Friends Of Kijabe

Dr. Annviola on her journey to pediatrics, why she loves Kijabe, growing up in Kibera, amazing patient stories. Why Pediatrics? "If I don't do it, who will?"

Conversation about training in Kijabe, safe deliveries, the healthcare landscape in Kenya, and the benefits of the Kijabe resident housing project.

About Kabarak University-Kijabe Hospital family medicine training, healthy communities, the advantage of learning in Kijabe (access to advanced equipment/clinical opportunities), and a little about Friends of Kijabe.  

Conversation with Dr. Hellen Kihoro about training, faith in medicine, specialization, dreams for Kenya.  

Conversation with Dr. Etienne Mastaki about his journey from DRC to Kijabe, Anesthesiology training, Faith in Medicine, and the benefits of building resident/fellow housing in Kijabe.

"I want to be a doctor for African people. I want to work in Africa. There's so much healthcare need in this continent that if we, as the medics who've been trained, just stay around and work for our people, there will be a huge difference. Then we'll start becoming the policy makers. We'll be like, 'now we've worked in this place. We need to change this policy to this.' And then slowly by slowly, we'll see the change."  

Conversation with Kijabe Oncologist Sarah Muma about her personal experience and the future of cancer care in Kijabe and the country.

Conversation with Dr. Stephen Dyar about building a Comprehensive Cancer Center in Greenville and the building blocks necessary to do the same in the Kijabe context.

Conversation with PAACS Anesthesiology Resident about medicine, systems, compassion, faith and building for the future.

David: I want to talk a little bit about the hospital, but I'm also curious about your life. So first, just tell me your name and what you do at Kijabe Hospital. Linette: My name is Linette. I'm a medical officer, general doctor at Kijabe. I work in the Internal Medicine department in general wards.  When COVID was here in COVID ward – now it’s respiratory center, and in ICU/HDU [Intensive Care Unit/High Dependency Unit] Unit. David: Why did you end up with adults? Linette: [Laughter]Well, I love internal medicine. Anything to do with Internal Medicine, I love it. Whether it's an adult or a baby. I just love it. I feel like it's easier and maybe it's easier because of where I went to school. . . Where I went to school there's a lot of lifestyle diseases, less infectious diseases.  David: When you say lifestyle, what do you mean? Linette: Like hypertension, diabetes, things like that, which is most of internal medicine. And so, it was not like Kenya where you have infectious disease to think about. I feel like

Dayalan: I'm Dayalan Clark. I'm a breast surgeon from the UK. I came out to Kijabe mainly to help because Beryl [Akinyi] has been on maternity leave. Beryl is the surgeon who does most of the breast work here, and Peter Bird, who we have known for many, many years, asked if we could if I could come and help. Peter grew up in India as a missionary child with his father being a surgeon and a missionary hospital, at a mission hospital in India in a place called Mysore. And it so happened that my wife's father was also a surgeon in the same hospital, and they grew up together across a wall as neighbors growing up in India. And that was my connection with Peter Bird. I think my wife and Peter lost connection, though our respective parents kept in touch. And then when we were visiting Nairobi for a safari in 2006, we heard that Peter was here. So we were going for a safari with my wife's parents. It was their 50th wedding anniversary and they loved wildlife. So that was our treat for them for their 50th wedding ann

Conversation on faith, work-life balance, parenting, stewardship, leading through the pandemic,

Elizabeth Drum Interview:  David: You started a new position a little while ago, is that correct?   Elizabeth: I have a couple different responsibilities.  I became chair of a committee within the American Society of Anesthesiologists.  They have a committee, the Global Humanitarian Outreach, within the American Society of Anesthesiologists  that was originally envisioned as a way to send US anesthesiologists to other countries to help in educational efforts around anesthesiology.  Over time some of those programs grew/changed/morphed.  Eventually that committee developed into the GHO.  I have been on that committee for years and just became the chair.   There are a number of things that committee does within the ASA.  We support two programs, one is in Rwanda, one is in Guyana.  The goal is to help with anesthesiology efforts in those countries.   The program in Rwanda was originally a partnership with the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society.  So, the two societies went and taught residents in Rwanda.  Over

Olakunle Idowu – Anesthesiologist, MD Anderson David: I know you said it’s a long story, but I’d love to hear the short version of the long story.  I’m Nigerian, I was actually born in Nigeria.  I’m the last of four children.  My siblings were born in Boston, but my father, who is a math professor took a position at the university of Dos.  We were living there when I was born.  I came to the United States when I was 3 years old.   I grew up in Maryland, went to University of Maryland, I’m a Terrapin.  I went to the Virginia Commonwealth University for medical school, SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, NY for Anesthesia Residency, and Critical Care here in Houston, which is what brought me to Houston.   Since then I’ve spent time in private practice and in academics.   Initially I left private practice and came MD Anderson for 3 years, then my wife was recruited to Yale in New Haven CT, we went there for a year, decided to come back, and here I am!  (Laughter) There’s been some moving and shifting, but I think along

Greg Sund David: [00:00:00] Good afternoon and good evening. We have no idea what time zone you guys will be in when you're watching this, but I am David Shirk. I'm director of Friends of Kijabe, and I'm sitting here with Greg Sund, our newest addition to the Kijabe team. Greg: [00:00:17] We moved here from a small village, rural hospital in Burundi, where we have been for about five years. David: [00:00:26] What was your training and background and specialty in the States before you started doing this Africa stuff? Greg: [00:00:34] So I'm a board-certified anesthesiologist. I did a fellowship in cardiothoracic anesthesia and I was in private practice for several years before we moved to Burundi about five years ago. And during my time in private practice, I was doing annual trips to various places in Africa and kind of prayerfully trying to discern with my wife where God might be calling us to. And we ended up at this hospital in Burundi, which was a teaching hospital, and it was a place where I could not ju

David: So today I'm talking with a pastor Benjamin.  What's your full name and what your role at Kijabe Hospital? Benjamin: My full name is Pastor Benjamin Kioko Mutuku.  My role in Kijabe Hospital is being the staff chaplain in the department of chaplaincy, dealing with the staff in the hospital - spiritual, psychosocial needs.   David: I don't think this role exists, very much, in America. I don't think it's normal.  Usually when people think of hospital chaplains, they think of what your teammates do - visiting with patients and visiting with families in crisis.  But, a lot of your work is with staff members.   Benjamin: Yes, yes.  David: I assume probably a lot of that work is in crisis, maybe some of it is during peacetime.  Benjamin: Yeah, one of the main things that I think the hospital had in mind when they advertised for the position, was the realization that the staff get so much fatigued. While we have chaplains who talk to patients and chaplains who are assuring in relatives and praying with them,

David - What is your name and what do you do at KijabeLilian - I’m Lilian and I’m an Ob-Gyn in Kijabe, for the last four years, but been here a lot longer.David - When did you start?Lilian - 2007, internship for two months, elective term, 2009 internship for one year. I left for 8 months and came back in October 2010. Then residency, and I came back fully in 2015.David - Who is your husband and when did you meet?Lilian - He’s George (Otieno) – we met in undergraduate in our third year of medicine and surgery. When we came to Kijabe from the first time we were already dating.David - Lilian is head of Ob-Gyn at Kijabe, here you say obs/gyn, is that right? George was head of internal medicine, but now he’s promoted right? He’s inpatient subdivision head. Both do so much for the hospital, they’re amazing.What we’ve been talking about lately, and working on, are some of your needs for the OB department. Some we’ve gotten sorted and some are in process. Two years ago, we were having a big problem with the delivery

FULL EPISODE EPISODE SUMMARY Conversation with Dr. Mardi Steere about Mission, Leadership, Emergency Medicine and Ebenezer Moments from her 8+ years at Kijabe Hospital. EPISODE NOTES David - So today, I'm talking with Mardi Steere. This is a conversation that I don't want to have. It's about leaving about memories, and about Kijabe.And I don't want to have it because I don't want you guys ever to leave. That is the hardest part of life in Kijabe. But amazing people come and amazing people go and you're gonna do amazing things and stay in touch. First, why don't you give the introduction you gave at the medical team the other day. Mardi - So this is bittersweet for me as well. We came to Kijabe in 2011 and planned to stay for two years and here we are eight and a half years later, taking our leave. And in some ways, it's inevitable. You can't stay in a place forever. It's been a real opportunity for me to reflect. David - Let me pause you real quick there. So when you first came, who is we? And then what did y

FoK - How long have you been in Kijabe? You delivered on what date? Dorine - I delivered on the 2nd of May 2019. I came in a week before, the 27th of April. FoK - And today is July 9th? Dorine - No, it’s the 8th, it’s our monthiversary, we got married on the 8th of February. Happy monthiversary! I think the baby’s charts say 65 days of life or something like that. 72 days, I’ve been here. FoK – So this is your home? (laughter) Dorine - But I look forward to going to my real home. FoK – Why did you come to Kijabe? Were you in labor, were you concerned? Dorine - I went into labor two days before the 27th when I was at home, it was a Friday evening. Prior to that I was on two months bedrest. I was already working from home, my office was kind enough to let me do that work from home. On that Friday evening I went into labor. I called my doctor, I was seeing a gyna. She gave me some prescriptions to take to stop the labor, but in about two hours if it didn’t stop I would meet her at the hospital. called

Pastor Helmers: Grace be to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 10:34 34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. 39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day In the name of Jesus, my dear friends, it is truly an honor to be here with you this morning. This is my second visit to Kijabe Hospita