Who We Are

TZEMS is built on relationships — between clinicians, paramedics, and dispatchers in Tanzania and the United States who share a common commitment to the communities of northern Tanzania. This is that team.

TZEMS Leadership Team

  • Dr. Peter Mabula

    Head of Emergency Medicine and Critical Care, JKCI-ALMC, Arusha, Tanzania
    Founder and TZ Medical Director, TZ EMS Project
    Founder Same Qualities Foundation, Arusha, Tanzania

    Dr. Peter Mabula is an emergency physician and the driving force behind TZEMS. He identified the gap in prehospital care in northern Tanzania, built the relationships to address it, and continues to lead the effort from Arusha. As founder of the Same Qualities Foundation, he has spent his career creating healthcare infrastructure for those who need it most. TZEMS exists because of his vision.

  • Dr. Tim Kummer

    Emergency Medicine Physician, Hennepin Healthcare
    EMS Medical Director, Hennepin EMS,
    Founder and USA Medical Director, TZ EMS Project

    Dr. Kummer is an Emergency Medicine physician and EMS Medical Director for Hennepin EMS, a leading urban EMS system in the U.S.. Dr. Kummer has dedicated his career to advancing EMS systems both domestically and internationally. He has lived and worked in East Africa, including Kenya and Tanzania, where he continues to play a vital role in the development of pre-hospital care infrastructure.

  • Bahati Ng'obo

    Director of Operations and Paramedic, TZ EMS Project
    Paramedic, Same Qualities Foundation, Arusha Tanzania

    Bahati is a bachelor-level nurse and paramedic with over 10 years of experience in emergency and trauma care. Trained at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences and the Aga Khan University, he has worked across hospital emergency departments and on both road and air ambulance services. As Director of Operations, he oversees emergency response, training, and the day-to-day coordination of prehospital care across Arusha.

  • Gabriel Keller

    Paramedic, Hennepin Healthcare
    Founder and Development Director, TZ EMS Project

    Gabriel Keller is a paramedic with Hennepin EMS, where he practices advanced prehospital care including point-of-care ultrasound, rapid sequence intubation, and surgical airway management. Before medicine, he built a career in architecture, a background that shapes how he thinks about systems, design, and what it takes to build something that lasts. As Development Director, he leads fundraising and organizational development for TZEMS.

  • Ali Ruminsky

    Emergency Medicine Dispatcher, Hennepin EMS,
    USA Director of Dispatch, TZ EMS Project

    Ali Ruminsky is an Emergency Medical Dispatcher, EMT, and dispatcher trainer at Hennepin EMS. She holds a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology with graduate concentrations in Global Health and Climate Change & Health. With TZEMS, she leads the development and implementation of the dispatch system that serves as the backbone of emergency response in Arusha.

Our Tanzanian Team

Sifuniel Selenya

Paramedic/RN/EMD

Joanes Wilbroad

Paramedic/RN/EMD

John George

Paramedic/RN/EMD

Our Spring 2026 U.S. TZEMS Team

  • Courtney Cushing Kiernat

    Courtney brings a diverse career background as a leader in nonprofit management. In retirement, she remains actively engaged in the community, serving on nonprofit boards including the Hennepin Healthcare Foundation, where she is Vice Chair and co-chairs the $30 million Addiction Medicine Campaign. Courtney is also an accomplished photographer and serves as Photo Editor for the Hill & Lake Press, where she is both a photographer and frequent contributor. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and has two adult children and four dogs.

  • Abby DiChiria

    Abby DiChiria is a medical scribe lead at Hennepin Healthcare and public health professional at the Minnesota Department of Health, completing her Master of Public Health in May 2026. With TZEMS, she is building the project's clinical data infrastructure — developing systems to capture run-level data across Arusha's ambulance network to help drive evidence-based care.

  • Dre Cantwell-Frank

    Dre Cantwell-Frank is a paramedic and EMS instructor with 19 years of experience across rural Alaska, wilderness medicine, and public health emergency response. As National Clinical Implementation Director at Bridge, she helped grow a California pilot into a nationally recognized model for opioid use disorder care. With TZEMS, she leads clinical education for Arusha's paramedic workforce.