STAFF

PRONTO International Staff

Heidi Breeze-Harris – Executive Director

Ms. Breeze-Harris has 8 years of leadership in the for-profit sector and 18 years in the global NGO sector. She has a proven track record of successfully growing businesses and directing organizations, programs, and projects in Africa; South, Southeast, and East Asia; Central America and the United States. Ms. Breeze-Harris’ work in maternal, child and women’s health includes health and nutrition, psychosocial and reintegration support groups for fistula survivors, domestic violence support groups, community-based safe motherhood leadership trainings, building grassroots advocacy groups for women’s health, youth-led sexual and reproductive health groups, coordinating between community health groups and health systems, and working with MNCH and SRH clinical providers in low-resource settings. She received her BA in Anthropology and International Studies from The Evergreen State College and her MA in International Studies from the University of Washington. She holds certificates in International Crisis Negotiation and Non-Profit Executive Leadership, both from the UW.

Kimberly Calkins, MA – Director of Curriculum

Kimberly Calkins has spent over 14 years working in maternal health in the global sector, and has worked at PRONTO International since 2012. She is PRONTO’s Director of Curriculum, overseeing PRONTO’s projects worldwide, and managing PRONTO’s curriculum and training development. She has a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Development from the School for International Training, with a focus on low-resource solutions to improve maternal health. She is also a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator through the Society for Simulation in Health (CHSE, SSIH), and is an adult learning expert. Prior to joining PRONTO, Kimberly worked as a Certified Birth Doula, and lived and worked in Nicaragua while working on a maternal health program.

Country Teams

India

Seema Handu, Ph.D. - Country Director, India

After a long and successful career as a scientist and entrepreneur in the pharmaceutical industry, Seema offers her management, leadership, relationship-building, and organizational skills to nonprofits.  She has worked extensively with several nonprofits on their global health-related programs and projects in India, Nepal, Ethiopia, and Ecuador.  Seema believes in PRONTO’s vision of improving birth outcomes and improving quality of care for mothers and their babies. She is using her management and organizational skills to further the mission of PRONTO in India. She maintains a home in India and the US.

Divya Vincent, B.Sc. Nursing - Obstetrical and Neonatal Simulation Specialist

Divya Vincent works as a Simulation Specialist with PRONTO International in Bihar, India. She holds a Bachelor of Nursing degree from D.Y. Patil University, Mumbai. She worked as a Clinical Nurse in Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai for one year and then as a Nurse Mentor at Christian Medical Association for AMANAT, a nurse mentoring program, in Bihar, India. Divya joined PRONTO because she is passionate about working as a trainer in the public health sector and she is inspired by the methodology that PRONTO uses to change the quality of maternal and neonatal health by refining a person’s knowledge and skills through simulations, debriefing and teamwork activities.

Nidhi Subramaniam, B.Sc. Nursing - Obstetrical and Neonatal Simulation Specialist

Nidhi Subramaniam is PRONTO International’s Simulation Specialist for Uttar Pradesh. She holds a degree of B.Sc. (Hons) Nursing from Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, GGSIP University, Delhi, India. Prior to joining PRONTO, Nidhi worked as a Nursing Tutor at the College of Nursing, U.P., as well as a clinical nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at Tirath Ram Shah Hospital, Delhi, India. As a former Nurse Mentor for CARE India Mobile Nurse-Midwifery Mentoring Program in Bihar, Nidhi was fascinated with the teaching methods of PRONTO and looks forward to continuing her work with PRONTO to improve the knowledge of healthcare providers through low-tech, highly realistic simulation and team-training.

Kenya-Based PRONTO Simulation Educators

Annette Osimbo Okwaro - Nurse-Midwife

Annette Osimbo Okwaro is a nurse-midwife from Kenya. She began as a PRONTO trainer in Migori, Kenya as part of the Preterm Birth Initiative. She has been a PRONTO trainer and facilitator for the past 6 years, and trained as a Master Trainer in Nigeria and Mozambique. She loves getting to be a part of PRONTO and its ability to grow healthcare workers skills and confidence in handling emergencies. Doing so brings her much joy as she knows this work is saving mothers and babies lives.

Chrisencia Owoko - Nurse-Midwife

Chrisencia Owoko is a nurse-midwife and has been a PRONTO trainer for three years, starting as part of PRONTO’s Preterm Birth Initiative in Kenya. She has since trained in Mozambique and Malawi. She is passionate about the work PRONTO does, and is motivated by the desire she sees in health care workers after simulation and debrief to make a difference as individuals, teams, and systems to improve the quality of care given to patients.

Jenipher Okore - Nurse-Midwife

Jenipher is a nurse-midwife from Kenya. She was a PRONTO trainer in Migori, Kenya for 3 years as part of their Preterm Birth Initiative. She has since trained for PRONTO as a Master Trainer in Nigeria and Malawi. She admires PRONTO for  its ability to reward innovation, build effective teamwork, and produce results.

Josline Wangia - Nurse-Midwife

Josline is a nurse-midwife with over 10 years’ experience working as a service provider delivering health care specifically in areas of maternal and child health. She has worked with ICAP (International Centre for AIDS Programme) in partnership with MOH at MCH and maternity in areas of PMCTC/EID triage, treatment and referral. She served for over 3 years as a clinical mentor for Preterm Birth Initiative in Migori County using PRONTO’s team building and simulation as a teaching methodology with diverse knowledge on QI. Josline holds Bachelors of Science in Nursing.

Leakey Kizili Masavah - Nurse

Leakey Kizili Masavah is a registered nurse by profession, holding a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing and a diploma in project management. He is currently pursuing a Masters in Nursing (Midwifery).

Leakey has 8 years experience working with the Kenya Ministry of Health, mostly in rural facilities as a Nurse/Midwife practitioner. He is passionate about maternal and neonatal health; previously having been a clinical mentor with IPAS Africa Alliance intervening in comprehensive abortion care services, adolescent and youth reproductive health program. He was a trainer for PRONTO modular trainings in Kakamega County, Kenya, a PRONTO mentor in Migori County, Kenya, and a Lead Q.I mentor in the Preterm Birth Initiative Kenya program. Most recently, he worked with PRONTO in Mozambique training clinical mentors. Currently he works with Save the Children as a health officer intervening in Nairobi informal settlements.

U.S Based Master Trainers

In addition to our Master Trainers in India and Kenya, PRONTO works with a talented group of practicing nurses and midwives who bring their clinical background, simulation and team training skills, and global health and foreign language skills to PRONTO trainings around the world.