| Planted in the highlands of Western Kenya, watered by the Holy Spirit, and growing by the grace of God, Tenwek Hospital is a mission hospital providing compassionate care for the mind, body and spirit, and medical training for those who would extend this mission. | Mission Statement Major Affiliations Where We Serve History |
Tenwek Hospital is a Christian community committed to excellence in compassionate health care, spiritual ministry and training for service.
Tenwek Hospital is administered as a subsidiary of the African Gospel Church (AGC), a protestant denomination in Kenya, in cooperation with the World Gospel Mission.
The
World Gospel Mission is the primary mission
affiliation for Tenwek Hospital, providing career missionaries and development
resources for the operation of the hospital and its programs.
The
World Medical Mission, a ministry
of Samaritan's Purse, is utilized by many short-term visitors and missionaries
who serve at Tenwek for periods of weeks up to two years.
Tenwek Hospital is flexible to collaborate with other missions seeking to send staff and resources to Tenwek when there is harmony of vision, objectives, belief, and administration.
Tenwek
is located 240 kilometers (150 miles) from Nairobi in the Bomet District
of Kenya's Rift Valley Province. Though the hospital is only 160 kilometers
(100 miles) south of the equator, the climate is very temperate becuase
of the elevation of 2700 meters (6500 feet). With approximately 137 centimeters
of rain each year, Tenwek and the surrounding areas stay green and beautiful
year round.
All
the main roads to the hospital are paved, giving easy access to both patients
and staff. A wide variety of public transport vehicles, private cars,
and ambulances arrive at the hospital gates daily. A paved airstrip 12
kilometers (8 miles) away in Bomet made it feasible for visiting staff
to come from Nairobi by air, a forty-five minute flight. However, with
the advent of a shorter paved route from Nairobi to Tenwek, it is no longer
common for visiting staff to fly into Bomet.
History
_
The medical work at Tenwek was started in 1935 when World Gospel Mission
missionaries arrived in the area. For many years, nurses staffed the dispensary
and cottage hospital. In 1959, Dr. Ernest Steury became the first resident
physician. Since then , the hospital has grown from a 35-bed cottage hospital
to a 300-bed referral center.
Community Health work started in 1983 and continues to make a significant impact in the more than six hundred communities where volunteer workers have been trained. The Community Development Department teaches income generating activities and assists communities with needs identification and resource mobilization.
The School of Community Nursing was started in 1987 and has trained well over 100 Kenya Enrolled Community Health Nurses. In approximately 1997, the nursing school changed its curriculum and they now train students who become Kenya Registered Community Health Nurses. Dr. Mary Hermiz is the Principal of the nursing school.
Internships at Tenwek for Kenyan Medical and Clinical Officers began in the mid-1990's. Tenwek currently is collaborating with two other missionary hospitals in Kenya at Kijabe and Chogoria trying to start a Family Practice Residency. Moi Medical School in El Doret, Kenya, is also a collaborator with INFAMED, the Institute of Family Medicine, which is sponsoring this residency.
Tenwek offers formal training to become a hospital chaplain through their L. Nelson Bell International Chaplaincy Training School. Dr. David Kilel is the Principal of the Chaplaincy Traing School.