He met his wife during his surgery training when she worked as an ICU nurse at the University hospital. She now manages his office as well as raising their children. He could return to the US to practice but prefers to stay in Kenya. The volunteers who see him are initially taken aback by this obviously Kenyan male who speaks English with a mid-western American accent. He is trying to develop a cardiac surgery program in Nairobi, but is frustrated by the lack of skilled nurses and technicians.
Most people here think of South Africa as the place to go for cardiac surgery.
He reminds me of some of the well-trained surgeons I met in small communities in rural northern California. They wanted to use the advanced skills they had received in their training and often resented the implication that you get better care for major surgery in the large urban hospitals. D. and M. represent the best of the United States contribution to international health through the Centers for Disease Control. I have been surprised by the large CDC presence in Eastern Africa. These two physicians typify the epidemiologist- researcher in international health.