The Team

Berndt has been a practicing radiologist for 20 years with broad experience in private practice, academia and teleradiology. His medical training included 2 years of Emergency Medicine before completing his Diagnostic Radiology residency. He also finished a one year fellowship in Musculoskeletal radiology. He is currently working as full time faculty in the Chest radiology section at the University of Arizona. He also completed a Masters degree in Lean Healthcare management with expertise in process engineering, efficiency design and error proofing. Berndt is passionate about empowerment and engagement because he believes this is the critical cultural element for organizational success.

Berndt originally became involved in global health as a medical student and worked for a summer in a public hospital in the rural highlands of Guatemala. His global health radiology projects have been in Haiti, Nicaragua, Guyana and Bolivia. These projects include needs assessment, program development, equipment procurement and implementation, training, engineering and repair support, and PACS installation. He is also a member of the American Society of Emergency Radiology and has begun an initiative to build a Global Disaster Teleradiology service within the ASER.

Berndt decided to start HRD Corps because he wanted to create a nimble organization that could bring sustainable improvement to healthcare in the developing world by addressing the full value stream of medical imaging. Our approach is client focused and we pride ourselves on listening first so we can orient our project goals around their needs.

Berndt is a pilot, photographer and classical pianist. His wife is an academic Oncologist and they are blessed with 3 wonderful children.

Chijindu is very passionate about global health and addressing healthcare disparities. As a medical student, he was the director of a free student-run clinic; The New Freedmen’s Clinic of the Howard University College of Medicine in Washington DC from 09/2010 to 09/2012. He was also a member of a multispecialty team of NOAH-NY that traveled to Haiti every summer to provide free medical services to the local population. His interest is optimizing radiological services in resource-poor communities across the globe.

Chijindu holds a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from University of Maryland, Baltimore, where he graduated summa cum laude. He graduated top of his medical school class from Howard University College of Medicine, Washington DC. Chijindu completed his Diagnostic Radiology

Residency at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. He then completed his fellowship in Vascular Interventional Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Chijindu is currently an assistant professor of radiology and attending interventional radiologist at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine.

Chijindu is happily married and blessed with two energetic boys. Chijindu is an avid soccer fan.

Ali grew up in Ronan, Montana knowing she wanted a career in healthcare. She graduated from Missoula College in 2011 and started her imaging career as a Radiologic Technologist. After two years, she returned to school to pursue her goal of becoming a diagnostic medical sonographer and graduated from Spokane Community College in 2016. She acquired her skills and knowledge of sonography by working in the acute hospital setting for six years. She aspired to specialize her skills in the OB/GYN clinic setting where her compassion and competence could thrive. She is certified by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography in Abdomen/Small parts, and Obstetrics & Gynecology. She is passionate about volunteering and applying her skills to train other medical professionals in underserved populations. She joined HRD Corps eager to work alongside other medical professionals who shared the same vision of improving global health and developing sustainable radiology departments. When she is not working she enjoys all that Montana has to offer including hiking, skiing, running and spending time on the water.

A.R.R.T, BS Radiology Technologist Education Director/Logistics Coordinator

Licensed and registered radiologic technologist with over 22 years of experience with 13 years specializing in pediatric imaging. Certified in Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Experience of 4 years in global health imaging education and training. Clinical Specialist in Interventional Pain Management for Halyard Health. Trained and obtained R.T from Grady Memorial Hospital School of Radiologic Technologist. Currently obtaining Bachelors of Science in Healthcare Management at Clayton State University.

Natash is multi-lingual in English, French and Haitian Creole and enjoy traveling which has allowed her to fulfill her passion in making a positive and much needed impact in global health imaging.

Whitney Pearson has been a diagnostic medical sonographer for 9 years. She is the lead sonographer for the Hospital where she works and enjoys being the clinical coordinator for the sonography students from a nearby Ultrasound program. She works closely with radiologists and other sonographers to provide quality care to the community. Her drive to become a sonographer started with her love of people, teaching and the aspirations for medical mission work.

Whitney lives in Sandpoint Idaho where the mountains and lake are right out her back door. She is a traveling enthusiast and has ridden road bikes in Spain, learned to surf in El Salvador, and explored many other countries around the world. She is excited to be apart of HRD Corp and work with other medical professionals who have the same passion as she does to bring medical services to under developed countries and improve overall global healthcare.

Rabia is a second generation Pakistani-American born and raised in Chicago, and it remains her favorite city. Following completion of her bachelor's at UIC, she enrolled in the sonography program at Joliet Junior College and graduated in 2022. She received her credentials in DMS and VT just prior to graduation and currently works as a general and vascular technologist. Having had these various opportunities to grow in her education and experiences, she is motivated to give back to more disadvantaged regions of the world and also learn from them as they adapted to adversity and challenges.

Michelle Hershman is from Miami, FL and graduated from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, PA. She completed internship at Yale University Medical Center and residency at the University of Arizona Medical Center. She is receiving her cardiothoracic fellowship training at the Hospital of University of Pennsylvania with anticipated graduation in 2019.

Michelle is a SCUBA diver, a pilot, and an animal lover.

Loanna Torrance has been a sonographer for 6+ years and has worked at multiple Florida hospitals including Jacksonville's Mayo Clinic. She has also done two travel ultrasound assignments and enjoys working in general ultrasound where she scans an array of different exams.

Her love of helping others led her to this career, and she enjoys assisting the radiologists and doctors in diagnostic imaging and procedures. Her passion, along with teaching led her to volunteering and mission work with HRD Corp and she hopes to continue participating in trips to help set up clinics and teach others to scan.

Loanna began a recent career path at a private university where she will instruct in a Sonography program and help students achieve their clinical requirements. In "the outside" world, Loanna is a Biologist and Marine Biologist first, and has worked in fisheries health, agricultural and animal diagnostics, and aquaculture management. She is also a part of the US Coast Guard where she has served almost a decade enlisted and working on and alongside boats with search and rescue and also in environmental jobs such as pollutionresponse. She recently finished officer candidate training and is a newly commissioned Ensign at her new unit.

Loanna can't wait for her next trips with HRD Corp to help others improve the sustainability of healthcare overseas.

Emily Calabria is from Ramsey, NJ and completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Pittsburgh with degrees in Microbiology and French. She then graduated from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, DC in 2023. She completed her internship at Morristown Medical Center. She is currently in her Diagnostic Radiology residency training at Boston Medical Center with an expected graduation in June 2028. Emily loves traveling and exploring new cultures, hiking, reading, and is a passionate Pittsburgh sports fan.