Corrado Cancedda - Center for Global Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Philip Cotton - Office of the Vice-Chancellor, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Joseph Shema - Rwanda Human Resources for Health Program Team, Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda
Stephen Rulisa - Office of the Dean, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Robert Riviello - Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Lisa V. Adams - Center for Health Equity, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
Paul E. Farmer - Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Jeanne N. Kagwiza - Office of the Principal, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Patrick Kyamanywa - Department of Surgery, Faculty of Clinical Medicine and Dentistry, Kampala International University - Western Campus, Ishaka, Uganda
Donatilla Mukamana - School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Chrispinus Mumena - Office of the Dean and Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
David K. Tumusiime - School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Lydie Mukashyaka - Rwanda Human Resources for Health Program Team, Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda
Esperance Ndenga - Rwanda Human Resources for Health Program Team, Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda
Theogene Twagirumugabe - Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Kaitesi B. Mukara - Department of Ear, Nose, and Throat, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Vincent Dusabejambo - Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Timothy D. Walker - Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Emmy Nkusi - Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Lisa Bazzett-Matabele - Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
Alex Butera - Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rwanda Military Hospital, Kigali, Rwanda
Belson Rugwizangoga - Department of Pathology, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Jean Claude Kabayiza - Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Simon Kanyandekwe - Department of Mental Health, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Louise Kalisa - Department of Radiology, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Faustin Ntirenganya - Department of Surgery, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Jeffrey Dixson - Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
Tanya Rogo - Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA
Natalie McCall - Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
Mark Corden - Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Rex Wong - Global Health Leadership Institute, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
Madeleine Mukeshimana - School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Agnes Gatarayiha - Office of the Dean and Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Egide Kayonga Ntagungira - School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Attila Yaman - Division of Global Health Equity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Juliet Musabeyezu - University of Global Health Equity, Kigali, Rwanda
Anne Sliney - Clinton Health Access Initiative, Boston, MA, USA
Tej Nuthulaganti - Clinton Health Access Initiative, Boston, MA, USA
Meredith Kiernan - Clinton Health Access Initiative, Boston, MA, USA
Peter Okwi - Clinton Health Access Initiative, Kigali, Rwanda
Joseph Rhatigan - Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Jane Barrow - Office of Global and Community Health, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
Kim Wilson - Department of General Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Adam C. Levine - Department of Emergency Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
Rebecca Reece - Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
Michael Koster - Department of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
Rachel T. Moresky - sidHARTe Program, Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA
Jennifer E. O’Flaherty - Department of Anesthesiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
Paul E. Palumbo - Department of Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
Rashna Ginwalla - Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA
Cynthia A. Binanay - Duke Hubert-Yeargan Center for Global Health, Durham, NC, USA
Nathan Thielman - Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
Michael Relf - Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, NC, USA
Rodney Wright - Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women’s Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City, NY, USA
Mary Hill - Division of Nursing, Howard University College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA
Deborah Chyun - University of Connecticut School of Nursing, Storrs, CT, USA
Robin T. Klar - New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York City, NY, USA
Linda L. McCreary - University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing, Chicago, IL, USA
Tonda L. Hughes - Columbia University School of Nursing, New York City, NY, USA
Marik Moen - Department of Family & Community Health, University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA
Valli Meeks - Department of Oncology & Diagnostic Sciences, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, MD, USA
Beth Barrows - Office of Global Health, University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA
Marcel E. Durieux - Department of Anesthesiology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
Craig D. McClain - Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Amy Bunts - Department of Surgery, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
Forrest J. Calland - Department of Surgery, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
Bethany Hedt-Gauthier - Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Danny Milner - Center for Global Health, American Society for Clinical Pathology, Chicago, IL, USA
Giuseppe Raviola - Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Stacy E. Smith - Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Meenu Tuteja - Global Health and Research Programs, Biomedical Research Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston MA, USA
Urania Magriples - Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
Asghar Rastegar - Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
Linda Arnold - Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
Ira Magaziner - Clinton Health Access Initiative, Boston, MA, USA
Agnes Binagwaho - Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

BackgroundThe Rwanda Human Resources for Health Program (HRH Program) is a ۷-year (۲۰۱۲-۲۰۱۹) health professional training initiative led by the Government of Rwanda with the goals of training a large, diverse, and competent health workforce and strengthening the capacity of academic institutions in Rwanda. MethodsThe data for this organizational case study was collected through official reports from the Rwanda Ministry of Health (MoH) and ۲۲ participating US academic institutions, databases from the MoH and the College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS) in Rwanda, and surveys completed by the co-authors. ResultsIn the first ۵ years of the HRH Program, a consortium of US academic institutions has deployed an average of ۹۹ visiting faculty per year to support ۲۲ training programs, which are on track to graduate almost ۴۶۰۰ students by ۲۰۱۹. The HRH Program has also built capacity within the CMHS by promoting the recruitment of Rwandan faculty and the establishment of additional partnerships and collaborations with the US academic institutions. ConclusionThe milestones achieved by the HRH Program have been substantial although some challenges persist. These challenges include adequately supporting the visiting faculty; pairing them with Rwandan faculty (twinning); ensuring strong communication and coordination among stakeholders; addressing mismatches in priorities between donors and implementers; the execution of a sustainability strategy; and the decision by one of the donors not to renew funding beyond March ۲۰۱۷. Over the next ۲ academic years, it is critical for the sustainability of the ۲۲ training programs supported by the HRH Program that the health-related Schools at the CMHS significantly scale up recruitment of new Rwandan faculty. The HRH Program can serve as a model for other training initiatives implemented in countries affected by a severe shortage of health professionals.

Health Professional Training, Human Resource for Health, Institutional Capacity, Strengthening, Academic Partnerships, Rwanda