What Team Heart does

Team Heart, Inc. is a US-registered 501c3 non-profit founded in 2009 and headquartered in Milton, Massachusetts, that builds and operates a cardiac surgery and care capacity program in Rwanda. The organization was founded by Ceeya Patton Bolman, a pediatric ICU nurse, and Dr. R. Morton "Chip" Bolman, a Harvard Medical School professor and former Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital, in response to a 2007 call from the Rwanda Ministry of Health for assistance on non-communicable diseases, particularly rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Team Heart's mission is to address the gap in specialized cardiac care for Rwandan adolescents and young adults suffering from advanced RHD caused by untreated strep throat, a disease that kills an estimated 275,000 people annually in sub-Saharan Africa and leaves more than 40,000 teens and young adults in Rwanda with undiagnosed RHD.

Team Heart's core product surface comprises four interconnected programs: (1) annual cardiac surgery missions performed by volunteer US medical teams at King Faisal Hospital in Kigali; (2) echocardiographic (ECHO) screening trips to district hospitals such as Musanze/Ruhengeri for early RHD detection; (3) a 12-month Nurse Specialization Program in cardiac care developed with the University of Rwanda School of Nursing and Midwifery; and (4) prevention, education, and community awareness initiatives including a children's RHD coloring book. The underlying technology is clinical rather than digital: point-of-care cardiac ultrasound, open-heart surgery techniques adapted for resource-limited settings, and a pharmacy management model that has moved over 90% of cardiac surgery medication procurement local to Rwanda. The organization does not sell a product; it delivers free clinical services and trains local clinicians, with a 2019 strategic shift from directly performing surgeries to mentoring the in-country team led by Dr. Maurice Musoni, who now leads cardiac surgeries at King Faisal Hospital.

Team Heart is funded entirely through donations, grants, and volunteer fundraising. Medical volunteers self-fund their travel and contribute professional services in-kind, which materially offsets operating costs. Revenue streams include individual donations (memorial, patient-sponsorship, volunteer travel funds, general), corporate sponsorships (Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic), workplace giving, an affiliate partnership with ShopRaise, and a modest $100 administrative fee from volunteers. The organization is governed by a board and an advisory board drawn heavily from Harvard/Brigham and Women's, UCSF, Duke, UPenn, and the University of Minnesota, and operates with a lean staff of 1-10 employees supplemented by an extensive volunteer and partner network spanning the Rwanda Ministry of Health, Rwanda Biomedical Center, Rwanda Heart Foundation, King Faisal Hospital, the University of Rwanda, and international bodies including the World Heart Federation and the PanAfrican Society of Cardiology.

Name

Team Heart

Legal name

Team Heart, Inc.

Website

https://teamheart.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Team Heart is a 501c3 non-profit that builds sustainable cardiac care capacity in Rwanda by running annual volunteer-led cardiac surgery missions, echocardiographic screening, and a nurse specialization program, targeting Rwandan adolescents and young adults with rheumatic heart disease.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cardiac Surgery Services

NAICS

Offices of Physicians (6211)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Missions & Global Health NGOs (BPAGACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD), Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE)

Keywords

• Cardiac surgery services
• Rheumatic heart disease
• Medical mission trips
• Healthcare training programs
• Nonprofit healthcare services

Headquarters

HQ city

Milton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations through various campaigns including memorial donations, patient support funds, volunteer travel funds, and general 'where needed most' contributions. Corporate sponsorships and workplace giving programs.
2. Volunteer Contributions: Medical volunteers pay their own travel expenses and raise money to support trip costs and supplies. Volunteers also contribute professional services in-kind.
3. ShopRaise Program: Partnership with ShopRaise app allows supporters to raise money through everyday shopping at no additional cost.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Team Heart delivers free life-saving cardiac surgery to Rwandan patients with end-stage rheumatic heart disease through annual volunteer medical mission trips, and builds sustainable local cardiac care capacity by training Rwandan nurses and physicians in echocardiography, perioperative care, and cardiac surgery. The program combines prevention education, mobile echocardiographic screening at district hospitals, open-heart surgery at King Faisal Hospital in Kigali, and a 12-month nurse specialization program co-developed with the University of Rwanda.

Product overview

Team Heart is a humanitarian non-profit medical organization that operates as a single unified service focused on increasing access to cardiac care in Rwanda. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected programs: cardiac surgery missions providing life-saving surgeries for rheumatic heart disease patients; echocardiographic screening services to identify patients early; a 12-month nurse specialization program developed with the University of Rwanda; prevention and education initiatives; and volunteer and donation programs. While not a technology product company, the organization utilizes medical technologies including cardiac ultrasound (ECHO) equipment and has developed pharmacy management systems for King Faisal Hospital. The Hearts of Courage documentary serves as an awareness resource.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cardiac Surgery Program Humanitarian cardiac surgery program providing life-saving open-heart surgeries for patients with end-stage rheumatic heart disease in Rwanda, performed by volunteer US medical teams in partnership with King Faisal Hospital, Kigali. Services are provided free of charge to patients.
• Rheumatic Heart Disease Screening Program
• Nurse Specialization Program in Cardiac Care 12-month nurse specialization program in cardiac care, co-developed with the University of Rwanda School of Nursing and Midwifery. Includes hybrid seminar hours, clinical mentoring, and hands-on training for critical care, trauma, and perioperative nurses in Rwanda.
• Prevention and Education Program Community education and prevention program focused on the link between untreated strep throat and rheumatic heart disease, targeting urban and rural populations in Rwanda to reduce the progression of untreated strep into advanced RHD.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90% of cardiac surgery medications now procured locally in Rwanda
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rwanda Ministry of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal government partnership initiated in 2007 when Rwanda's Ministry of Health put out a call for assistance to address non-communicable diseases including rheumatic heart disease. The ministry coordinates national health policy, strategic plans, and action plans related to cardiac care.
• Rwanda Biomedical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe care delivery arm for the Ministry of Health. Works with Team Heart since 2014 to strengthen diagnostic skills of NCD caregivers in District Hospitals. Coordinates screening activities and patient referral processes.
• Rwanda Heart FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Professor Joseph Mucumbitsi, this national organization collaborates with Team Heart on building comprehensive cardiac care services. A member of the African Heart Network and World Heart Federation since 2008.
• King Faisal Hospital, KigalicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary surgical partner in Rwanda where cardiac surgeries are performed. Lambert Ingabire serves as Director of Pharmacy, leading sustainability efforts with over 90% of medications now procured locally. Dr. Maurice Musoni performs surgeries as Rwandan cardiac surgery team leader.
• University of Rwanda School of Nursing and MidwiferycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop a 12-month Nurse Specialization Program with focus on cardiac care. Includes hybrid seminar hours, clinical mentoring, and hands-on training for critical care, trauma, and perioperative nurses.
• University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSurgery team partnership providing additional volunteer medical staff for annual surgical trips to Rwanda.
• World Heart FederationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization working on RHD prevention and cardiac care. Professor Mucumbitsi is an active member and speaker at WCC Congresses.
• PanAfrican Society of Cardiology (PASCAR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional cardiology society. Professor Mucumbitsi serves as member and speaker at PASCAR Congresses.
• African Heart NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContinental heart health network. Rwanda Heart Foundation is a member and Professor Mucumbitsi serves on the executive board since 2012.
• Brigham and Women's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrigin of Team Heart founders. Multiple volunteers from this Harvard-affiliated hospital serve on surgical trips. Dr. Chip Bolman was Chief of Cardiac Surgery there.
• Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEntity representing major cardiac surgery societies and World Heart Federation. Dr. Chip Bolman serves as Chair since January 2021. Selected Mozambique and Rwanda as initial pilot sites.
• Rwanda Hospital Pharmacists SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational pharmacy professional organization. Dr. Bonnie Greenwood was named Member of Honor in 2017.
• Edwards LifesciencesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedical device company. Edwards consulting team worked on supply chain in November 2022. Glynis Sylvester, VP of Supply Chain, is on Team Heart Board.
• MedtronicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAndy Willet, Senior Principal Therapy Consultant for Structural Heart/TAVR, has traveled on every surgery trip since 2008, providing device support.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Partners In Health: Major global health NGO providing healthcare in resource-limited settings, including non-communicable disease work. Overlaps with Team Heart's Ministry of Health partnerships and Rwanda presence, but operates much more broadly across diseases and geographies.
• Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières: Largest medical humanitarian organization providing emergency medical care globally. Comparable through humanitarian medical delivery in crisis and resource-limited settings, though much broader in scope and disease focus.
• Samaritan's Purse World Medical Mission: Places medical volunteers in mission hospitals and runs short-term medical missions. Comparable in volunteer-driven medical mission delivery model, though much broader in therapeutic scope and global reach.

Direct peers

• International Children's Heart Foundation: Runs surgical mission trips to provide pediatric cardiac surgery in developing countries. Closely comparable in delivery model (volunteer medical teams, training) and disease focus (heart disease in LMICs).
• Novick Cardiac Alliance: Provides pediatric and adult cardiac surgery and training in low- and middle-income countries via volunteer medical teams. Directly comparable to Team Heart's mission-trip model with overlapping US academic medical center recruitment pools.
• Open Heart International: Australian-based NGO delivering cardiac surgery and training missions in developing countries. Closely comparable in combining surgical missions with local team training in resource-limited settings.
• Healing the Children: Provides medical care to children in need globally, including cardiac surgery missions. Comparable through volunteer-driven medical mission trips to underserved populations, though broader in therapeutic scope.
• CardioStart International: Provides cardiac surgery and training programs in LMICs, especially pediatric and adult cardiac care. Operates a similar volunteer-driven mission model targeting countries with limited cardiac surgery infrastructure.
• Mending Kids International: Provides surgical care to children in developing countries, including cardiac procedures. Comparable delivery model (volunteer medical missions) and similar patient demographic (underserved children/pediatric cardiac).
• Children's HeartLink: Partners with hospitals in LMICs to train pediatric cardiac care teams. Comparable to Team Heart in focusing on capacity-building for cardiac care in resource-limited settings, though more pediatric-weighted and broader geographically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/teamheartrwanda
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=eavBL9FzXvE
• Facebookfacebook.com/TeamHeartRwanda
• Instagraminstagram.com/rwandateamheart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/team-heart-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Team Heart