Dr. Richard Hubbard's Work Supports Sustainable Pediatric Cardiac Care in Rwanda

The collaboration between the University of Maryland Baltimore, and King Faisel Hospital in Kigali represents a model of sustainable global health partnership. Rather than short-term missions, the program is designed to embed expertise locally and build lasting capacity.

Dr. Abdul Jabbar, an interventional pediatric cardiologist from Bangladesh, joined the team as a key collaborator, bringing international expertise to Rwanda's growing cardiac care program.

Central to the mission is Dr. Misago Gerard, who has become Rwanda's first interventional pediatric cardiologist — a milestone that marks a turning point for the country's capacity to deliver life-saving care independently. Dr. Misago was trained alongside the University of Maryland team at King Faisel Hospital. His leadership is central to the program's long-term sustainability and independence. His expertise ensures that life-saving pediatric cardiac care will continue in Rwanda beyond any visiting teams presence.

Future Initiatives & Educational Programs

Global health partnerships rarely happen overnight.

They are built through years of relationships, trust, persistence, and a willingness to invest in people long before measurable outcomes appear. Few understand this better than Dr. Richard Hubbard, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Director of Global Anesthesiology.

While many clinicians devote their careers to caring for patients, Dr. Hubbard has also dedicated his career to building something equally enduring: international partnerships that strengthen healthcare systems and create opportunities for future generations of physicians.

His work spans Rwanda, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and other low- and middle-income countries, where he has collaborated with local institutions to expand medical education, strengthen anesthesiology training, and improve surgical capacity through sustainable partnerships rather than short-term missions. Among Dr. Hubbard's many international collaborations, Rwanda represents one of the most exciting examples of sustainable capacity building.

This year, three new educational initiatives are launching in partnership with colleagues in Rwanda, including new medical student electives, anesthesiology residency rotations, and plans for a groundbreaking cardiac anesthesiology fellowship.

Many assume that successful international collaborations begin with one trip or one project. His experience tells a different story. "I couldn't be successful with the project I'm running now without having followed around for 15 years."

Looking ahead, the partnership has ambitious plans to deepen its educational impact across the region:

• Cardiac Anesthesiology Fellowship — launching in 2027, this will be the first such fellowship program on the African continent, training specialists to support complex pediatric cardiac procedures.
• Medical Student Electives — students from UMB will rotate through King Faisel Hospital, gaining hands-on global health experience and contributing to the program's teaching mission.
• Anesthesiology Residency Rotations — structured rotations will build a pipeline of trained anesthesiology residents equipped for pediatric cardiac care across Rwanda and the broader region.

A Vision That Aligns with the Global Health Alliance

The University of Maryland Global Health Alliance seeks to connect expertise across disciplines while creating sustainable collaborations worldwide.

Dr. Hubbard's work exemplifies that mission.

Rather than measuring success by the number of international trips taken, he measures it by the systems built, the people mentored, and the opportunities created for others to continue the work.

As new collaborations continue to emerge across Rwanda, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and beyond, his approach serves as a reminder that the strongest global health partnerships are those designed not only to succeed today, but to thrive for decades to come.