Building a healthy future
Global Initiative for Better Health (GIBH), Inc. is a 501 (c) 3, non-profit founded with a mission to improve the quality of care in health facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa.
GIBH is committed to creating a sustained and deep engagement while emphasizing local ownership. In so doing, GIBH will partner with local and global government and non-government agencies, and bilateral and multilateral institutions to advance its mission.
Our Vision
GIBH envisions healthy children, mothers, families, and vibrant communities that are less hindered by health problems and who are actively engaged in the pursuit of their wellbeing and betterment.
Our Mission
To improve the health of women, children, families, and communities in Sub-Saharan Africa through crafting educational and training projects for health service professionals, hospital quality improvement and public health initiatives, and providing medical care and conducting medical missions.
Our Core Values
- Compassion: We have respect for the dignity of those we serve and strive to meet their needs to the best of our ability
- Respect: We value all individuals and partners and treat them with dignity and respect
- Excellence: we pride ourselves on being able to deliver on our goals and be the best at what we do
- Integrity: We pledge to conduct ourselves with the highest moral and ethical standards
- Accountability: we hold ourselves to the values and principles we espouse
- Transparency: we keep our work and finances publicly accessible for review
Core Principles Guiding Strategy
- Safe and timely care: eliminate delays in care provision through process mapping
- Patient-centered and equitable care: respect and treat patients equally
- Effective care: support evidence-based medical decision making and management
- Efficient care: encourage judicious use of limited resources
- Sustainability: strive to ensure our work leads to empowerment of our partners for enduring change
- Build quality health management capacity: motivate and engage providers for a quality care culture
GIBH Board of Directors
Daniel Getachew, MBA, MHA, MA
President
Daniel Getachew, a native of Ethiopia, works and lives in Houston, TX. Daniel has a Master of Arts degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK, and Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) degrees from the University of Houston, Houston, TX. Currently, he works as a Senior Analyst for Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children Hospital, Houston, TX.
His interests include global health strategy development and global health diplomacy, where the tools of international affairs are applied in the field of global health.
Wonedwossen Goshu, CRNA, DNP
Vice President
Wondwossen is a native of Ethiopia. He received a Bachelor’s Science degree with a Nursing major and Health Science minor from South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD. He earned a Master of Science in Nursing Anesthesia at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. He then graduated from the DNP program at the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions.
Wondwossen is a filmmaker as well and the Gold winner of the World Fest Houston International Film Festival.
Guenet Degaffe, MD, MSc
Secretary
Guenet is a native of Ethiopia. She received her B.A. degree from Wartburg College, Waverly, IA; her MD degree from the University of New Mexico, Health Science Center, Albuquerque, NM; and completed her residency in Pediatrics and fellowship in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Texas Houston, Health Science Center, Houston, TX. She currently practices in Houston, TX.
Her interests include global health, infectious diseases, reading, writing, etymology, and languages.
Chilobe Kalambo, MBA, CPA, CISA
Treasurer
Chilobe Kalambo, a native of Zambia, is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA). He has an MBA in Finance. He has over 12 years of experience in Accounting, Finance, and IT across a diverse background of industries and has worked in the United States, Asia, South America, and Africa.
When he is not spending time with his family, Chilobe enjoys serving in various capacities on several non-profit boards. Chilobe also serves as the Associate Pastor at Colony Creek Community Church in Missouri City, TX, and is a Theology graduate student at Dallas Theological Seminary.
Biruh T. Workeneh, MD, FASN
Director, Board
Dr. Workeneh is Associate Professor, Department of Nephrology, Division of Internal Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX. His clinical interests include insulin resistance syndrome in kidney disease and changes in body composition that occurs in dialysis and transplant patients.
Dr. Workeneh earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. His extensive training includes a residency in internal medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, a nephrology fellowship and post-doctoral research at Stanford University in California. He has been engaged in public health publishing a blueprint for medical recovery, which can be modeled at health care centers (http://sspp.proquest.com/static_content/vol3iss1/communityessay.workeneh.pdf ) and is committed to the improvement of health outcomes in the developing world.
Mara Piccolo
Director, Board
Mara, a native of Ethiopia, emigrated to the United States after completing secondary education. She currently resides in Houston, Texas with her family and works as a respiratory therapist.
She is very active in her home church and serves in many capacities. She became involved with Global Initiative for Better Health due to her passion to serve in her homeland.
James R. Murphy, PhD
Director, Board
James R. Murphy received his B.A. in Biology and Medical Technology degree from the Catholic University of America, in Washington, D.C., his PhD from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland and completed his Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Trudeau Institute, in Saranac Lake, New York. He has been involved in the research field in Immunology, Infectious Diseases, and in particular Pediatric Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections. He has conducted research in Zambia, Egypt, and Pakistan, among many others. His interests include, travel, reading, and sailing.
Yonas E. Woldetsadik
Director, Communication
Yonas Woldetsadik, a native of Ethiopia, is a creative graphics professional with 15 years of experience in designing for print, web, and video. He received a bachelor of arts degree in visual communication from American InterContinental University and is an Adobe Certified Expert and Instructor.
He lives in Houston, Texas where he currently holds a position as a senior graphic designer and video production supervisor at IFMA.
Yonas also serves as IT and media coordinator at the Ethiopian Christians Fellowship Church in Houston Texas.
Yosef Workeneh
Financial Officer
Yosef Workenh is a native of Ethiopia, migrated to the United States in 1983 from Sudan as a political refugee during the fascist military regime in Ethiopia. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Houston-Downtown, a Master’s degree in Organizational Management and Leadership from Ashford University. He has 10 years of Budget Analyst experience, 5 years of School Manager experience at Houston Independent School District, and 5 years of Law Firm Accounting.
His interest includes Helping the homeless and refugees, spending time with his family, movies, reading, and traveling all over the world.
GIBH Executive Advisory board
Craig Cordola, MBA, MHA, FACHE
Executive Advisory Board, GIBH
Executive Vice President,
Chief Operating Officer,
Ascension
Senait Fisseha, MD, JD
Executive Advisory Board, GIBH
Director, International Programs at
Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation
Stephen E. Welty, MD
Executive Advisory Board, GIBH
CHI Franciscan Health, Tacoma, and Neonatology,
Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle
Ann S. McGinity PhD, RN, FAAN
Executive Advisory Board, GIBH
Frmr. Chief Operating Officer for Global Services at Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX