As MHI seeks to move care forward, we face new challenges - how to harness rapidly evolving internet technologies, how to stay relevant with the changing dynamics of missions, how to expand our reach without diverging from our founding premise. Ken Gamble, MD
President, Missionary Health Institute
Let's look back on the history of Missionary Health Institute as it celebrates its eightieth anniversary.
"MHI should not be an option for missionaries going overseas"
"The first thing I felt when I walked into MHI was: I can slow down here, and it's ok!"
A sample of our missionary training videos
"We offer comprehensive services, and provide a convenient way for you to take charge of your health. Our Mango services give you access to a secure online health record. Included with Mango are up to 3 email or video conferencing consultations per year."
Since 1930 our essence has been intentional care for missionaries. The work is not limited to a medical examination, a travel consultation, or a counselling session. Missionary Health Institute's expert psychologists, travel medicine specialists, and family doctors provide integrated care. We are an evidence based, multidisciplinary organization – unique in North America. Our strategy: to instil self-care essentials, empowering missionaries and their families.
In the 19th century, an absence of missionary healthcare prompted the pragmatic to pack their belongings in coffins. The malaria and other tropical diseases that made Africa "white man's grave" for mission pioneers are still lethal threats.
Medical capabilities have burgeoned since David Livingston. But even the best medicines cannot remedy the stresses of leaving your country and your people, thrust into foreign world. Cross-cultural endeavours call for a continuity of care – for the whole being of a missionary. And for over 75 years, Missionary Health Institute has been providing missionaries with the individualized medical & psychosocial support they need to flourish.
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Ken Gamble is the President of MHI. Formerly serving as physician and medical superintendent of a hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Gamble joined the MHI staff in 1982. Unwittingly he became a pioneer in the field of travel medicine and has committed his career to the health management of expatriates. Concurrently he served as staff physician under Dr. Jay Keystone at the Center for Travel and Tropical Medicine until 2005.
Dr. Gamble has served as a longstanding member of the International Health Advisory committee for SIM International and served for eight years on CATMAT, an advisory committee to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Recently he received an honourary fellowship of travel medicine from the University of Glasgow.
Dr. Gamble has a keen interest in preventive health, risk management, research in expatriate health and has co-authored and published review articles on expatriate health.
He is married with two sons; his interests include cross-country running, biking and international travel.
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Donna Edwards, MD, has worked with MHI since 1996. With her characteristic thoroughness and caring approach, Dr Edwards effectively meets the needs of patients in our family practice as well as the varied medical needs of expatriates served by MHI.
Dr Edwards gained extensive medical experience living and working for 10 years in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Further to her medical training and over 20 years of experience in family practice, Dr Edwards holds a diploma in Tropical Medicine from the Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium. Dr Edwards is also a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
Dr Edwards loves being married to Bruce and has three grown children. Her interests include jewelry-making.
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Diana Heath, MD has been working at MHI since 1979. Before that, Dr. Heath worked alongside her husband at their family practice in Toronto.
In addition to caring for patients in her family practice at International Medical Services (the clinical support branch of Missionary Health Institute) and for international workers returning to Canada, Dr Heath also provides medical care to residents at two retirement homes and to many of the sisters at the Convent of St. John the Divine. She welcomes the opportunity to serve international workers through the services MHI provides and is actively involved in her local church. Dr Heath is married with four children and enjoys singing and playing the piano.
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Karen Stel, MD, has been working at MHI since 2002. Dr Stel gained invaluable experience in tropical medicine practices working in Mali, Kenya and Mexico prior to a two-year placement at Bongolo Hospital in Gabon, Central Africa, from 2003-2005.
Dr Stel is married to Nouhoum Coulibaly and although they live in Toronto, together they continue to serve needy communities in Mali and West Africa. They have two children and Dr. Stel takes great delight in balancing both her family and medical responsibilities.
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Becky Paonessa, RN, joined the MHI staff in 2004. Becky is the Nurse Manager at MHI serving our commitment to the members of the MANGO and CITRUS programs. She gently nudges expatriate members to ensure their compliance with current medical guidelines whereby their health and wellness is kept up-to-date and their effectiveness overseas is maximized.
Becky brings personal experience of being a Third Culture Kid (TCK) to bear on all she does and her deep understanding of the issues faced by children raised cross-culturally enables her to sensitively address their needs. She spent the first ten years of her life in the arctic of Alaska, followed by one year in France to learn French in preparation for eight years in Cote d'Ivoire. Adventures such as travelling by dog sled and raising exotic pets were the norm for Becky. Her varied educational background included home education as well as boarding school which add to the understanding she has for TCK experiences.
Becky has worked as a Pediatric ICU nurse and in Emergency Medicine before being trained as a Travel Health Nurse at International Medical Services (the clinical support branch of Missionary Health Institute).
Becky is married to Sam and has three children and a poodle named Lexie. Her interests include music, drama, gourmet cooking and reading.
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Duncan Westwood has an interdisciplinary doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology, Cross-Cultural Expatriate Studies and Spiritual Direction/Formation. As Clinical Director of Expatriate Care and Development at MHI, Duncan partners with physicians and nurses to compliment their medical interventions through mental and spiritual health screening, treatment, remote health guidance and debriefings at the three critical stages of the expatriate life cycle - pre-departure, overseas and re-entry/repatriation.
For over three decades, Duncan has been involved in expatriate care while residing in the U.K., S.E. Asia, the U.S.A. and now Canada. Having crossed multiple cultures with his wife and kids, Duncan is acutely aware of the diverse challenges facing expatriates.
As one of North America's leaders in expatriate care and development, Duncan keeps abreast of research across all the expatriate sectors - academic, corporate, diplomatic, military, mission and NGO - through his leadership contributions and participation in two annual conferences: Families in Global Transition (FIGT) and a gathering of mental health professionals involved in expatriate care (MHM). As a sought after speaker, Duncan accepts invitations to present plenary sessions, conduct workshops and facilitate retreats on expatriate care and development at different locations throughout North America and globally.
Duncan is married to Olwyn and has two adult TCK sons. He loves to read, write, walk his Old English sheepdog, Nia and hike through countryside and mountainous terrain.
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Jan Hartford, MA, conducts psychological screening for expatriate candidates and debriefing of returning expatriates, and with a genuinely empathetic approach, addresses the varied counselling needs of those working overseas.
Mrs. Hartford worked in Uganda for two years and served as the Canadian Director of Personnel for AIM (Canada) for six years. These experiences prepared her to understand the complexities of life faced by expatriates and the pressure points which impact expatriate resiliency and overall well-being while living and working cross-culturally. Mrs. Hartford has been involved with more than 30 international organizations over the past 20 years.
Mrs. Hartford is a clinical member with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and the Ontario Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. In addition, Mrs. Hartford has completed her basic training in E.M.D.R.
Mrs. Hartford is married and enjoys camping and traveling.
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Olwyn Westwood joined the MHI staff in 2000 and is the Sending Organization Liaison Officer at MHI. As one gifted in logistics and administration, Olwyn plays a key role in coordinating the various services offered through MHI. Olwyn ensures that personnel managers of sending organizations and expatriates are able to access the services most suited to their needs.
Olwyn gained invaluable experience while living in Taiwan for 11 years. Having been involved in expatriate care for over three decades, she has a natural empathy for, and immediate resonance with, those who live, grow up, and/or work abroad.
Olwyn is married to Duncan and together they raised their two sons across diverse cultures. Her interests include travelling and hiking.
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Dora is a Certified General Accountant and has been at MHI for more than 3 years. She graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. After graduation, Dora worked in the media industry for 8 years. As an immigrant from Hong Kong, Dora finds that her cross-cultural experience is a great asset to her service at MHI. Dora lives in GTA with her husband and their 3 cats.
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MHI begins serving the medical needs of Canadian missionaries in remote regions. Founders Alice Jeffries and Louise Kirby, RN, develop a curriculum to facilitate self-care in primitive conditions.
MHI's work expands. North York-based Bethesda Hospital treats missionaries suffering from tropical diseases and other disorders. The training program expands to provide certified instruction for nurses working abroad.
The charter of Bethseda Hospital is assumed by North York General Hospital. MHI focuses on missionary care and research into expatriate health.
MHI launches MANGO, an online service giving missionaries access to medical records from around the world.
MHI moves into its new HQ at 220 Duncan Mill Rd. The site is intentionally renovated to meet therapeutic needs of returning missionaries, conduct professional development seminars with sending organizations, and research missionary care.
MHI celebrates its 80th anniversary. Take a look back on our history by watching 
80 Years of MHI
The Story Behind MHI's Work
Preparing to Move Abroad