Since 1968, apart from a five-year interval (principally concerned with research on the effect of retirement upon the utilization of health care services), I have been involved with development in developing countries. As a Doctor of Public Health, at age 79, with reasonably good health, I see no reason to stop working. Presently, I live in India and implement community development/slum-improvement projects. The non-profit 501©3 I am directing is one I formed a few years ago. Its activities are directed at decreasing deaths and illnesses, at improving educational levels and increasing incomes for members of the most economically deprived communities. In this India program, I can provide opportunities for retired individuals to really make a difference through their contributing three or four months of their time. If interested, please take a look at our website dir-help.org I can be reached at dirshaw@gmail.com

Presently I need pre-school teachers, a teacher trainer, English conversation teachers, people with Public Health or Medical experience, people with Management skills, people with job skills they can teach, and those who can help start small businesses.

While my work overseas is full-time, I am vitally concerned about the ineffectual, problem-riddled US “Health Care System,” and I posit that it makes no sense whatsoever to attempt to create a health care system large enough, and sufficiently diverse in services for the US at large. No such health care system exists and possibly never will. On the other hand, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Japan and others have have existing, effective systems (and all incidentally are much cheaper per citizen than the non-working US system). This suggests that we should not attempt to have a system organized and implemented on a scale larger than a size that has been shown to be viable. Because of this, I have started an Encores group which YOU are invited to join. Please look in on the group ENCORES FOR STATE HEALTH CARE.