Stephanie Sirna recently finished Internal Medicine training at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.  Growing up in different parts of the world, Spain, Thailand, and Italy, she has always been curious about the world and loved to travel; this combined with a passion to have a positive impact in the world, along with some nerdiness, paved the natural path to Global Health. She has spent some time abroad volunteering and working in Kenya, Botswana, and Colombia. She is very excited to join the HEAL cohort in Fort Defiance, AZ and Chiapas, Mexico! While not working, she enjoys traveling, walking around Washington Dc, cooking, trying new restaurants, biking, and reading.

Veronica was born in Santa Ines Yatzeche, a small indigenous village in the valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico and is tri-lingual. Her native language is Zapoteco. Her family settled in Pacific Grove, CA, where she was brought to live at age two. Veronica’s parents and community worked the fields and currently work in the restaurant and hospitality industry. As an immigrant, Veronica and her family, as well as the rest of her community, faced many challenges, such as poverty, lack of healthcare, and safe housing. Although Veronica grew up in “America”, her parents and family continued to practice their cultural beliefs and customs. At the age of 15, she dropped out of high school and married. Prior to delivering her first child, Veronica decided to go back to school and obtain her High School diploma and GED. In December 2000 she was hired as the first indigenous interpreter for the Monterey County Health Department Public Health Nursing Division. Veronica is adamant that because of the health professionals she encountered and their caring attitudes, compassion, interventions, but most of all encouragement she has been able to break the cycle and statistics piled against people like herself and her community. Veronica worked in Public Health Nursing for 10 years as an interpreter and community service aide and has have been at serving the community at Natividad as a Registered Nurse in Perinatal Services. She currently holds a BSN, PHN and is currently working on a Masters in Nursing Leadership and Management with the goal of obtaining a doctorate and FNP. Veronica appreciates continued learning and teaching and is passionate about working with the underserved, families, community and representing her indigenous community. Veronica currently lives in Pacific Grove with her husband Cirilo and youngest son Brandon who is soon to be college-bound. Veronica and her husband enjoy an active lifestyle, spend time with family and friends, and especially enjoy visiting her oldest son Damean who is currently serving in the military.

Tula Krishna Gupta was born in the Saptary district of Nepal. He did his post-graduation in General Practice and Emergency Medicine in 2016 from B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan. He is currently working in the rural part of Nepal as an MDGP consultant. Besides playing a leading role in the Medical team, his responsibilities include providing direct care to the patients, medical services management, and service expansion planning, budgeting, execution, and quality improvement. He wants to advocate for health systems and patients in the future. His hobbies include travel and learning from different cultures.

Sunmi Yang was born in South Korea, where she lived for several years before moving to the US. She studied mathematics and chemistry at Williams College in Massachusetts. After graduating, she worked in a research laboratory in Boston for a few years while considering career options. Eventually, she decided to attend medical school at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, with clinical rotations based out of the Ochsner health system in New Orleans. During medical school she had the opportunity to work with diverse populations in various settings, including rural and indigenous communities in Australia, undocumented immigrants in New Orleans, and Navajo youths in Shiprock. These experiences confirmed Sunmi’s passion for global health and underserved communities, leading her to choose rural family medicine as her specialty and attend residency at VCU Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. She went on her first medical mission trip during her second year of residency, working in a clinic in rural Honduras as part of a medical brigade led by her residency advisor. While she loved the experience enough to go back in the third year, it also made her want to learn more about other ways to engage in global health. She is excited and humbled to be part of HEAL, and looks forward to continuing to grow through the experienice.

Elthea Notah is an enrolled member of the Navajo tribe (Dine) and was born for The One Who Walks Around and The Towering House clans. She was born in Gallup, New Mexico but currently travels between Fort Defiance, Arizona and Albuquerque, New Mexico for work and family responsibilities. She recently graduated in April 2019 from Pima Medical Institute with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Respiratory Therapy. She starts in the Fall semester at Excelsior College in Albany, NY towards a Master of Public Health. She plans on working toward a PhD in epidemiology after she finishes with her Master degree. Her career objective is to support the health and well-being of Native communities, focusing especially on chronic illnesses, including sleep apnea, COPD, and other often-preventable health conditions. Elthea currently works as a full-time respiratory therapist at Tsehootsooi Medical Center, on the Navajo Nation. In addition to her full-time work at Tsehootsooi Medical Center, she also works for a staffing agency as a respiratory therapist on a PRN basis and serves as a board member as Vice President for the NMSRC. During her spare time, she helps with the family business. Her work, education, and four children are the center of her life; any additional time is spent with her family. Elthea enjoys reading, running, traveling, cooking, and compete in archery competitions throughout the states.

Bernadine John is from the Dine’ (means: The People are also known as the Navajo Tribe) and lives in St. Michaels, AZ. She has been a Registered Nurse for the past 26 years and it has been a rewarding career. She is also nearing 9 years as a United States Public Health Service and is currently a Lieutenant Commander. Bernadine is absolutely proud of her service and agency and has had many experiences in various clinics and specialty units throughout her career and the most rewarding position is being in the Diabetes Educator. This field has led her to her current position as the Diabetes Nurse Consultant at Navajo Area Office. Her most recent achievement in education is completing a Masters in Psychology with an Emphasis in General Psychology degree in August 2017. Bernadine’s hobbies are many: any activities in the great outdoors, crafts and sewing, motorcycle riding (H-D) with her husband and traveling abroad and in the US. She is grateful to be part of the HEAL Fellowship program and to work with others for self and professional growth and most of all for giving her all to her Diné.

Jessica Zha is from Anhui province, China. She grew up in several US cities, including Washington, DC metro area and Los Angeles, before receiving her bachelor’s degrees in Environmental Earth Science and Philosophy from Johns Hopkins University. She received her MD/MPH from the University of Pennsylvania and trained in Family Medicine at the University of Colorado. Before medical school, she spent a couple of years as an AmeriCorps VISTA in Baltimore and Minneapolis, working on capacity building for community health projects. Her passions include providing quality health care to refugees and immigrants in the US and promoting social justice incorporation into medical education and training to build a more equitable health care system. In her spare time, Jess enjoys camping, bouldering, crossword puzzles, and hanging out with puppies.

Rachel G. Saykpah, is a Registered Nurse by profession. She works as a Quality Assurance Officer with Last Mile Health assigned to Jo-River District, Rivercess County. She is a graduate of the Cuttington University with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a Licensed Nurse by the Liberian Board of Nursing and Midwifery since 2010. She also earned a certificate in practical Project Management from the Amref University in Nairobi, Kenya and was trained as a Master Trainer for the Community Health Program of Liberia by the Ministry of Health, Community Health Department and Last Mile Health. She is married with three kids, none of which are biological. Initially, when she joined the LMH Family, she served as a Training Supervisor for Grand Gedeh County and was later transferred to Rivercess County to serve in a similar capacity. In the position of a Training Supervisor, she was tasked with the responsibility to train Community Clinical Supervisors (CCS), Community Health Worker Leaders (CHWL) and Community Health workers (CHWS). She continuously worked with these workers to provide field-based coaching and mentoring to build a resilience community health workforce, taking quality health services to the doorsteps of the underprivileged. Rachel is overwhelmed to be selected as a HEAL fellow. Being a fellow has long been her dream. She strongly believes HEAL will help build her leadership capacity and upon completion of the fellowship, she would love to see take on a managerial role at LMH.She is a second year candidate of the Cuttington University Public Health Department specializing in Community Health.

Alberta Begay is of the Water Edge People Clan, born for the Coyote Pass Clan, her maternal grandfathers are the Mountain Cove People Clan, and her paternal grandfathers are the Towering House People Clan. She was born in Fort Defiance, Arizona and raised in the small towns of Sawmill, Fluted Rock, and Whiteclay areas on the Navajo Reservation and left after high school graduation to pursue a career and training in the military. Returning home after 14+ years, she gained employment with Chinle Comprehensive Health Care Facility in Chinle, Arizona as a statistician and provider scheduler for the primary care clinics. She also provides statistical, research, and clerical support for grants relating to suicide prevention, intervention and post-vention efforts. Alberta will be completing her Bachelor of Science in Sociology with a minor in Psychology in May 2019 with plans on continuing her education by pursuing a Master’s degree in Social Work. She is passionate about improving healthcare access, mental health, and believes in the philosophy of, “it takes a village.” She enjoys spending time with family, learning about different cultures, languages, food, and enjoys hiking.

Reiko Sakai was a site fellow at Natividad Medical Center, Salinas, CA (2019-2020).  She grew up in Vermont and after high school, she lived in Ecuador for a year as a Rotary International exchange student. She then attended the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied Health and Societies, with a concentration in international health and a minor in Spanish. She attended medical school at the University of Vermont, where she explored her interests in pediatrics and global health, and partnered with a local nonprofit organization to develop an LGBTQ+ inclusive adolescent sexual health curriculum. During her pediatrics residency training at the University of Utah, Reiko felt most connected and engaged in her continuity clinic, which serves a primarily Hispanic/Latino patient population. She received a community health grant to address immigration-related toxic stress among Hispanic/Latino youth. Reiko is passionate about supporting the health of children from underserved communities and promoting health equity. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, biking, skiing, and finding new music and podcasts.

Field of work: Pediatrics

Areas of interest: Child Health, Immigrant/Migrant Health, Racial Justice, Health Equity

Sheneka is originally from Brooklyn, NY. She attended college at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. where she remained to complete her MPH with a concentration in maternal and child health. She left DC after 9 years to attend medical school abroad at St George’s University. During medical school, she participated in global health elective trips to Kenya and Thailand. She returned to the US for clinical rotations in NY and then a pediatric residency at St Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson, New Jersey. During residency, she spent 5 weeks working in Ecuador and Peru with a non-profit dedicated to international child health. She is passionate about patient education, working with underserved communities, and learning the challenges of access to care globally. She is excited to join the HEAL team and the communities at Tsehootsooi  Medical Center, Gallup Indian Medical Center, and Last Mile Health, in Liberia. In her free time, she enjoys time with family and friends, reading, karaoke, and trying new foods. She is actively trying to become fluent in Spanish.

Wellars Dusingizimana was born and raised in the district of Kamonyi  – Southern Province of Rwanda. He received his bachelor degree in General Medicine and Surgery from the University of Rwanda in 2010. Wellars worked in district hospitals from 2011-2014 before joining the residency program at the University of Rwanda, where he obtained a Master Degree of Internal Medicine in 2018. Currently, he works as an Internist at Rwinkwavu District Hospital in the Eastern Province of Rwanda in collaboration with Partners in Health/IMB.

Enoch Ndarama completed his primary school at Chilomoni L.E.A Primary School. He did secondary education at Henry Henderson Institute, he then got enrolled at the University of Malawi, College of Medicine in 2009 for Premedical Science and thereafter pursued and completed his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) in 2015. Enoch underwent his internship at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, one of the three major public tertiary hospitals in Malawi, and finished in 2017. In the earliest stage of his career, he had the privilege of working in the city of Blantyre in Malawi, in a resource-rich private hospital where there was no lack of quality essential resources like medicines, diagnostic tests, medical equipment, imaging, human resource, and infrastructure. However, such services were only at the disposal of the rich people who could pay from their pocket with the poor still seeking care at understaffed and poorly resourced public healthcare facilities. With this work, he realized that he was drifting away from his heart’s desire – to work with marginalized communities to overcome a variety of healthcare disparities they face, and he quit the lucrative job to pursue his passion which was also the drive in him to become a medical doctor. When there was an opportunity to come and serve as a Primary Healthcare Doctor and District Medical Officer under the Ministry of Health in the rural district of Neno, Malawi, he gladly welcomed the change in direction and took it. Enoch is satisfied being part of this working environment and is excited about this fellowship training. He loves playing football and enjoys mountain biking – a new hobby.

Ian McDaniels grew up in rural Vermont. He attended the University of Vermont for both college and medical school. During college, he studied biology and anthropology, and developed a passion for the pursuit of health equity. In medical school he implemented a project training Bhutanese refugees to be patient navigators and spent several months rotating at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. He pursued his training in Family Medicine at St. Marks Hospital in Salt Lake City, UT, where he continued tocare for refugee families as part of his training. He has broad interests within Family Medicine but is particularly interested in medical education, primary care and hospital medicine. In the future he hopes to become involved in Family Medicine residency program development in medically underserved areas. Outside of medicine he enjoys cycling, hiking, photography, and spending time with his wife and cats. He is tremendously excited about joining
HEAL!

Stacey Cly was raised on the Navajo Nation and lives in Sanders, Arizona. She is To’a’hani (Near the Water clan), born for Kinlichii’nii (Red House clan); her maternal grandfather is Deschii’nii (Red Streak clan) and paternal grandfather is To’dichii’ni (Bitter Water clan). She graduated from Valley High School in her hometown. Afterward, Stacey attended UNM-Gallup and graduated with an Associates in Science in Nursing. She then went to work for UNM Hospital after graduation. As she was working, she was also pursuing her BSN with Grand Canyon University (GCU). While in the city, Stacey realized that no matter where she went, she was always wanting to come home. After a year in the city, Stacey came home and has been employed with Nahata Dziil Health Center in Sanders, Arizona as an Ambulatory Care RN. She graduated from GCU with a BSN and intends on pursuing a Master’s in Public Health in the near future. Stacey enjoys living on the Navajo reservation and helping the people within her community. She also enjoys spending time with her son and family, running, and watching Food Network.

Sebastián Mohar Menéndez-Aponte was born in Mexico City and has been very close to unequal access to care since a very young age because his family works at the Public National Cancer Center. This experience guided his passion to increase access and dedicate his life to improving the life of the marginalized. Sebastián studied medicine at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and served as a primary care physician in a rural clinic in Chiapas as his social service requirement. After graduating, he has supervised the work of other young physicians starting in the field of global health and social medicine. Currently, Sebastián is coordinating community programs to improve the care of chronic diseases with innovative approaches and also coordinating the palliative care program in our NGO. These programs have the same purpose, decrease the gap between high quality care and the people of our communities.

Sam Percy was born in northwest New Mexico and grew up on the high desert plateau of southwest Colorado. He did his undergraduate and medical school training at the University of Colorado. He ventured to the Pacific Northwest to pursue residency training in anesthesiology at the University of Washington where he helped expand access to global health training for anesthesia residents. He has been lucky to have the opportunity to study public health in
Northern Chile, trauma systems in South Africa and teach anesthesia in Malawi. He enjoys playing soccer, running, skiing, videography, eating pizza, and exploring new places with his wife Carlie.

Jacy Lee is a General Engineer for the IHS-Navajo Area Office Division of Facilities Management and Engineering. Her technical background was received through a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of New Mexico. She’s a maturing Native American engineer with an aspiration to improve health care in her surrounding communities. One key component of her passion thrives from her mother’s teaching and her cultural identity. She is Tabaaha, born for Tachiini. She hopes that her daily decisions also have a positive impact through her children to be a changing force of progress. Along with a busy schedule, she appreciates time with her husband and three kids.

Delilah Browne is a Dine, who resides in Cottonwood, Arizona. Her clans are Todich’ii’nii (Bitter Water clan), born for Honaghanii (One who walks around), her maternal grandfather is Naakai Dine (Mexican clan), and her paternal grandfather is Kinyaa’aanii (Towering House clan). Delilah received her Bachelor Degree from Arizona State University in American Indian Studies with a minor in Justice Studies. Delilah has worked with the Indian Health Service for eleven years. She currently works in the Public Health Nursing Department and implements an evidenced based curriculum develop by Johns Hopkins University, titled the Family Spirit Program. She is passionate about working with strengthening families and connecting them to resources in the community. She is a fellow at Chinle Comprehensive Health Care Facility at Chinle, Arizona.

Carlie Field is originally from Arvada, Colorado. A strong desire to work in the sciences while also serving underserved populations drove her to enter medicine. She completed her medical school training at the University of Colorado where she was a part of the global health track and had the opportunity to work on research related to penetrating trauma in the townships surrounding Cape Town, South Africa. She then moved to Seattle, Washington to complete her OBGYN residency at the University of Washington. In residency, she completed a global health certificate while working clinically at the Naivasha District Hospital in Kenya and completing research on abortion prevalence in HIV-infected Kenyan women. She is passionate about caring for women across the globe and ensuring equitable access to safe deliveries and family planning services. She enjoys running and bicycling, trying new foods – especially desserts, traveling with her husband, Sam, and spending time with her 8 nieces and nephews.

Charles Malindi completed primary school education at Ntambanyama Full Primary School then secondary education at Phalombe Secondary School. He studied certificate in Nursing/ Midwifery Technician course at Malamulo College of Health Sciences from 1997 to 2000. After working for few years he went for upgrading at Kamuzu College of Nursing and graduated with Diploma in Registered Nursing / Midwifery in 2009. Furthermore, Charles completed a Bachelors of Science in Public Health (mature entry) at the University of Livingstonia-Laws campus and graduated in 2014. Charles worked in different health facilities and has been taking the following roles; Nurse/ Midwifery care provider, theoretical and clinical teaching of nursing students and nursing management. In December 2015, Charles left Holy Family Mission Hospital after working for 10 years and joined Partners In Health as a Maternal Health Nurse and Project Coordinator at Chifunga Health Centre. He transferred to Dambe Model Health Centre in 2016. Charles joined PIH because of his interest to serve unprivileged rural communities. Charles’ vision is to ensure that people in rural community are accessing quality, affordable and acceptable maternal and neonatal health care services.

Danny Mays grew up in Maryland, on the east coast of the United States. He is one of five children – his mother is a teacher and father a computer programmer. Danny’s early life was shaped by music, school, and Christian faith. In college,  he decided to pursue medicine with the hope of helping people in need. Danny attended medical school at George Washington University in Washington, DC and residency in internal medicine and primary care at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. During his training, he spent a year with community health workers in Uganda. The friends he made along the way have shaped what he cares about and the work he wants to do. Danny firmly believes that community is the magic sauce that transforms hope into change and is really looking forward to HEAL and the community we can build together.

Nakyda Dean is an Obstetrician and Gynecologist from the Midwest. She was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois.  Due to her personal/family experiences of limited access to healthcare, she was inspired her to pursue a career in medicine; especially in underserved communities. She completed her undergraduate studies at the Cornell College in Mount Vernon, IA in biochemistry and molecular cell biology.  She later completed a post-baccalaureate program at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL. Later she attended Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine in Maywood, IL. During her time at Loyola, Nakyda participated in a global health mission trip to Bolivia, which introduced her to a career in global health. As a medical student, she received two global health scholarships through the National Medical Fellowship and Global Electric Foundation and spent time in Ghana and Kenya addressing maternal and fetal health. Nakyda has an interest in cervical cancer screening and education. In her free time, Nakyda likes to dance, read, sew, crochet and mentor.

Shawnell Damon is the granddaughter of the late Molly Damon, the late Code Talker, Anson Damon, Sr., and the daughter of Lucinda Damon from Old Sawmill, AZ. Shawnell’s born for the Ashiihi and her paternal clans are bilaganna, her cheii’s are Todichii nii. Shawnell is the mother of two lovely little girls, Avianna Damon- Showalter and Giselle Damon- Showalter. She was born and raised on the Navajo Nation. Shawnell Damon is the Health Promotion Disease Prevention (HPDP) Coordinator across Navajo Area Indian Health Service. She works to implements and evaluate HPDP programs that include teaching and training through public health activities and events which focuses on self-awareness, health literacy, and cultural competency that may be applied to elevate health status physically, mentally, and spiritually. She edited the Navajo Wellness Model and hosted the training in the Winter in the month January, 2020 and was delegated Epidemiology Chief for COVID-19 for the Service Units and Acting Area Diabetes Coordinator.

Leonora Shurley is a registered nurse at Tsehootsooi Medical Center. She has worked over 20 years in the Emergency Department as a nurse, charge nurse, educator and mentor.

Sam Hatfield finished his training in Internal Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Before that, he grew up to the cadence of a military family, moving frequently across states and countries. He completed his degree in Biochemistry at the University of Idaho before obtaining his medical degree at Tulane University in New Orleans. Sam has had the good fortune to complete clinical work with underserved groups as diverse as the Houma tribes in rural Louisiana to the Wolof and Mandinka communities of The Gambia. He also completed research with a diverse lab group in Northern Germany before starting medical school. His medical philosophy developed treating the rich cultural array of individuals in New Orleans and Houston, from migrant communities, to refugees, to the incarcerated. He hopes to utilize HEAL to further strengthen his ability to develop and improve health systems, build clinical skills in resource limited settings, and further study health disparities in chronically underserved domestic communities. He hopes to use these skills to conscientiously treat neglected communities, promote advocacy work, and train the next generation of empathic healers. Outside of work, he likes to remain active running, biking, snowboarding and surfing. He enjoys creating art, poetry, and playing music. He is excited to join the HEAL cohort for 2020-2022.

Dr. Sadoscar Hakizimana is a medical doctor from Burundi with over 15 years in healthcare and research. He holds a medical degree from the University of Burundi. He completed his residency in Gynecology and obstetrics from the University of Rwanda. He is currently working with Partners In Health/Rwanda as Obstetrician & Gyenecologist based in Kirehe District Hospital in East Province. He also served as senior consultant and Chief of Maternity Department clinics and hospitals across Burundi and Rwanda. Sadoscar has expertise in the area of maternal, newborn and child care and community health. He has developed extensive experience collaborating with local and international stakeholders in the design and implementation of interventions, including developing a maternal mortality and morbidity reduction strategy using quality improvement technics and collaborative strategies. He actively contributed to develop a the Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal care guidelines (EmONC) which is currently used across district hospitals. Dr. Sadoscar has interest and expertise in obstetric fistula repair and in pelvic surgery, work he partnered with International Organization for Women and Development (IOWD) for 6 years. He is currently involved in a number of training and mentorship for junior staff including nurses and GPs in increasing capacity in surgical and obstetric care. From the beginning of the COVID-19, Dr Sadoscar has been nominated to advise the hospital and district preparedness and response task force.

Saad Sahi was born in Lahore, Pakistan and just a few months later his family started their decades long journey across continents for his father’s work assignments. Growing up in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Holland, and Canada, Saad moved to the United States as a sophomore in high school. During his time in America, he has lived in Boston, New York City, Detroit, and now Austin, TX. All of these moves, and each seemingly more than the last, have continued to shape Saad’s perspective on the world in which we live. Although he studied philosophy in college and later even had a brief stint in the fashion industry, it was a documentary film about the work of Doctors Without Borders that first inspired Saad to pursue a career in medicine. Since that initial screening, each chapter of his life has brought with it more insight into the world of global health. Over the last five years, while training as a general surgery resident, he grew to appreciate the role that surgeons can play in ensuring global health equity. Today, he is excited to embark on his own journey by committing to a career focused on safely delivering essential surgical care globally through the lens of design thinking. Discovering the HEAL Initiative only reinforced this commitment for Saad, and he is humbled by the opportunity to learn from and to collaborate with the HEAL community, one that is truly representative of the people whom it serves.

Born in Seattle, Washington, Ryan spent most of his childhood outside of Detroit, Michigan. He became interested in medicine while studying biology and sociology at Amherst College in Massachusetts and working in a hospital in Lop Buri, Thailand. After graduating, Ryan spent a year studying healthcare redevelopment after civil war and genocide as a Watson Fellow. During his time in medical school at Johns Hopkins University, Ryan worked on medical education projects focused on cross-cultural pedagogy and sexual and gender minorities. He then went on to complete a residency in Ob/Gyn at Yale New Haven Hospital where he was lucky to spend time working in northern Uganda, confirming his desire to work within global women’s health.  Ryan also spends a lot of time at the yoga studio, cooking meals with friends, attempting to do the New York Times crossword, and trying to find any opportunity to go scuba diving. He is excited to be part of such a passionate community dedicated to health equity and social justice.

Romany Redman grew up in Spokane, Washington. She has a bachelor’s degree in Russian and lived in Siberia for two years working with a street outreach harm reduction program and later in a regional Tuberculosis hospital. After returning to the US, she completed her medical school training at the University of Colorado where she was a part of the urban underserved track and had the opportunity to work on community-based participatory research with the fine team at C-STAHR (Community and Students Together Against Healthcare Racism). C-STAHR develops interventions to decrease the effects of discrimination in clinical settings. Also while in Colorado, Romany began working with immigrant and refugee home visiting programs. She then moved to Salt Lake City for combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics residency at the University of Utah. In residency, she partnered with a local resettlement agency to grow health promotion home visiting programs with newly resettled refugee families. Romany loves nordic skiing, hiking, contra dancing, postcrossing, and jamming at Celtic music sessions with her fiddle. She even played fiddle in one of the first Siberian Irish pub bands before moving back stateside for medical school.

Peter was born and raised in the Eastern province of Rwanda. He has Masters in Public Health and Bachelors of Science in Public Health. He graduated a two-year HEAL fellowship under University of California, San Francisco (Cohort 2020-2022). He attended Community Based Education training at Suez Canal University, Egypt in 2019.  Peter has worked for Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) since December 2021. Prior joining CHAI, he worked for Partners In Health (PIH) more than a decade. Currently, he is Senior Associate-Hepatitis Program at CHAI-Rwanda. His primary responsibilities include program planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation focusing on Hepatitis C elimination. As an educator, Peter led social medicine and palliative care rotations for medical students under the Department of Primary Health Care at the University of Rwanda for more than five years. He also served as joint faculty for a community-based education program at the University of Global Health Equity, and for a Global Social Medicine course took place Uganda and Rwanda three times. Prior to becoming the Director of Social Medicine at PIH, Peter worked as a research department assistant, research teaching assistant and palliative care coordinator in non-communicable diseases at IMB.

Patrice Zigrossi is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She went to the University of Notre Dame where she majored in French with a focus on francophone African literature. While at Notre Dame, she also minored in Poverty Studies where she partook in service learning projects working with refugees in Atlanta and with children in Mbour, Senegal. After university, Patrice went to Eastern Virginia Medical School and then returned to her hometown to complete her internal medicine residency at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in the global health track. She spent four months of her residency as a clinical instructor in Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi and is passionate about medical education. She is a certified HIV specialist and divides her clinic time between an HIV primary care clinic and the Birmingham Free Clinic in Pittsburgh. She also did a rotation on the Navajo reservation as an intern in Chinle, Arizona, and returned to the reservation at Tuba City as a third-year resident to assist with the COVID-19 response. She will be working in Tuba City Regional in Tuba City, Arizona and at Muso in Bamako, Mali.

Joe is originally from Colorado, where he attended the University of Northern Colorado to study Sports and Exercise Science. He went to the University of Queensland/Ochsner School of Medicine, and recently finished family medicine training at the Montana Family Medicine Residency. During residency, he took care of many patients from the Crow and Northern Cheyenne tribes, as well as spent some time on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. He was able to spend a month working in Malawi, and also previously volunteered in Kenya, Peru and Colombia. Through these experiences, Joe cultivated a passion for providing health care to those most in need. Working at the Gallup Indian Medical Center, and with Compañeros en Salud, is the perfect marriage of his interests in global health and service to marginalized indigenous groups. Joe is thrilled to join the HEAL team and can’t wait to explore the food, culture, and outdoor offerings of both Old and New Mexico.

James Jackson was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. He attended Carleton College in Minnesota, where he majored in Russian with a concentration in Biochemistry. After college, he returned to the Bluegrass to complete his medical studies at the University of Kentucky. In medical school, James enjoyed studying ethics and medical humanities, and graduated from the global health track. He matched into a 5-year combined residency program in Family Medicine and Psychiatry at the University of Iowa. There, he pursued added training in leadership and hospice and palliative medicine. James feels fortunate to have participated in several domestic and international health opportunities. He is excited to join the HEAL team to gain experience in effective health partnership towards a career in medical education and diplomacy.

With great appreciation, Farrah Begay has been a Diabetes Health Coach at Chinle Comprehensive Health Care Facility for the past 8 years. Farrah Begay is from the Lukachukai, Arizona community, an hour’s drive from Chinle. She attended Dine College in Tsaile, AZ to obtain her Associates of Science degree and transferred to Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ for her Bachelors’ of Health Sciences. She loves to work with patients who need the support in making healthy changes and to make her patients feel safe and heard. She has a passion for utilizing Motivational Interviewing and Brief Action Planning when working with her patients. She would love to teach others working in clinics in other locations on the Navajo Nation about health coaching. Farrah has also worked with COPE program to support Community Health Workers using Motivational Interviewing skills in Navajo. In her spare time, Farrah loves the outdoors and has an interest in running, cleaning, and being with her family and her beautiful three girls. With her passion of running and working with people, she had the opportunity to coach the Division III Men’s’ and Women’s’ Cross Country team for Dine College.

Eyea Mulbah is a registered nurse with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing former community health services supervisor within the National Community Health Assistant Program (NCHAP) and is currently a quality assurance officer at Last Mile Health in Liberia. As a quality assurance officer, she is responsible in advocating for program quality for national community health assistants at a district level, supporting community health services supervisors (CHSS) and community health assistants (CHA), identifying program gaps and assisting in the development of CHSS and CHA trainings. Eyea Mulbah along with a team of Last Mile staffs with diverse professional knowledge and skills ensure health equity in Liberia, regardless of geographical location, social or economic status by taking health to the country’s most remote communities. Eyea was born September 5, 1980, in the north of Liberia (Lofa County) and has five siblings and two children. She is goal-oriented and appreciates cultural diversity. She loves listening to music, attending parties, and making new friends.

Dr. Eva Studer was born and raised in Brenham, a rural town in Central Texas. After completing her Bachelor of Arts in philosophy at Baylor University, Eva volunteered as a math and English teacher for one year in San Francisco de Opalaca, a rural area in Honduras. Eva completed her MD at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. She spent nine months in Paris and three months in Buenos Aires as part of a medical student exchange program, qualifying her to graduate with a distinction in global health. During her medical school years, she returned to Honduras several times as a Spanish-English interpreter for medical and dental brigades.

Eva’s interest in psychosocial and emotional well-being drew her to the field of mental health. After medical school, she completed her psychiatry residency at the University of Texas Dell Medical School in Austin, Texas. While living in Austin, she volunteered as a visitor to provide emotional support for immigrant women in the T. Don Hutto detention center, many of whom were from Latin America. In addition, she created a global mental health elective, spending one month rotating at the Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá University Hospital in Colombia. Eva also helped initiate a psychological evaluation program for refugees seeking asylum in Austin. She joined the Physicians for Human Rights Asylum Evaluation Network in 2020 and volunteers for this organization by providing psychiatric evaluations for individuals seeking asylum, about 50% of whom come from Central or South America.
After finishing her residency, Eva joined the University of California San Francisco Health Equity Action Leadership (HEAL) Initiative as a Global Mental Health Fellow. Through this fellowship, Eva spent six months in Chiapas, Mexico, working with Partners in Health (PIH) as a psychiatric consultant. During these six months, she provided direct supervision and mental health education to doctors completing their social service year in rural communities of the Sierra Madre. She continues to provide monthly supervision to PCPs in Chiapas as part of a collaborative care project to help bridge the gap in mental health services in Chiapas.

Currently, Eva is completing her final fellowship rotation at the Chinle Counseling Services in Chinle, Arizona. In this position, she provides outpatient and consult-liaison psychiatric care for Navajo individuals. Eva is also a candidate for the Master’s in Public Health Leadership online degree program through the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, Texas. She plans to return to Mexico once she has finished her fellowship to continue serving the mental health needs of the people of Chiapas with her colleagues at PIH.

Denee Bex is currently a Registered Dietitian employed with Tséhootsooí Medical Center and an advocate for healthy traditional Navajo diets and home-grown foods in Native communities. She was born and raised on the Navajo Reservation. Her mother’s family is from Tselaní-Cottonwood and she is Naneesht’azhí Ta’chii’nii (Zuni Division of Red Running into the Water Clan) and born for Ma’ii deeshgiizhnii (Coyote Pass Clan). She received her formal education from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics in 2011 and from New Mexico State University with a Master of Public Health with a focus on community health education in 2017. Her concentration is in diabetes nutrition, but also has experience as a WIC (Women, Infants and Children) nutritionist and nutrition blogger. Denee believes that her community must grow from within and that being healthy is not a one-size fits all. For many years, nutrition was viewed with a Western lens, but nutrition education in the Navajo community must include the customs, norms, values, and beliefs of the Navajo people for it to be impactful. She also writes gardening articles for a local Native newspaper and works with community organizations to encourage families to start growing their own food. Denee is proud that her formal knowledge is useful to the people she loves. Outside of nutrition and gardening, she enjoys learning how to weave Navajo rugs, hiking, cooking, and watching Star Trek. Denee lives in Fort Defiance, Arizona with her husband and 2 rez dogs turned couch-loungers, Gigi and Pepper.

Deidre Tomlinson was born and bred from none other than the Navajo Reservation in Gallup, New Mexico, maternal association of Oozei Tachii’nii (Red Running into the water people/ Hopi clan), paternally Biih Bitoodnii (Deer spring clan), maternal grandfather, Hasht l ‘ishnii (Mud clan), and paternal grandfather, Honaghaahnii (One walks around clan). In years past, Deidre has worked as a certified nursing assistant, while simultaneously educating herself to earn a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) license. Presently, while working full-time as a CMA at Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services (RMCHCS) with the outpatient OBGYN department, she is also taking classes with University of New Mexico in Gallup in hopes of ultimately obtaining her Bachelors of Science in Nursing degree. Deidre not only helps with treating patients in the outpatient clinic, but she also assists with the newly implemented outreach Women’s Health mobile unit as a CMA so that women living in rural areas of the Navajo Reservation have equitable access to healthcare, just as one would at an established healthcare facility. Deidre is extremely passionate about helping others and ensuring access to healthcare does not discriminate against race, color, religion, culture, etc. Outside of working to help provide her community and people with adequate access and resources to healthcare, Deidre enjoys traveling to new areas, hiking, listening to music, spending copious amounts of time with her family and husband, and watching movies.

Casey Sautter is the daughter of two veterinarians and grew up on a sheep farm in rural Minnesota. She studied chemistry at Lawrence University in Appleton, WI before completing a master’s degree in infectious diseases, vaccinology, and drug discovery as a joint degree from the University of Basel in Switzerland and the National University of Singapore. She then returned to her home state for medical school at the University of Minnesota as a third-generation Golden Gopher. She initially started medical school with the intent to become an infectious disease physician, however, she fell head over heels for women’s health, reproductive justice, and life in the operating room. While in medical school, she completed a Doris Duke International Clinical Research Fellowship and spent a year in Uganda. Following medical school, she stayed in the Midwest and completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, NE. Within women’s health, she has particular interests in reproductive infectious disease, family planning, and general obstetrics and gynecology. She is looking forward to the HEAL fellowship as an opportunity to become a part of a global community working toward health equity among all people and populations. Outside of medicine, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, exploring new places, yoga, scuba diving, cooking (and eating!) vegetarian dishes, and trying to keep up with the news and politics.

Emory is a Family Physician with a strong interest in reproductive justice and compassionate addiction and mental health care. They have long felt a pull to work in partnership with vulnerable people, and have sought out opportunities to work globally since their work with Amnesty International in high school. Originally from Chicago, Emory went to medical school at Harvard and completed their Family Medicine residency at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, Washington where they worked at a public health clinic serving patients from all over the world and people experiencing homelessness. Emory loved the family medicine rotation they did in Navajo Nation in medical school and is excited to be returning. Emory is grateful for the opportunities they’ve had to participate in maternal and community health projects in Kenya, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Malawi, and can’t wait to join Last Mile Health in Liberia. Emory enjoys cultivating houseplants, and while they are sad to part with the plants they’ve parented in residency, they are excited to move somewhere sunny enough to grow succulents! They also enjoys cooking and reading fiction and poetry. They are hoping post-residency life provides some opportunities to reconnect with other hobbies like making ceramics, writing poetry, and playing guitar.