Dr Joyce Kamanzi | Here For You

Personal Info

Degrees

Postdoctoral fellowship in Maternal and child health, faculty of health, York University, Canada (2022-2023); PhD in Nursing, community health and maternal and child health, University of Alberta, Canada (2018-2021); Masters in Nursing, Community health and maternal and child health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (2011-2013); Bachelor (Hon) in Nursing, Health services Administration, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (2009-2011); and Advanced diploma in General Nursing, University of Rwanda, Rwanda (2003-2007).

Biography

Dr Joyce Kamanzi is an internationally trained scholar, nurse, and researcher. Dr Kamanzi completed her Postdoctoral Fellowship, in the Faculty of Health, York University and her doctoral studies at the Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Canada. Dr. Kamanzi is an established researcher and her program of research focuses on socio determinant of health, patient safety, quality healthcare services, mental health, community health, health promotion and disease prevention, maternal and child health, and frontlines practices that protect and promote the health of low socioeconomic populations. Her interest expands to childhood illness, HIV/ AIDS, and mother-to-child transmission of HIV during prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal periods. Dr Kamanzi has done formal course works that build her with solid theoretical and strong interest in implementation sciences such as advanced principles and practices of qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods research.

Research Area

Dr Kamanzi’s research program focuses on the maternal and child health, mental wellbeing and community health and more specifically on social determinants of health to inform public policies and frontline practices to protect and promote health of the low socio-economic, vulnerable, and marginalized populations. Dr Kamanzi has led research projects and understood the complexities and intersections of cultures, gender, ethnicity, and other dimension of difference. She has a strong sense of equity and social justice and she is aware of contextual, cultural and gender related factors that influence the delivery of care. Dr. Kamanzi participated in different research projects in relation of vulnerable women in Canada, team intelligence concept, Dementia, sexual reproductive health, the use of telephone to prevent mental health crises, and peer support youth suicide prevention. She engages in research focusing on HIV and disabilities of people living with HIV, health of young adults with developmental disabilities, quality of life of people living with HIV, radicalized youths’ mental health and identity, child and maternal healthcare, Immigrant/refugees families, psychological health, and health system access to immigrants. In Rwanda, Dr. Kamanzi engages in research with time management, self-medication and antibiotics resistance, how accurate and effective the results phlebotomy unity, and patient safety and long term quality performance at CHUB. She participates in service and community activities, engages in different knowledge mobilizations actions and has a well-developed plan to continue with further dissemination. A further focus of her research is on building capacity for partnerships and collaboration to address global health related issues affecting mothers, children, youth, immigrants and refugees, and other vulnerable populations. Dr Kamanzi believes that local and global collaboration has always been a fundamental part of clinical, education, and research development. Globalization is accelerating the scope, rate, and importance of international research. She highlights that global collaboration is a prerequisite to bring different perspectives to dialogue on key national and global issues; it facilitates our contribution to the global collection of knowledge and expertise on the management of maternal and child health as well as social determinants of health. It is essential that researchers combine resources and expertise on an international scale to adequately address complex and interconnected global issues. Dr Kamanzi independently took the initiative to become a member of the Canadian Association of Nurses in HIV/AIDS Care (CANAC); Canadian HIV/AIDS Black, African, and Caribbean Network (CHABAC); Women and Children’s Health Research Institute (WCHRI); and Professional membership of Public Health Association of South Africa (PHASA). She additionally built connection, collaboration, and partnership with different organizations (such as la Fondation Madeleine Sanam Foundation, la Fondation Franco Albertan, Africa Centre, Edmonton Community Foundation. Ribbon Rouge Foundation, HIV Edmonton, Canadian HIV/AIDS Black, African, and Caribbean Network, Africans in Partnership Against AIDS, Afro-Canadian Positive Network of British Columbia, HereForYou, Building Systems for Health, Umubano IMPORE, and Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention) and Universities (such as University Teaching Hospital of Butare, MacEwan University, University of Saskatchewan, University of Alberta, Memorial University, and York University.

Academic Area

Dr Kamanzi is an exceptional professional with strong academic background with a remarkable personality. Since 2012, Dr Kamanzi supervised different research projects and works as lecturer in different universities such as Catholic University of Rwanda, Kibogora Polytechnic of Rwanda, Gitwe University, York University, and University of Calgary in Quatar. To enhance her leadership abilities, Kamanzi participates in both local and international leadership activities and was nominated and elected as Executive Director of HereForYou, NGO, Rwanda; Honorary Research Assistant at CHUB, Rwanda, and Board member and secretary of Madeleine Sanam Foundation, NGO, Canada. Kamanzi has received and managed a variety of small grants from the TD Bank Group Grant, Lillian Meighen Wright Foundation Scholarship, Africans in Partnership Against AIDS, International Development Research Center (IDRC), Graduate International Research Mobility Award, and Dr Christine Newburn-Cook International Graduate Award, An Alice Thomas, Molly Spohn Research Travel Grant, and Alice R Thomas & amp; Campbell-Hope International. It is important to note she speaks and writes both the French and English language.

Quality Healthcare Program

Dr Kamanzi has demonstrated leadership and commitment in supporting quality healthcare services, promoting patient safety and clinical activities, and conducting research. She is a cornerstone of quality program at University Teaching Hospital of Butare (CHUB) and has been recognized as the best employee in 2014 and 2015. She is an exceptional professional with a strong academic background, remarkable personality, and believes that patient care can be improved through collaboration in clinical, education, research, and quality healthcare services activities. Dr Kamanzi has acquired solid managerial and leadership skills of planning, evaluating, and managing different projects and programs as well as providing technical leadership and strategic directions to achieve expected outcomes. Dr Kamanzi has good working experiences in supporting Ministry of health and hospitals in quality healthcare services, patient safety, and accreditation program in Rwanda. Since 2012, she facilitated accreditation program at CHUB using CHOHSASA standards. In 2014, she was certified surveyor by Joint Commission International (JCI) in collaboration with Ministry of Health and became surveyor instructor in 2015. Dr Kamanzi worked as mentor of surveyors, team leader, surveyor and facilitated the training of the new surveyors as surveyor instructor. Dr Kamanzi supports hospitals and other governmental and non governmental organization in the development of policies, procedures, and strategies (2014-up to now); facilitated the clinical audit and clinical documentation audits (2012-2022), and supported organization in drafting quality improvement projects (2014-up to now). She worked as advisor and/or facilitator of different committees such as: ethics, (2014-2024), quality management and improvement (2012-2018), clinical services advisory committee (2016-2018), hospital senior management (CODI)) of CHUB (2015-2018), and quality improvement committee (2012-2018). Her role as a quality manager was to ensure services are implemented at the highest standards and patients receive the highest level of care through regular clinical audit and policies and procedures monitoring and update to meet standards of practices. As certified surveyor for the Rwanda hospital accreditation program, Dr Kamanzi investigated the implementation of standards of professional practice and the regulations to meet professional standards of practices. She developed knowledge and experience in analyzing legal documents and providing recommendations for quality improvement and was a part-time consultant with USAID under the project of Rwanda Health Systems Strengthening Activities (RHSSA). Dr Kamanzi worked as quality checker with Management Sciences for Health (MSH) and Ministry of Health Team to review and update performance assessment toolkit of Rwanda Essential Hospital Accreditation Standards. Since 2014, she worked as mentor of surveyors, team leader

Clinical Area

Dr Kamanzi is a trained nurse licensed as registered nurse in National Council of Nurses and Midwives (NCNM) (2013 up to now), Rwanda. Dr Kamanzi worked as nurse manager at Rubona Health Center under the Ministry of Health employment (1994-1999) and has managed a private clinic in Rwanda (1999 up to now). Kamanzi joined the University Teaching Hospital of Butare and worked as nurse (2007-2008, was promoted to nurse in charge and supervised medical, nursing and midwife students (2008-2012), and became quality manager (2013-2016) Director of Quality (2017-2028) And went back to school. During her clinical activities, Dr Kamanzi rotates in different departments including Internal, Surgery, Theatre, Pediatric, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, outpatient, Intensive Care Unity, and Community Health. Dr Kamanzi is very skilled, responsible, efficient, enthusiastic, and kind hearted individual. While working at Catholic Social Services in Canada , Dr Kamanzi constantly provided safe and sympathetic nursing care to Saint Rira’s Residents and their families (2018-2022). She developed professional relationships with co-workers and patients and had an admirable attendance record. Finally, Dr Kamanzi is a hard-working person with integrity, excellent communication skills and teamwork spirit. She is committed and dedi44cated to work, highly organized and able to fulfill her job independently and in timely manner. She is a reliable person, amicable and capable of getting along very well with co-workers and colleagues. She is adaptable to different situations, excellent in planning her work and able to work on different tasks concurrently. She has good problem-solving skills to make appropriate decision. It was and still is her career goal to combine her experience with her ability to work in ethical ways, think strategically and creatively, develop knowledge with other academics, clinicians, researchers, and cultures, share knowledge and skills with other experienced people, and give and receive constructive feedback.