Our Dedicated Board of Directors
Vianney Ruhumuliza, RN,MSN, Founding Board Member, Chairman and CEO
Vianney offers his 25 years of experience in management and leadership. He has a master degree in nursing administration and is a critical care registered nurse.
Vianney has been with the Human Resource for Health in Rwanda program for 3 years. He has served as an advisor to the directors of the nursing divisions at King Faisal Hospital and Teaching Medical Center.
He has previously functioned in a wide range of clinical practice and management areas, including Clinical Director for Critical Care and Emergency Departments, Nursing Supervisor, Operative Care Management, Medical Surgical, Pediatric, and Critical care areas. Comfortable in caring for patients in open heart ICU, Surgical ICU, Medical ICU, Neuro ICU and PACU.
He has organized medical missions twice per year in Rwanda since 2005, serving medical needs for the whole country. Medical teams originated in Boston and in Stanford University. (www.mmfc.org and www.kmuf.org)
Dalton Miranda, MD
Dr. Miranda joins the team, bringing his experience as a Cardiologist. He is currently practicing in Rochester, NY.
Dr. Miranda obtained his medical degree at the Medical School of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, in his native country of Brazil. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine and Cardiology Fellowship at the Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami program, in south Florida. He then moved to northern Michigan and has served local communities for over 12 years.
“I fell in love with the cause and the country”, says Dr. Miranda, who first visited Rwanda in 2016. He has since returned for a cardiac mission in 2018 and has renewed his commitment to annual missions to help build infrastructure for cardiovascular services over there.
Janelle Ruhumuliza, Administration and Travel Coordinator
Janelle offers 17 years of customer service, sales and hospitality experience. She has a bachelors degree in Spanish with a minor in Latin American Studies from San Diego State University.
While in high school and university, Janelle participated in two mission trips to the Dominican Republic and her first mission trip to Rwanda. Those experiences helped her to appreciate the strong importance of giving back. That attached to her strong upbringing of supporting others solidified her path.
In addition to philanthropy, Janelle fell in love with travel! She has been to almost all 50 states (47 currently), 41 countries and learned to speak Spanish during a year studying abroad in Argentina.
Her contribution to Helping Hands for Rwanda will be to assist with generating donations, marketing and arranging travel for those attending the medical missions.
Dr. Obed Bashora Rutebuka
Director, Research Safety and Animal Welfare, Loma Linda University Health.
Dr. Merry E. Sebelik
American Board of Otolaryngology, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck surgery, HHFR Advisory Board.
Mr. Jean Claude Musengimana, RN, MS, Founding Board Member
Coordinator at UN.
Not pictured:
Dr Chris Akins, Thoracic Surgeon, Advisory Board
Ms. Josephine Murekezi, RN, Midwife, Co-Founder of HHFR, Liaison of Midwifery in Rwanda, Founding Board Member