To my dedicated staff and my cherished family, thank you for being part of this journey and for your unwavering commitment to the care of our patients. Your hard work, compassion, and resilience have propelled Alexia Hospital from a modest dispensary to the district hospital we are today, and your dedication continues to light our path forward.
We founded Alexia Hospital on April 22, 2014, starting as a local dispensary in Toangoma, Temeke District, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It began with just a few rooms and four permanent employees. Alexia — the hospital name — was coined from the names of two of my daughters, Alexis and Angela. Since 2014, there has been no looking back, and through faith, dedication, and the commitment of a wonderful team, we have reached this point.
I may not be able to name all of you, but I would especially like to thank the following people for their immense contribution. My better half and moral compass, Vinetta, for all her support, putting up with my constant travels and keeping me on my toes as she likes to call it. My Children (Diamond and crew) for the necessary headaches—you all mean everything to me.
There are people I called at odd hours of the night and whose brains I picked to make tough decisions along the way, which, as I look back today, shaped us into what we are. This segment is dedicated to you all, some who started the journey with me and others who continue to be part of it. My mother and her team of prayer warriors, my brothers Paul and John for the constant push, the mother to the girls—full of compassion, energy, and a fine medic. The beginners: Dr Julius, Dr Tweve, Dr Lucinde, who guided us through the very first steps. Kinga Mazurek, Mrs Akbal, Hamisi Muhagama, Mrs Violet K, Flora Kessy, Warda J., and Adelaide—you were all there with me even when things did not look too good. Special thanks to our great medical team: in no particular order Drs. Shija, Seif, Jacob, and Tumaini, who have led the team in ensuring we provide the very best care to our patients. Members of my Think Tank commonly referred to as the HMT, past and present: Grace Georgia, Anastasia, Esther, Kespher, Beatrice, Dr. Sion, Wambi, and Dr. Kitange. I appreciate your contributions and you are part of the success story that Alexia Hospital represents today. My Personal Assistant, Najma Maalim, for keeping things straight—thank you.
I also want to thank our banking partners, suppliers, and medical insurance partners for their continued support. Our association with you has helped us grow as any business relationship should. As we aspire to become a regional hospital in the near future, we do not take it for granted. Our growth from a Dispensary with four staff members, eight rooms, and then expanding to a health centre and now a district hospital has been made possible by all our staff members. I take pride in each and every one of you. And just like my favorite quote from C.J. Price in a memo he sent to his staff at Parkland Memorial Hospital on November 27, 1963, following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy: “An organization is as good as the people who run it.” You are the organization. You are Alexia Hospital. All of you.
With gratitude,
Dr. Humphrey CEO, Alexia Hospital
DALLAS COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT Office Memorandum November 27, 1963
To: All Employees
At 12:38 p.m., Friday, November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy and Texas’ Governor John Connally were brought to the Emergency Room of Parkland Memorial Hospital after being struck down by the bullets of an assassin.
At 1:07 p.m., Sunday, November 24, 1963, Lee. H. Oswald, accused assassin of the late president, died in an operating room of Parkland Memorial Hospital after being shot by a bystander in the basement of Dallas’ City Hall. In the intervening 48 hours and 31 minutes Parkland Memorial Hospital had:
1. Become the temporary seat of the government of the United States. 2. Become the temporary seat of the government of the State of Texas. 3. Become the site of the death of the 35th President. 4. Become the site of the ascendency of the 36th President. 5. Become site of the death of President Kennedy’s accused assassin. 6. Twice become the center of the attention of the world. 7. Continued to function at close to normal pace as a large charity hospital.
What is it that enables an institution to take in stride such a series of history jolting events? Spirit? Dedication? Preparedness? Certainly, all of these are important, but the underlying factor is people. People whose education and training is sound. People whose judgement is calm and perceptive. People whose actions are deliberate and definitive. Our pride is not that we were swept up by the whirlwind of tragic history, but that when we were, we were not found wanting.
