News & Events

October 2009
ALMC OPENS AMO SCHOOL

Arusha Lutheran Medical Center (ALMC) and Selian Lutheran Hospital have opened a new Assistant Medical Officer Training School.  This is a two year training program based at ALMC. 

The AMO degree is an advanced degree offered to clinical officers who have already had three years of clinical training and three years of experience.  The AMO School trains candidates to operate independently and provides primary care level training in General Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics and Obstetrics/Gynecology.

This advanced training is to prepare them to work as primary physicians in rural areas of the country where health providers are most needed. As in many places in the world, physicians in Tanzania tend to migrate into suburban areas and “big cities” therefore leaving the rural areas underserved.

Several years ago the Government of Tanzania created the AMO degree in order to better serve these areas. Currently, there are six schools for AMO in all of Tanzania. ALMC will become the seventh school in the country and first in the city of Arusha. The training includes three months of intense theoretical teaching (including anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, etc) at the beginning followed by clinical rotations in the different specialties.

The initial class is 17 in number and represents students from all over the country, see photo below.

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November 2008. Dr. Jacobson addresses Selian staff about the
impending opening of the Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. One
half of the three hundred staff members transferred from Selian
to ALMC.

Mr. Ward Brehm, Director African Economic Development Fund; Dr. Mganga Kipuyo, Mrs. Patricia Kempthorne, US Secretary
of the Interior; Dr. Mark Jacobson; ; Mr. Dirk Kempthorne, US Ambassador to Tanzania; Mr. Mark Green; Bishop Thomas Laiser;
Mr. Michael Steele, Former Lieutenant Governor for Maryland; Ms. Melinda Doolittle, American Idol Singer; Mr. John Simon,
Executive Vice President, Overseas Private Investment Corporation; Franklin Moore, African Director, USAID, Washington.

June 23,2008. Shown above visiting Selian's Arusha Town Clinic are members of the US Delegation to the Sullivan Conference, an economic development forum that was held in Arusha from June 2 - 6. Roll your
cursor over the image to see a second image of the visit.

June 3, 2008
The Selian plastic surgery team, lead by volunteer plastic surgeon,
Bill Brown from Denver, Colorado created and transplanted a new
nose for a patient who lost hers to cancer. To see more, click here.

Selian Team Conquers Kili! Registrar Gloria Temu, University of
Minnesota medical students Colleen Kniffen and Esther Kao, and
Colleen's husband Drew did it. To see more photos of their climb,
click here.

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Match Night, March 20, 2008

"Match night" is the time when our US externs learn where they have matched for internship. Results are posted at 7 PM and is occasion for a party. Above, Esther Kao and Colleen Kniffen see their results on the internet. To see more, click here.
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Lt to Rt: Arusha Diocese Bishop Thomas Laiser, Hospital Administrator John Tanaki,
Dr. Mark Jacobson, President Jakaya Kikwete and Dr. Kipuyo

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete recently visited the new Arusha
Lutheran Medical Center which is nearing completion and scheduled
to open in June 2008.

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Mr. Tyler Erickson, an American Lutheran Volunteer Administrator, recently settled into Arusha and Selian Hospital for one year to assist our staff with the transition to the new Arusha Lutheran Medical Center, scheduled to open in March 2008.

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Lt to Rt: John Tanaki, Selian Hospital Administrator; Mr. Israel Kary'ongi, General Secretary
of the Arusha Diocese; Dr Kipuyo; Dr. Jacobson; Ambassador Green and Head Nurse Felix Mollel

Newly appointed United States Ambassador Mark Green visited Selian
Lutheran Hospital and toured the new Arusha Lutheran Medical Center
with Dr. Jacobson, Mr. Israel Kary'ongi and other members of the staff.

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Two of Selian's cosponsored students from the Maasai Lutheran Girls Secondary School completed the Occupational Therapy Diploma and join the staff at Selian.  Magdalena Tobico and Jaclyn Shambulo were proudly arrayed in traditional Maasai dress at their graduation.  What a wonderful and colorful celebration was shared by all.

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Recent and upcoming (October 2007):

- The official opening of the Arusha Lutheran Medical Center
will take place on March 9th, 2008.

- Dr. Geoffrey Kibira has completed his orthopedic residency
and rejoined the Selian staff.

- The Wheat Ridge Foundation, Itasca, Illinois, has provided
Selian with a $30,000 grant to support outreach clinics for
crippled children.

- Drs. Nnko and Sweke have now returned after a three month
exchange program with Exempla Health Care in Denver, Colorado.

- Dr. Jenny Wagener, general surgeon and missionary from
New Zealand has joined the Selian staff. Dr. Wagener has special
expertise in laparoscopic surgery.

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2.October.07 Internist and Epidemiologist Dr. William Stauffer from the University of Minnesota has rejoined the Selian staff for the current academic year. Dr. Stauffer will attend on Selian's medical and pediatric wards and continue his research into intestinal diseases.
Welcome back, Bill!

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2.October.07 Drs. Mark Jacobson and Elibariki Nnko at the bedside of a patient celebrating the 'Celebrate Life' project and the fundraising effort, the Mt. Kilimanjaro 'Climb for Life'. And recent efforts by the Rotary Clubs in California and Arusha raised over $86,000 for the Celebrate Life project!
For more on the 'Celebrate Life' project, click on the Orthopedic Institute link.
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Archives & Special Events:

News Archive 2004

News Archive 2005-6

'Match nights' 2004 & 2006

A Medical School Graduation 2006