Center for
Global Health

Scholar

BIO STATEMENT

Dr. JaBaris D. Swain, MD, MPH, MBA is a Clinical Associate Surgeon in the Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and serves as Director of Innovation, MedTech at Johnson & Johnson.

Dr. Swain’s interest in global health is grounded in his commitment to advancing equitable access to cardiovascular surgery and systems-based innovation in low-resource settings. His work through Team Heart in Rwanda focuses on strengthening local capacity for cardiac surgery, improving postoperative care for children and adolescents with rheumatic heart disease, and developing sustainable frameworks for anticoagulation management in collaboration with the Rwandan Ministry of Health.

Dr. Swain’s earlier experience in Haiti—supporting surgical relief efforts and academic partnerships—further shaped his approach to integrating clinical excellence, technology, and public health principles to improve outcomes in underserved populations. His ongoing efforts bridge innovation, education, and implementation science, aligning global surgery with his broader mission to design health systems that are both equitable and enduring.

RECENT GLOBAL HEALTH PROJECTS

I have actively been involved with and worked in Rwanda for over a decade alongside a non-profit organization called Team Heart, who in partnership with the Rwandan Ministry of Health, the Rwanda Heart Foundation, and select global partners, has dedicated its efforts to address the burden of cardiac disease in Rwanda through:

Establishing a sustainable regional center of excellence in cardiac care, including cardiac surgery, a heart catheterization lab, rehabilitation and prevention, research and education in partnership with Rwanda local partners.

Addressing the suffering of adolescents and young adults afflicted with advanced rheumatic heart disease in Rwanda with surgical intervention to return to productive and fulfilling life.

Preventing advanced rheumatic heart disease through a combined effort of surveillance, prevention, education and early intervention.

Supporting advocacy and poverty reduction initiatives for the population of marginalized individuals who suffer from chronic heart disease and the resulting impact on their ability to support themselves and their family.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Musoni M, Wang S, Schulick N, Kabano B, Mukeshimana G, Mucumbitsi J, Rusingiza E, Worrall N, Goldberg H, Stewart K, Nicholson I, Patton-Bolman C, Bolman R, Swain J, Ntaganda E, Lin Y. A 17-Year Experience of Valvular Heart Surgery in Rwanda. Ann Thorac Surg. 2025 Jun 21:S0003-4975(25)00545-4. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2025.06.008. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40550320.

Rekhtman D, Bermudez F, Vervoort D, Kaze L, Patton-Bolman C, Swain J. A Global Systematic Review of Open Heart Valvular Surgery in Resource-Limited Settings. Ann Thorac Surg. 2024 Mar;117(3):652-660. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2023.10.016. Epub 2023 Oct 26. PMID: 37898373.

Vervoort D, Swain JD, Pezzella AT, Kpodonu J. Cardiac Surgery in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A State-of-the-Art Review. Ann Thorac Surg. 2020 Aug 6;. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2020.05.181. [Epub ahead of print] Review. PubMed PMID: 32771467.

Vervoort D, Parikh UM, Raj A, Swain JD. Global cardiovascular care: an overview of high-level political commitment. Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann. 2020 Jun;28(5):258-265. doi: 10.1177/0218492320930844. Epub 2020 May 27. PubMed PMID: 32460512.

Vervoort D, Park KB, Swain JD. Global cardiac surgery: lessons learnt from the global neurosurgery movement. Heart Asia. 2019;11(1):e011125. doi: 10.1136/heartasia-2018-011125. eCollection 2019. PubMed PMID: 30792824; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6350726.

Swain JD, Sinnott C, Breakey S, Hasson Charles R, Mody G, Nyirimanzi N, Patton-Bolman C, Come P, Ganza G, Rusingiza E, Ruhamya N, Mucumbitsi J, Borges J, Zammert M, Muehlschlegel JD, Oakes R, Leavitt B, Bolman RM 3rd. Ten-year clinical experience of humanitarian cardiothoracic surgery in Rwanda: Building a platform for ultimate sustainability in a resource-limited setting. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2018 Jun;155(6):2541-2550. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2017.11.106. Epub 2018 Feb 27. PubMed PMID: 29499865.

Dearani JA, Jacobs JP, Bolman RM 3rd, Swain JD, Vricella LA, Weinstein S, Farkas EA, Calhoon JH. Humanitarian Outreach in Cardiothoracic Surgery: From Setup to Sustainability. Ann Thorac Surg. 2016 Sep;102(3):1004-1011. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2016.03.062. Epub 2016 Jun 17. Review. PubMed PMID: 27319988.

Swain JD, Matousek AC, Scott JW, Cooper Z, Smink DS, Bolman RM 3rd, Finlayson SR, Zinner MJ, Riviello R. Training surgical residents for a career in academic global surgery: a novel training model. J Surg Educ. 2015 Jul-Aug;72(4):e104-10. doi: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2015.01.007. Epub 2015 Apr 21. PubMed PMID: 25911458.

Swain JD, Pugliese DN, Mucumbitsi J, Rusingiza EK, Ruhamya N, Kagame A, Ganza G, Come PC, Breakey S, Greenwood B, Muehlschlegel JD, Patton-Bolman C, Binagwaho A, Morton Bolman R. Partnership for sustainability in cardiac surgery to address critical rheumatic heart disease in sub-Saharan Africa: the experience from Rwanda. World J Surg. 2014 Sep;38(9):2205-11. doi: 10.1007/s00268-014-2559-2. PubMed PMID: 24728579.

 

Last Updated: 12 November 2025