Visionary
Leadership

Driven by the visionary leadership of Dr. Peter Mabula, a trailblazer in Emergency Medicine in Tanzania, the project addresses the critical necessity for a robust Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system. Dr. Mabula’s insight stems from the evolution of EM and well-equipped Emergency Departments across Tanzania, pinpointing EMS as the pivotal next phase in healthcare advancement.

Multidisciplinary
Team

Our multidisciplinary team comprises seasoned specialists, each possessing indispensable expertise crucial for establishing a comprehensive EMS system. With extensive experience in emergency medicine, critical care, paramedicine, and disaster response, our team members boast an intimate familiarity with the healthcare landscape, particularly in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania.

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. Mabula is an internationally recognized Tanzanian Emergency Physician who has trailblazed the practice of emergency medicine in the country and has been at the forefront of their efforts to create a comprehensive EMS system. He is the founder and director of numerous NGOs that focus on providing critical medical care to those most in need in Tanzania.

  • 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 professional bachelor-level nurse with over 10 years of experience in Emergency and Trauma Care, working in hospital emergency departments and on construction sites as an ER Nurse and Paramedic. 

    Trained at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) and the Aga Khan University (AKU), Bahati has served as a paramedic on both road and air ambulance services, delivering high-quality pre-hospital emergency care and patient stabilization in critical situations. He currently works as the Director of Operations, overseeing emergency response operations, training, and coordination of pre-hospital care services, including ambulance dispatch.

  • Gabriel Keller

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

    Gabriel Keller is a paramedic with Hennepin EMS, a premier urban EMS service in the US. As a member of HEMS’s advanced care team, Gabriel is trained in cutting-edge pre-hospital interventions, including point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), rapid sequence intubation/airway (RSI/RSA), and finger thoracostomies.

    Gabriel’s journey to the medical field is marked by a unique and diverse professional background. Before transitioning to emergency medicine, he built a successful career in architecture. After attending Cornell University, he co-founded PKA Architecture, nationally recognized for innovative residential design.

  • Ali Ruminsky

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

    Ali works as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) and EMT at Hennepin EMS. She also trains incoming dispatchers and acts as a communications resource lead. She received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with minors in Neuroscience and Public Health. She also holds a Masters of Public Health degree in Epidemiology and graduate minors in Global Health, and Climate Change & Health.

  • Jason Bergmann

    Executive Director, Operation Bootstrap Africa
    Consultant, TZ EMS Project

    As director of OBA, Jason as led the establishment of numerous Maasi Girls Schools, as well as supported major healthcare initiatives and projects in the Arusha region of Tanzania.  Jason has been a non-profit leader for over two decades, and has extensive educational and professional experience in international development. 

Our 2026 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 lead medical scribe at Hennepin Healthcare, where she oversees and trains scribe staff while supporting physicians with accurate, real-time clinical documentation. She also works as a public health professional at the Minnesota Department of Health, conducting disease surveillance across Minnesota. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Physiology and is completing her Master of Public Health in Environmental Health in May 2026.

    With TZEMS, Abby is putting that training to work building the project's clinical data infrastructure — developing systems to capture run-level data across Arusha's ambulance network, including patient information, clinical interventions, and transport details. Her work will give TZEMS the tools to understand the epidemiology of emergency care in the region and use that evidence to drive better outcomes.

  • Dre Cantwell-Frank

    Dre Cantwell-Frank is the National Clinical Implementation Director & EMS Specialist at Bridge, a national initiative transforming how health systems respond to opioid use disorder. A paramedic and EMS instructor with 19 years of experience, Dre has built her career at the edges — managing EMS for a Tribal Health Organization in rural Alaska, working as a mountain guide and wilderness medic, and consulting on emergency response for the Montana Department of Public Health during COVID-19. At Bridge, she has helped grow the program from a California pilot into a nationally recognized model, partnering with hospitals, health departments, and EMS systems across the country to train providers and implement care that works in the real world.

    With TZEMS, Dre leads clinical education for Arusha's paramedic workforce — teaching lectures and running hands-on simulations in the field.