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Cyamatare Felix Rwabukwisi, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Public Health
Department of Medical Education
North Campus

LOCATION(S)
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Medical Sciences Building
525 Pine St.
Office 2011
Scranton, PA 18509
570-558-4268
crwabukwisi@som.geisinger.edu

Assistant Professor of Public Health

Biography

In the field of public health, Felix C. Rwabukwisi, MD, MPH’s focus has been to link research, education and implementation to ensure that service delivery is evidence-based and contributes to innovation. Dr. Rwabukwisi has served as a field researcher and implementation leader for health system strengthening research in rural Africa. Additionally, he designed and lead multiple implementation research projects to improve the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Health System Building Blocks Framework in rural Rwanda. He has always strived to produce work that brings positive change in the health system and improves the lives within communities he serves while finding better ways to engage community members in the process. With the same approach in mind, he has held an assistant professor appointment at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine since 2017.

Recent publications

  • Iyer HS, Hirschhorn LR, Nisingizwe MP, Kamanzi E, Drobac PC, Rwabukwisi FC, Law MR, Muhire A, Rusanganwa V, Basinga P. (2017) Impact of a district-wide health center strengthening intervention on healthcare utilization in rural Rwanda: Use of interrupted time series analysis. PLoS ONE 12(8): e0182418. Full text
  • Neza Guillaine, Wilberforce Mwizerwa, Jackline Odhiambo, Bethany L. Hedt Gauthier,Lisa R. Hirschhorn, Placidie Mugwaneza, Jean Paul Umugisha, Felix Rwabukwisi Cyamatare, Christine Mutaganzwa, Neil Gupta, A Novel Combined Mother-Infant Clinic to Optimize Post-Partum Maternal Retention, Service Utilization, and Linkage to Services in HIV Care in Rural Rwanda.  International Journal of MCH and AIDS (2017), Volume 6, Issue 1, 36-45
  • Jackline Odhiambo, Felix Cyamatare Rwabukwisi, Christian Rusangwa, Vincent Rusanganwa, Lisa Ruth Hirschhorn, Evrard Nahimana, Patient Ngamije, Bethany Lynn Hedt-Gauthier. Health worker attrition at a rural district hospital in Rwanda: a need for improved placement and retention strategies. Pan African Medical Journal 27, 168, 04/07/2017
  • Rwabukwisi FC, Hedt-Gauthier BL, Ribakare M, Mukamana J, Gatesi Y, Stulac S, Drobac P, Amoroso C, Gupta N. (2016) Five-year outcomes among children receiving antiretroviral therapy in a community-based accompaniment program in rural Rwanda. Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases; 35 (11): 1222-4. DOI: 10.1097/INF.0000000000001281
  • Mary C. Smith Fawzi, Lauren Ng, Fredrick Kanyanganzi, Catherine Kirk, Justin Bizimana, Felix Cyamatare R, Christina Mushashi, Taehoon Kim, Yvonne Kayiteshonga, Agnes Binagwaho, Theresa S. Betancourt. Mental Health and Antiretroviral Adherence among Youth Living With HIV in Rwanda. Pediatrics. 2016;138(4):e20153235
  • Remy Pacifique Ntirenganya, Valens Mugiraneza, Bethany L. Hedt-Gauthier, Marie Paul Nisingizwe, Anicet Nyawakira, John Nyiligira, Felix Rwabukwisi Cyamatare, Isaie Nsabimana, Regis Habimana, Frederic Muhoza, Cheryl L. Amoroso. Assessing prescribing patterns of essential medicines in three rural district hospitals in Rwanda. International Journal of Pharmacy, 2015, 5(3)
  • Lauren C Ng, Catherine M Kirk, Frederick Kanyanganzi, Mary C Smith Fawzi, Vincent Sezibera, Evelyne Shema, Justin I Bizimana, Felix R Cyamatare, Theresa S Betancourt. Risk and protective factors of suicidal ideation and behaviour in Rwandan children. The British journal of psychiatry: the journal of mental science 06/2015
  • Hedt-Gauthier, C. Amoroso, C. Warugaba, F. Cyamatare Rwabukwisi, N. Gupta, V. Rusanganwa, M. Murray, P. Drobac, P. Farmer. Building equity in the global health research agenda: The partners in health-harvard medical school research partnership in Rwanda. Annals of Global Health; 02/2015
  • Theresa Betancourt, Pamela Scorza, Frederick Kanyanganzi, Mary C Smith Fawzi, Vincent Sezibera, Felix Cyamatare R, William Beardslee, Sara Stulac, Justin I Bizimana, Anne Stevenson, Yvonne Kayiteshonga. HIV and Child Mental Health: A Case-Control Study in Rwanda. Pediatrics 07/2014; 134(2)
  • Theresa S. Betancourta, Lauren C. Ng, Catherine M. Kirk, Morris Munyanahc, Christina Mushashi, Charles Ingabirec Sharon Teta, William R. Beardslee, Robert T. Brennan, Ista Zahn, Sara Stulac, Felix R. Cyamatare, Vincent Sezibera. Family-based prevention of mental health problems in children affected by HIV and AIDS: an open trial. AIDS 2014, 28 (Suppl 3):S359–S368
  • Anatole Manzi, Hema Magge, Bethany L Hedt-Gauthier, Annie P Michaelis, Felix R Cyamatare, Laetitia Nyirazinyoye, Lisa R Hirschhorn, Joseph Ntaganira. Clinical mentorship to improve pediatric quality of care at the health centers in rural Rwanda: a qualitative study of perceptions and acceptability of health care workers. BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:275
  • Vasan A, Anatole M, Mezzacappa C, Hedt-Gauthier B, Hirschhorn L, Nkikabahizi F, Hagenimana M, Ndayisaba A, Cyamatare F, Nzeyimana B, Drobac P, Gupta N. Baseline assessment of adult and adolescent primary care delivery in Rwanda: an opportunity for quality improvement. BMC Health Services Research. 2013; 13:518.
  • Gupta N, Cyamatare FR, Niyigena P, Niyigena JW, Stulac S, Mugwaneza P, Drobac P, Rich M, Franke MF. Clinical outcomes of a comprehensive, integrated program for HIV-exposed infants: A three-year experience promoting HIV-free survival in rural Rwanda. JAIDS. 2013; 1(62):109-114.
  • Merkel E, Gupta N, Nyirimana A, Niyonsenga S, Nahimana E, Stulac S, Drobac P, Cyamatare F. Clinical Outcomes Among HIV-Positive Adolescents Attending an Integrated and Comprehensive Adolescent-Focused HIV Care Program in Rural Rwanda. Journal of HIV/AIDS & Social Services. 2013:12(3-4).
  • Theresa S. Betancourt; Sarah E. Meyers-Ohki; Anne Stevenson; Charles Ingabire; Fredrick Kanyanganzi; Morris Munyana; Christina Mushashi; Sharon Teta; Ildephonse Fayida; Felix Rwabukwisi Cyamatare; Sara Stulac;William R. Beardslee. Using Mixed-Methods Research To Adapt And Evaluate A Family Strengthening Intervention In Rwanda. African Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2, 32-45
  • Hema Magge, Manzi Anatole, Felix Rwabukwisi Cyamatare, Catherine Mezzacappa, Fulgence Nkikabahizi, Saleh Niyonzima, Peter C Drobac, Fidele Ngabo, Lisa R Hirschhorn. Mentoring and quality improvement strengthen integrated management of childhood illness implementation in rural Rwanda. Global Maternal Health Conference; 03/2013

Education

Master’s in Public Health/Clinical Effectiveness (2011 – 2014) – Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
MD, General Medicine (2000 – 2007) – Faculty of Medicine, National University of Rwanda
Graduate certificate in Conflict Transformation & Civil Society Initiatives (2009 – 2010) – School of International Training Graduate Institute, Vermont