/Preservation

In Christ figurative language found in Matthew 5:13, He equates his followers to being the salt of the earth.  Salt with its unique savory quality has over 14,000 uses.  The one which captivates me most though is its preserving element.   As healthcare professionals, our aim is to exemplify a vibrant life and share the preventative methods which would help in optimal preservation.  Those who utilize the Creators guidelines on health will reduce the risk of contracting illness and increase their chances of a more productive life.  

Redemption

The second illustration comes in light of how Christ dealt with the first couple after the Fall.   Although the Creator had given them ample instructions on how to live a prosperous life, they chose a different path, one which quickly led to signs of death and in due course, their own.   However, despite the warnings and their disobedience, God didn’t dissociate them from Himself; instead, He began to work with Adam and Eve in the new state that they were in.  Genesis 3:21 says that God made garments of skin for the couple and clothed them.  Scripture testifies of the redemptive nature of Christ despite mans choices.  Likewise, for the Christian, the work of healthcare should also be a redemptive act for the purposes of ultimately restoring the patient to optimal health, despite the decisions which led to their condition.  

Salvation

On a trip back from one of the rural health centers in the southern province of Zambia, a doctor shared with me about the principle of spiritual malpractice.   He based it on the premise that withholding information especially when it guarantees a positive end is equivalent to not practicing good medicine.  In 1 Corinthians 15: 51-54, we are reminded that for those that are in Christ, they will be changed to become both imperishable and immortal.  Our message should be one that highlights not simply a temporal healing but an eternal change.   A change which is absent from death, for the text pronounces that it shall be swallowed up in victory.    If our vision of health doesn’t transcend this earth, then our labor is as good as depositing in a bottomless container.   

Therefore, I am left to believe that our occupations are simply vehicles which are to be used to share our faith in God.  His purpose for health exceeds far beyond the technical skills that we may learn and posses.   It ascends into that ideal health, one absent from death and diseases. 

Edward Martin II, MHA