Meet Our Team

Dr. Dan Dewey, Co-founder, President

Daniel Dewey, MD, President and co-founder of World Altering Medicine, is a board certified family physician with an ongoing interest in emergency, tropical and developing world medicine. He has traveled extensively in North, Central and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Dr. Dewey completed his BA in Biology and Health Fitness at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota before serving 2 years in the US Peace Corps. His experience in the Peace Corps sparked his interest in medicine. Prior to attending medical school at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Dewey worked for American Field Service. He completed his Family Medicine Residency in Santa Rosa, CA, and then trained in HIV and tropical medicine before working for the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative in Africa for nearly two years. During his time in Africa, he primarily provided HIV care in Uganda and Swaziland, but also traveled and worked in Mozambique, South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana and Malawi, Upon returning to the United States, Dr. Dewey completed a fellowship in emergency medicine, then returned to his native Minnesota to practice emergency medicine and manage World Altering Medicine.

Dr. Kevin Bergman, Co-founder, Vice President

Kevin Bergman, MD, co-founder of World Altering Medicine, is a board-certified family physician and fellowship-trained emergency physician, currently working at the Contra Costa County Regional Medical Center Emergency Department in Martinez, CA. Bergman received a B.A. in History from Duke University, and following college, served as the Latin American Marketing Director for medical knowledgebase publishers Micromedex and Thomson. His work in hospitals in the developing world helped inspire his decision to pursue a career in medicine. A graduate of the George Washington University Medical Center, the Santa Rosa Community Family Medicine Program, and the University of Tennessee Jackson Emergency Medicine Fellowship, Dr. Bergman is passionate about providing medical care to the world’s neediest. Throughout his medical career, he has volunteered in hospitals in Ladakh, Malawi, Somaliland, Ghana, Guatemala, Swaziland and Thailand.

Dr. Barry Taylor, Founding Board Member, Secretary

Dr. Barry Taylor, DC, founding board member of World Altering Medicine, is the Research Clinic Director at the Wolfe Harris Center for Clinical Studies and Assistant Professor of Evidence informed Practice at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Minneapolis , MN. He is graduate of Northwestern Health Sciences University and the University of North Dakota, and is currently enrolled in the executive MPH program at the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health. Dr. Taylor considers himself fortunate to have travelled and volunteered his time in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, and Vietnam. These experiences have served as inspiration, and he is dedicated to providing quality healthcare to underserved populations and addressing domestic and global disparities in health.

Dr. Eric McCollum

Dr. Eric McCollum began collaborating with WAM through the Breath of Life project in 2009. He earned his doctorate in medicine from Medical College of Virginia, and completed his residency training in pediatrics at the Columbia University Medical Center. Following his residency, Dr. McCollum moved to sub-Saharan Africa, where he served as a founding member of the Pediatric AIDS Corps and pediatrician for the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative in Lilongwe, Malawi. In Malawi, Dr. McCollum implemented and supervised a routine inpatient pediatric HIV testing program that tested more than 30,000 mothers and children for HIV, and supported the Malawian Ministry of Health in the development and expansion of a national early infant HIV diagnosis program. Currently, Dr. McCollum is a Fogarty International Clinical Research Fellow in Malawi investigating rapid diagnostic strategies to improve early infant diagnosis of HIV.

Davie Kondowe, Breath of Life Project Manager

Davie Kondowe serves as Breath of Life Project Manager on the ground in Malawi. A native Malawian, from Nkhata Bay, Mr. Kondowe is a Nurse-Midwife with Malawi’s Ministry of Health. He is based at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe. As Project Manager, Mr. Kondowe is responsible for monitoring and maintaining Breath of Life’s oxygen concentrators in 17 Malawi hospitals, training hospital staff on the use, care and cleaning of the concentrators and serving as liaison to Breath of Life patients and their families. Mr. Kondowe is married with two children. He offers a unique perspective to our team and is dedicated to saving lives and assisting families in need.

Dr. Jeff Pierce, Director of Education

Jeff Pierce, MD, is a board certified family physician based in Sonoma County, California. A native of South Texas, Pierce completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Texas–Pan American and his medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine, where he was part of the International Medicine track. After completing the UCSF/Santa Rosa Family Medicine residency, Dr. Pierce worked in Lesotho for a year as part of the Baylor College of Medicine Pediatric AIDS Corps. In addition to his experience in southern Africa, Pierce has worked in Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Peru, and the Philippines. Dr. Pierce holds a Certificate of Knowledge in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers’ Health from the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, and is dedicated to addressing health care needs in the developing world through direct service and the teaching of medical practitioners.

Daniel Bloom

Daniel is an undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota –
Twin Cities. While working towards his B.S. in Biology and a minor in
African & African American Studies, he held an internship in the
Emergency Department of the Hennepin County Medical Center (H.C.M.C.)
in downtown Minneapolis. Before arriving in Malawi, he spent a
semester studying international development in Kenya, which included a
short-term placement in a rural hospital. Such experiences have
allowed Daniel to acquire a great interest in healthcare and its
potential for improvement in developing countries, ensuring everyone
has access to quality health services. Since joining the WAM team,
Daniel has worked in collaboration with the staff of the Kabudula
Community Hospital as well as with the participating Breath of Life
hospitals and health centers in order to help further the progress of
both projects. With aspirations of becoming a medical doctor, Daniel
is looking forward to continuing his work with WAM as he progresses
through his studies and beyond.

Angela Dewey, Strategic Planner

Angela Dewey is Strategic Planner and a Co-Founder of World Altering Medicine. Dewey, who earned her undergraduate degree in International Relations & Foreign Studies from the University of Minnesota, provides insight, organizational guidance and planning for World Altering Medicine. Dewey studied in Italy during college and has traveled and/or worked in Central America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. With over a decade of experience organizing and coordinating international programs, Dewey most recently lived and worked in Swaziland, Africa. Dewey has an enthusiasm for international volunteerism, education and cultural understanding.

Michael Honigberg, Co-Founder, Breath of Life-Oxygen for Malawi

Michael Honigberg is co-founder of Breath of Life – Oxygen for Malawi. Currently a first-year M.D. candidate at Harvard Medical School, Mike started the Breath of Life project in May 2009 during a Princeton-in-Africa fellowship at the Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation in Lilongwe, Malawi. Mike hails from the D.C. area and graduated from Princeton University in 2008 with a degree from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He hopes to maintain a connection to Africa throughout his medical career.

Sarah Greenberg, MA, Founder and Director, Kabudula Education and Empowerment Project (KEEP)

Sarah is the founder and director of the Kabudula Education and Empowerment Project. She graduated from McGill University with a BA in Economics and Psychology, and completed a General Course year at the London School of Economics. After completing a year-long volunteer fellowship in Israel focusing on community development, education, and counseling, Sarah decided she wanted raise communities by first listening to the needs of and empowering small groups and individuals. She obtained an MA in Counseling Psychology, and has since worked with underserved populations at schools, counseling centers, rape crisis centers, and Juvenile Hall. Sarah’s experience spans literacy, education, wellness, and trauma-healing programs with individuals of all ages in Africa, Israel, India, Canada, and the United States.

Erin Hollywood, Program Manager

Erin Hollywood began volunteering for WAM in October 2011. Erin has lived in Malawi for the past three and a half years and has actively volunteered at different organizations around Lilongwe. As a volunteer based in Malawi, Erin plans to assist WAM with local, on-the-ground efforts in Kabudula, including: delivering much needed medicines to Kabudula Community Hospital; coordinating building supplies for the construction of staff housing; and providing general support to the many dedicated personnel in Kabudula. Erin brings to WAM many needed talents including much needed experience in account and business management. She previously worked for multiple large financial institutions in the United States. WAM is very excited to have her as a member of our expanding team.

Jill Schober, Director of Finance

Jill Schober has been World Altering Medicine’s Finance Director since 2009. With over twenty years of experience in accounting, Jill Schober is responsible for managing donations and disbursements, reconciling accounts, and financial reporting and analysis. She is proud that World Altering Medicine operates with such a low overhead, allowing over 95% of funds collected to directly benefit the underserved and save lives. Jill lives with her family outside of Seattle, Washington.

Julie Nusbaum, Marketing Director

Julie Nusbaum, a freelance writer, editor and public affairs consultant, has served as WAM’s Marketing Director since 2009. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in International Relations, Ms. Nusbaum previously served as a legislative aide in the U.S. House of Representatives and as a lobbyist for a non-profit organization in Washington, DC. She lives with her family in Rochester, NY, where she is involved in local and national volunteer community activities.

Dr. James Dolan

James Dolan, M.D. is a Family Physician and Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine. He attended the University of Michigan Medical School and completed residency at the Santa Rosa Community Family Medicine program. Since then, he has been working in emergency rooms and as a hospitalist in Sonoma County. He is an associate clinical professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco. Prior to medical school, he taught in high schools in Korea, Costa Rica, and the Virgin Islands, and spent two years volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in Costa Rica. He has volunteered in hospitals in Togo, the Philippines, Honduras, Haiti, and Guatemala, and most recently, worked for several weeks in Kabadula in January 2011.

Dr. Joanna Mandell

Joanna Mandell, MD, MS, is a third year family medicine resident in Santa Rosa, CA. A graduate of the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program, she has been involved in international health projects in Mexico, Brazil, East Timor, and India over the last 10 years. Professional interests and passions include non-surgical obstetrics, family planning, and public health.

Joanna stayed at Kabudula Community Hospital during December 2010- January 2011, where she was involved with community needs assessment, data collection, and initial site visits to the surrounding community health centers. She hopes to remain involved with WAM after finishing residency.