Mount Sinai CEO Brendan Carr Visits AMPATH Nepal Partnership and Delivers Keynote Address at Kathmandu University’s Graduation
Mount Sinai CEO Brendan Carr (2nd from left) with the Rt Hon Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli (3rd from left) at the 30th Convocation of Kathmandu University
Brendan Carr, MD, MA, MS, Chief Executive Officer and Professor and Kenneth L. Davis, MD, Distinguished Chair, Mount Sinai Health System, recently visited Nepal to see firsthand the work of the AMPATH Nepal partnership—a collaboration between the AMPATH Consortium of academic health centers led by Mount Sinai, Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences, and Dhulikhel Hospital.
Over the course of the visit, Dr. Carr delivered the keynote address at the 30th Convocation of Kathmandu University, met with the Right Honorable Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to discuss health priorities, and toured multiple community and hospital-based programs engaged in the AMPATH Nepal partnership. Dr. Carr’s visit highlighted the depth and impact of this unique collaboration, which is advancing health care delivery, education, and research in Nepal.
Convocation Address Highlights Compassion and Collaboration
In recognition of Mount Sinai’s contributions to health in Nepal and Dr. Carr’s leadership, he was invited to serve as the Chief Guest at Kathmandu University’s 30th Convocation. In his keynote address to graduating students, Dr. Carr reflected on the strength of the partnership and the power of shared learning across borders.
“Mount Sinai has a strong and impactful partnership with Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences and Dhulikhel Hospital, built on a solid foundation of mutual respect, shared goals, and the understanding that we, as institutions, grow stronger through collaboration,” Dr. Carr said. “We are learning and growing together, adapting solutions to local realities, and strengthening health care systems in both Nepal and the United States. This exchange of ideas and expertise is not just improving care; it is broadening our perspectives, empowering both societies, and laying the groundwork for a healthier future for all.”
Dr. Carr also emphasized the importance of compassion in one’s professional life. “While collaboration is vital, there is another essential quality I want to emphasize today: compassion,” he said. “I truly believe the world does not simply need more experts—more physicians, more engineers, or more lawyers. It needs people who lead with compassion…The best science, the best medicine, the best technology—they can change the world. But to truly make a lasting impact, you must lead with compassion, humanity, and authenticity.”
At the ceremony, Professor Achyut Wagle, PhD, Vice Chancellor of Kathmandu University, affirmed the importance of the partnership. “Dr. Carr’s presence here is also to recognize the invaluable contribution of the Mount Sinai Health System in the advancement of medical education and health care system in Nepal in general, and at the Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences and the Dhulikhel Hospital-Kathmandu University Hospital,” he said.
Mount Sinai CEO Brendan Carr, along with members of the Mount Sinai team, meet with the Right Honorable Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and representatives from Nepal.
Meeting With the Prime Minister to Advance Health Equity
Dr. Carr, along with the Mount Sinai team, also had the distinct honor of meeting with the Right Honorable Prime Minister of Nepal, KP Sharma Oli, at his residence. The meeting provided an opportunity to share updates on the AMPATH Nepal partnership and reaffirm Mount Sinai’s commitment to advancing health equity in collaboration with local institutions. The conversation focused on how the government and AMPATH Nepal can work more closely together to scale innovations, strengthen the public health system, and ensure long-term impact and sustainability for communities across Nepal.
Visiting Community-Based Health Programs
Dr. Carr also toured Dhulikhel Hospital and its Baluwa outreach center, where he observed several key community health initiatives, including efforts to strengthen the emergency care system, as well as hypertension and diabetes screening programs. In Panauti, he visited sites where the partnership is conducting comprehensive cervical and breast cancer screening and follow-up care for all women in the municipality—an effort to improve early detection and reduce cancer-related mortality.
Another highlight of the visit was observing the growing critical care partnership between Mount Sinai’s Institute for Critical Care Medicine and the Dhulikhel Hospital ICU teams. Together, they are working to elevate the standard of critical care in Nepal through clinical collaboration, shared learning, and infrastructure development.
Dr. Carr’s visit concluded with words of appreciation from the Right Honorable Prime Minister Oli, who expressed gratitude to Dr. Carr and the Mount Sinai team for their enduring commitment to strengthening Nepal’s health sector.
Dr. Carr’s visit to Nepal further strengthened the AMPATH Nepal partnership, deepening institutional ties and showcasing the meaningful impact of our collaborative work. It helped raise national awareness of how sustained, equitable collaboration is improving health systems—and lives—throughout Nepal and beyond.
Rose House, MD, MS
AMPATH Nepal Partnership Director, Arnhold Institute for Global Health
Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics and Global Health
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai