GET TO KNOW IHP

ABOUT IHP

International Health Partners seeks to improve health care for the people of Tanzania by integrating medical knowledge, techniques, and best practices within the East African culture. We employ and train local health care professionals and rely on the generosity of others to build resource efficient facilities without sacrificing the care for our patients.

Our organization has solely focused on improving healthcare in Tanzania for the past 21 years and currently helps to support the St. John's University School of Nursing in Dodoma. Recently we embarked on a new endeavor at Chihoni to build a full service hospital in an underserved area. This hospital will eventually serve as a training facility for professional development across East Africa.

IHP's model seeks to develop well-run facilities and provide the best care, at a nominal cost to the patients within the communities we serve. We welcome volunteers from all over the world who generously give their time to work with local people and make a meaningful difference in the world. We, and the people of Tanzania, appreciate your support.

Dr. Bon Mazezele with two happy patients.

VIEW OUR PROJECTS

YOUR DONATIONS MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE FOR CHILDREN LIKE THESE

Meet Our U.S. Board Members

Charles Powell, M.D

President

Dr. Powell began his career in medicine in 1993, attending medical school after a successful career as a symphony orchestra musician of nearly 20 years. While in training, he was immediately drawn to neonatal care and neonatal intensive care. After working as a community pediatrician several years, Dr. Powell began working and training in a high level neonatal intensive care unit near his home in the Kansas City area. Dr. Powell has now been working almost exclusively in neonatal care for more than 15 years.

The relationship with International Health Partners began in 2009 with a trip to the Nyakato Health Center and continued at Zinga; the previous projects IHP-US supported in Tanzania. Charles has been an active participant in planning and directing several projects. While Dr. Powell continues to work in the United States, he and his wife (also a practicing pediatrician) plan to spend considerable time volunteering at Zuzu in teaching and assisting with the operation of the hospital, as soon as the principal units are operational. Dr. Powell serves as President of International Health Partners - US and International Health Partners TZ.

Marie Quanbeck, MSE

Vice-President

I grew up in Norway and at Marangu, Tanzania, where my parents were Norwegian missionaries. I was eleven when we arrived in Tanzania, ready for adventure. I loved Marangu on the slopes of Kilimanjaro: the people, the countryside, the beauty of Kibo, the view of the plains far below and the distant Pare Mountains, the woods and river with its rapids and waterfalls to explore.

The hard part about being an MK (Missionary Kid) is going away to boarding school. But lucky for me, there was Augustana School at Kiomboi in Central Tanzania, where some 70 kids grades 1–8 became family and forged friendships that are still strong decades later. The school physician? Dr. Denny Lofstrom.

I got my BA from Luther College, Decorah, IA, with an English major and a minor in secondary education, and my

MSE from Drake University, Des Moines, IA. I worked as a commercial artist and newsletter editor for Newton Manufacturing, a specialty advertising firm, and later I taught in the Newton Community Schools from 1987–1997. Then I worked as a technical writer with Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Des Moines from 1998 until my retirement in 2014.

When the call came to support the work of the Lofstroms and IHP, I felt privileged to do my part to give something back to the country that gave me such a happy, secure childhood. My husband Duane and I went on a church mission trip to work with Paula and Denny in 2008. It was truly a homecoming for me. Tanzania will always own a big piece of my heart.

Paula Lofstrom R.N

Secretary

Paula Lofstrom, R.N.

Raised in Kansas City, Missouri.

College in Maryville, MO and Waterloo and Cedar Falls, IA.

Worked in O.B. at Waverly, Iowa hospital.

Worked at the satellite medical clinic in Allison, Iowa

Worked at Associated Medical Arts in Waterloo, Iowa

Worked at Mid-America Kidney Stone in Kansas City, MO as office manager.

Married Dennis Lofstrom in 1993.

Ten mission trips in the 1980s and 1990s to Guatemala

Over-wintered at McMurdo Station in Antarctica in 1998

Founding member of International Health Partners, U.S., Inc., serving as Secretary of the Board, Managing Director and Coordinator, fundraising in the U.S. six months a year, hosting teams in Tanzania, six months a year.

Duane Quanbeck

Treasurer

Grew up in Billings, Montana

BA at University of Montana

MBA at University of Iowa

US Army veteran

Sold building materials in Montana and Iowa for 19 years

Worked in manufacturing management at Maytag for 21 years

My wife Marie and I were among the 22 from our church who traveled to Nyakato in 2008 to help build a new clinic inspired by IHP. I was impressed with the land, the people, and the warm hospitality of Dr. Dennis and Paula Lofstrom. Their dedication to improving the quality of healthcare for the people of Tanzania is contagious. I am happy to be able to assist.

Robert Newberry, Ph.D

Dr. Robert Newberry, IHP Board Member 2016 – Present; Committee Member, Bricks for Babies Golf & Dinner Fundraiser, IHP – US, 2011 – Present; Medical Mission Participant, IHP – TZ, 2011; Professor Emerita - Marketing, Winona State University, 2017 - Present; Professor, Marketing Department, Winona State University, 1992 – 2017; PhD in Management Science, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee; MBA, University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. Applicable expertise: Managed over 20 fundraising events ranging from golf outings, dances, drawings, and social gatherings. Recreational interests: Spending time with family and friends, golfing, traveling, camping, hiking and bicycling.

Christine Petersen, M.D, MBA

Christine Petersen M.D., M.B.A. is a board-certified internist with a fellowship in oncology and over 30 years of management experience in Managed Care. Dr. Petersen’s experience spans all aspects of managed care business including key roles in due diligence teams for subsidiary purchase and parent company sale, legislative and regulatory agency testimony and compliance, and all components of medical management. She has held both operational and functional positions in regional and corporate settings including bottom-line accountability for medical groups and pharmacies (FHP, Inc.), national responsibility for utilization management (Prudential Health Care) and most recently, corporate responsibility as Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer for Sierra Health Services.

In addition to IHP-US, Dr. Petersen is a member of the Advisory Board of WBL, the Chief Operating Officer of VMSN, a 501(c)(3) Free Clinic in Southern Nevada, and an Advisory Board member of Healthscape Advisors. She is a past member of the American Association of Health Plans (AAHP) Leadership Council and Chief Medical Officer Committee and was Chairman of the AAHP Executive Leadership Program. She also served as committee chair for the Southern Nevada Medical Industry Coalition and Nevadans for Antibiotic Awareness, a CDC funded program. Other past board roles include serving as President of the University of Colorado Medical Alumni Board and as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Southern Nevada.

She currently provides consulting services to multiple entities in health care and maintains an active role in her community and professional societies.

Joyce Zemel

My name is Joyce Zemel and I have been a friend of Paula since we started kindergarten together back in what people call mid-century. I became a part of the IHP Family and member of the board 10 years ago. Paula invited me after we had reconnected at one of our many high school reunions. My work background for the 40 years I was on payroll was mostly involved as a customer service representative in the financial industry. I am a mother of three, grandmother of three, and I’m now awaiting my first great-grandchild.

I have tackled the job of being the keeper of the bank account transactions as a board member and treasurer for these past 10 years. I am now going to pass the baton to a younger more energetic and most likely more qualified enthusiastic and gracious young man. I will continue as a board member and be helpful in any way I can going forward.

Kyle Landau

Kyle Landau has been a member of the IHP board since 2012 and was first involved with IHP at Nyakato during the summer of 2011. During that summer at Nyakato, Kyle focused on the clinic's accounting and financial forecasting in order to validate the sustainability of the clinic based on the existing patient load and cost required to provide quality care. While Kyle has no formal (or informal) medical education, Kyle is married to an ENT and the son of a general surgeon and understands his contribution will come from his non-medical background.

Professionally, Kyle manages a team of portfolio managers at a private credit fund in San Francisco. Kyle lives in Oakland, CA with his wife, Barcleigh, and two kids, Chapman and Harper. With a demanding full-time job, two kids, a wife in residency, and the need to sleep, Kyle looks forward to one day returning to having a hobby or two but for now, really enjoys learning how to be a better dad and husband.

Janice Overmyer, RN

Janice (Jan) is a retired RN from Oak Harbor, Ohio. She worked in critical care nursing for 35 years and as a school nurse for 15 years. She is a Red Cross volunteer and teaches community CPR and Babysitter courses. She is a volunteer at the county nursing home in Oak Harbor and is Chairperson for the local Holiday Bureau that assists needy families at Christmas time.

Jan volunteered at The Children’s Hospital in Zinga in 2017 and 2019. She worked in the outpatient clinic, assisting the doctors with exams and procedures. She taught CPR classes to the staff on both visits. Also, she taught Basic EKG interpretation to the staff.

She has been married to Ron Overmyer for 49 years. She is the mother of 2 grown children and has 4 grandchildren. She enjoys reading, sewing, camping and bicycling.

Ron Overmyer, M.Ed.

Ron Overmyer has been involved with IHP since 2004. He met Denny, Paula, and Mary Ellen through a mutual friend, Karl Gingrich. He has assisted with the development of several IHP business plans for hospital projects. He and his wife volunteered at the Zinga hospital in 2017 and 2019. He has assisted with numerous networking connections and presentations in Ohio. Ron has been on 10 volunteer assignments in the African countries of Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, and Mozambique including the two visits to Zinga. The assignments were through agricultural business development grants sponsored by the U.S. State Department and through the CNFA Farmer-to-Farmer program.

He lives in Oak Harbor, Ohio. He has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in agricultural education from Ohio State University. He worked for Ohio State University Extension for 37 years serving as a county 4-H youth agent, a county agricultural agent, and a regional agri-business development agent. He either is serving or has served on numerous for-profit and non-profit boards. He has been married to Janice Overmyer for 49 years. He is the father of 2 grown children and has 4 grandchildren.

Josiah Grimes

Josiah Grimes is an Arizona-based entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the CEO and co-founder of KeyGlee, one of the worlds largest real estate wholesalers with over 100 locations in the United States. Josiah is the CEO and co-founder of New Reach Education, an online education platform that publishes well-known brands such as AstroFlipping, Subto and Credit Stacking. Josiah serves as the Director for Purpose Founder, a 501c3 focused on Christian Evangelism through digital media. Josiah is an active or limited investor in other industries including data, title, and e-commerce. He and his wife Brittany live in Chandler AZ with their 3 children.

Mary Pace, M. Ed.

My name is Mary Pace and I live in Independence, Missouri. This has been my home for my whole life. I started my work career at Kansas City Life Insurance leaving there in 1995 as a Medical Claims Examiner. At that time, I decided it was time to experience college. I graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Early Childhood. I taught elementary for 6 years in Lexington and 5 years in Grain Valley, Missouri. At the end of 2010, I decided it was time to make a change and became certified in Special Education for Mild to Moderate Disabilities. I currently work at Maple Valley School for the Severely Disabled and have a Master's degree in Education.

My first time traveling Tanzania was to Nyakato in 2009 along with David West and a group of 18 people from the church where we both attended. I became hooked the minute I got off the plane and have gone back every year possible since that day. I have volunteered at Nyakato for 5 years and Zinga 6 years. In the beginning, I helped Paula take care of everyday things, computer work and construction. Three years ago we found that because of my professional experience, I was allowed to perform therapies for the children in Zinga. I provide physical, occupational and language therapy in the clinic. I was just elected to the board in October 2019,

David West

David has been a board member since April of 2011. He first spent time in Tanzania from 2004 to 2006 on the Iramba Plateau learning basic Swahili assisting Mary Kitundu and the Lofstroms at Iambi Hospital by overseeing the construction team of 20 Tanzanian nationals, not realizing at the time how his life was forever changed for the better by the experience. He continued to stay involved upon his return to the U.S., assisting as he was able, and has been able to return six times so far. He spent most of the past decade doing social work, managing employment services programs for people with disabilities, and still holds a national certification as an employment supports professional. In 2018 he was awarded a Foreign Languages and Area Studies Fellowship attending the African Flagship Languages Initiative program at the University of Florida where he received a certificate for Intermediate Swahili.

David was fortunate enough to spend a year over 2018-2019 in Tanzania again. As well as helping at the Children's Hospital in Zinga, he also attended the University of Dar es Salaam learning more advanced Swahili, tutored students with their English, attended classes on good governance and sustainable development, and played keyboard, percussion, and drums in the University Fusion Band. He received his degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Missouri and is currently working for the benefit of IHP.

Meet Our TZ Board Members

Selemani Shabani Salum

Vice-President

Selemani is a Board member of IHP-TZ serving as Vice President. He is the Contractor for building the Chihoni Medical Center Hospital in Dodoma Tanzania.

Selemani Shabani Salum, was born on March 10th, 1975. He is the 1st born from his father (Shabani Salum Ole) and is the seventh born from his mother (Christowelu Igumi). Sele’s family was very poor and could manage only one meal a day, that often being cassava, filling, but not very nourishing. Today, Selemani works very hard for his family. He and his wife Maria have four children, two boys and two girls.

Selemani met the Lofstrom's in 2002, in Singida region/Tanzania. He joined the Lofstrom's team to build and improve the Health Care at Iambi Lutheran Hospital from 2002 until 2005.

On January 6th 2006, he moved with the Lofstrom's to Nyakato/Mwanza Tanzania to start a new project. International Health Partners, U.S., Inc. and IHP-TZ were formed and managed to build Nyakato Health Center. He worked there until 2012. On October 2nd he moved to Dar es salaam with IHP-JEMA-TZ to start another project in Zinga, Bagamoyo to Build the Children’s Hospital at Zinga. In 2023 the project was turned over to the Tanzanian management staff and is still functioning and serving patients.

IHP-US paid for Mr. Selemani’s education to become a certified electrical contractor and then a building contractor. He started his own construction company and as a registered contractor is the Head of Construction for IHP.

In January 2023 Selemani and the Lofstrom's moved to Chihoni in Dodoma. IHP-US and IHP-TZ bought 26 acres of land for building the new project, the Chihoni Medical Center and Hospital. Selemani joined IHP-TZ as Vice President and will be in charge of construction both for the hospital and staff housing.

Bonaventura Ntagambi Mazezele, AMO

Dr. Bonaventura has worked with IHP-TZ since 2006 when he joined the team at Nyakato Health Center, near Mwanza, on Lake Victoria in Tanzania. He is a senior medical officer with many years of experience in treating the challenges presented by doing medicine in Tanzania. Bonaventura was born to a humble family in the Mwanza region of Tanzania. He is the fifth son born on 8/04/1962. He is a devoted Christian and is married with two children.

He is the only one of his siblings who pursued a career in medicine, which was a difficult journey, from Sengerema Secondary School to Ifakara Medical Institute to ALMC medical institute. Dr. Bonaventura’s professional life includes both government and non-government sectors with acknowledged credibility in treating, supervision, and administration which started early in 1990’s in Kasulu District Hospital –Kigoma and Nkinga mission hospital- Tabora and 2000’s in Bakwata Dispensary –Shinyanga, and Kahama Mining Co.Ltd.

International Health Partners –IHP –TZ, formed with a vision of efficiency and effective health care operates as non-profit organization that Bonaventura has successfully led as medical facility Officer in Charge, ELCT/ELVD NYAKATO HEALTH CENTRE and secondly on CHILDREN HOSPITAL ZINGA. Dr. Bon will now be the Doctor-In-Charge at the new project at CHIHONI MEDICAL CENTRE Hospital with IHP- TZ in DODOMA.

Miriam Wairimu Mugo, RN, M. Ed.

Miriam Wairimu Mugo is a dedicated and compassionate nurse with a strong educational background. She holds a Masters of Science in Nursing Education, reflecting her commitment to advancing her knowledge and skills in the field of nursing. With a passion for teaching and mentoring future nurses, Miriam has a wealth of experience in patient care and a deep understanding of nursing practices. Her expertise and leadership in nursing education make her a valuable asset to the healthcare community.