Board of Directors | Global Health Equity Foundation USA

Tayeb Alhafez MD, FACP, Founder and President
Paul R. Cook MD, MHA, CPE, SCLA, Board Member
Todorka Ignatova Kostadinova PhD & Board Member
Gergana G. Haralampieva MS & Board Member
Sarah Keller PhD
Andrei Issakov MD, MPH, PhD

Click For PDF: Letter From the Founder
Summary of Organization

Tayeb Alhafez

Tayeb Alhafez MD, FACP, Founder and President

Tayeb Alhafez, MD, is a practicing physician and healthcare strategist. He has served as a Regional Medical Director while working with a healthcare delivery organization. He fostered communication and knowledge-sharing among medical directors in several hospitals, and provided mentoring and coaching that helped them excel in their leadership positions. His work helped them improve their relationships with their hospitals and affiliated physicians. Dr. Alhafez has experience leading successful inpatient hospital programs in non-profit, for-profit and academic healthcare settings. He takes on a wide range of responsibilities for improving care and controlling costs. He has practiced in North Carolina, Alaska, Hawaii, South Carolina, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and California. Dr. Alhafez is continuously working to share his knowledge and expertise in the areas of strategic planning and policy development through active participation in global forums and initiatives in health care. In September, 2011, Dr. Alhafez was elected to Fellowship in the American College of Physicians. "The FACP status that you now hold reflects your commitment to the internal medicine community. We hope that you will proudly display these credentials after your name."— CPT Jeffrey B. Cole, MC, USN, FACP The non-profit was founded in San Francisco, California by Tayeb Al-Hafez, MD, who immigrated to the United States after completing his medical school education in his native country, Syria. Dr. Tayeb Al-Hafez, a hospital-based Internist with more than a decade of wide experience across the U.S., specializes in rural healthcare, healthcare stewardship, global health diplomacy, and health equity.

Paul R. Cook

Paul R. Cook MD, MHA, CPE, SCLA, Board Member

We need to build a society of health and wellness, not of disease. The education, the knowledge, should be available before anyone ever becomes a patient. We should put access to knowledge, in the hands of everyday people, no matter where they live. — Paul R. Cook, MD, MHA, CPE, SCLA Paul R. Cook is President and CEO of Rocky Mountain Health Network, Inc. He is responsible for the executive leadership, strategic direction, and oversight for a 530-plus member provider-hospital organization in Montana and Wyoming. The PHO provided advanced medical and business management services for it members, which included over 260 physicians, over 250 of all other allied health professionals, seven hospitals, including St. Vincent Healthcare which is one of two tertiary care health systems in the state of Montana, surgery centers, home health, and other organizations. Provided principal interactions with health plans, state and federal legislators, and various health interests across the state and region. Interview with Paul Cook.

Todorka Ignatova Kostadinova

Todorka Ignatova Kostadinova PhD & Board Member

Ms. Kostadinova is a professor at the University of Medicine in Bulgaria. She holds a Ph.D. in Economy and Management of Social and Cultural Activities from the University of National and World Economy in Sofia, Bulgaria. Professor Kostadinova is Dean of Faculty for Public Health at the Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria. She is an expert at the National Civil Council to the EU Commissioner for Consumer Protection. Ms. Kostadinova has worked with many national and international agencies around the world, including WHO, UNICEF, HOPE, UN, and the Association of Bulgarian Hospitals. She has served as a professor of global health at The George Washington University.

Gergana G. Haralampieva

Gergana G. Haralampieva MS & Board Member

Ms. Haralampieva is a graduate of The George Washington University's Central European Health Leadership Program. She has master degree in Economy and Management of Social and Cultural Activities from the University of National and World Economy in Sofia, Bulgaria. She has worked with the World Bank in health, nutrition, and population and with the National Health Insurance Fund in Sofia, Bulgaria

Sarah Keller

Sarah Keller PhD

Sarah Keller, PhD, is Chair and Professor in the Department of Communication and Theater at Montana University Billings. She and her colleagues have developed a social science research project for identifying strategies for suicide prevention in Montana. Dr, Keller was instrumental in creating innovative suicide prevention programs in Montana in partnership with GHEF and is experienced in community-based interventions, health education curricula and capacity-building projects. Dr. Keller’s research interests include mass media effects on adolescent sexual behavior and relationship beliefs; impact of public health media campaigns designed to promote reproductive health; adolescent media use and reproductive behavior; health communication; media effects on society; communication theory (persuasion; agenda-setting; framing; social network theory); development communication; and Internet studies.

Andrei Issakov

Andrei Issakov MD, MPH, PhD

Andrei Issakov has worked in clinical practice, medical education and public health for over 40 years. Before joining the World Health Organization in 1985, he has occupied a number of clinical, academic and administrative positions at the Russian Medical University and Children’s Teaching Hospital in Moscow. Working as Program Manager and Unit Head with WHO Headquarters in Geneva in 1985-2009, he has focused on development and strengthening of health systems, health sector reform, health policy and systems research, organization and management of health service delivery, quality of care, patient safety, health technology assessment and management. After leaving WHO, he established a private consulting firm Health Systems and Technology (HS&T) International Consulting based in Geneva, therefore continuing his active engagement in international health work. He is also a Health Systems, Services and Technology Adviser to the Geneva-based company Global Healthcare Advisory SA, and is engaged with several international non-governmental organizations serving as a Coordinator and Member of Executive Board of Swiss-Russian Health Forum; Member of Honorary Members Circle of International Hospital Federation; Member of Board of Directors of Commission for Advancement of Health Technology Management in Asia. He is a member of some 25 international and national professional associations, has been honored with several national and international professional awards and recognitions, and has over 50 publications – books, book chapters, articles and conference abstracts on a wide range of public health issues.