About Us
About Us
St. Joseph's is a Kenyan, staff-led community dedicated to providing dignified, affordable care to all at the lowest possible prices. The hospital, clinic, and nursing school are all part of Medical Mission Charitable Trust (MMCT), a Kenyan nonprofit organized in 2010.
The team is St. Joseph's. That includes highly-skilled Kenyan doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, nursing instructors, and other staff committed to serving those in need. We believe that everyone deserves access to life-changing health care, regardless of their status or financial situation. We welcome staff (and patients!) of all faiths and backgrounds.
MMCT helps fund care at St. Joseph Rift Valley Hospital and St. Joseph medical clinic in Njoro. We also work to advance quality medical education at St. Joseph School of Health Sciences, which trains over a hundred nursing students at a time.
"The whole atmosphere at St. Joseph's Hospital is of a staff family dedicated to providing excellent, affordable care to the typical lower-income Kenyan family.
Staying rooted in this founding mission and vision has allowed us to grow and flourish."
—Dr. Bill Fryda
Building a sustainable healthcare model that serves those who need it most has been our relentless focus for over two decades.
It started back in 1999 with the first MMCT hospital (called St. Mary's) in Nairobi. Dr. Bill Fryda, a Mayo Clinic-trained doctor, had already spent two decades in medical ministry in Africa. He wanted to improve care, remove layers of management, and
Along with many native Kenyans, Dr. Fryda dreamed up a system that prioritized locally-appropriate care at prices that people could actually afford. A place where the poor could receive quality medical care and get the dignity of being able to pay for it.
Delivering quality healthcare that is "pocket friendly" is what we still do today. The team at St. Joseph Rift Valley Hospital is empowered and motivated to deliver the best care to people who are seeking it.
We make sure to actually help the needy. Our healthcare and pharmaceutical prices are among the lowest in Kenya (often the lowest). We find scholarships for those who can't afford necessary treatments, so they get the care they need.
We innovate to maintain operations. We maintain the hospital and pay staff salaries using tiny profit margins from elective operations. We strive to keep all expenses low, innovating on everything from patient paperwork to reduced administration overhead to lower-cost surgical methods.
We view donor funds as sacred. We prioritize this money carefully for major new projects, to upgrade needed medical equipment, and to expand our offerings to meet even more local needs.
Our Story
"A hospital for the poor doesn't need to be a poorly run hospital." — Dr. Bill Fryda
Meet the Team
The people are what make St. Joseph's such a unique place. We hire carefully. Each staff member is committed to working hard in their respective area and working collaboratively to improve the health of our patients and community.
Many staff members live with their families on-site, or commute short distances. Most of the senior staff members have been working with Dr. Fryda for decades, and are thrilled to be part of the team at St. Joseph Rift Valley Hospital here near Lake Elementita.
