Time out with T.O. – The global game-changer

Nizar Mamdani has truly seen the world. Born in Tanzania, educated in Tokyo, and fluent in seven languages, Mamdani has spent nearly the past two decades building the medical center’s international presence.

It all started back in 1999 when Mamdani’s wife, Nancy, was battling non-Hodgkin lymphoma when they were living in Atlanta.

Her cancer was quite advanced. She had received two rounds of chemotherapy at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, but the cancer had returned with a vengeance. Her only hope was a peripheral stem cell transplant.

A successful international businessman, Mamdani checked out three of the leading cancer centers in the country — Johns Hopkins, MD Anderson and Memorial Sloan Kettering — to find the best place for Nancy.

A physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering said there was only one physician who could possibly help Nancy. His name was James Armitage, M.D., and he was located at UNMC/Nebraska Medicine.

So, they came to Omaha. Unfortunately, Nancy’s cancer was too far along to allow for a transplant. She was in and out of the hospital over a 16-month period before finally succumbing.

Despite the sad ending, Mamdani was impressed. He knew the medical center had a world-class cancer program. The world just didn’t know it.

Using his international connections, Mamdani offered to spread the word around the globe. He was named executive director for international healthcare services for Nebraska Medicine and made a five-year commitment to get the job done.

Traveling tirelessly, he established partnerships with 133 institutions in 45 countries. He brought in hundreds of patients from 57 countries for treatment. He generated tens of millions of dollars of business for the medical center.

“It’s very competitive internationally,” Mamdani said. “It’s all about relationships.”

The five-year commitment came and went. He loved the job. He wanted to keep going. He also found an amazing woman — Marsha Davidson, Ph.D. — and they tied the knot 13 years ago.

With his 73rd birthday approaching in two months, Mamdani has decided that it’s time for the next chapter. He will retire at the end of this week. They’ve bought a house in Naples, Fla., and will soon be moving.

“He’s done an amazing job,” Dr. Armitage said. “He’s done things that others couldn’t do. He placed articles on UNMC in international publications. He brought in a large number of foreign referrals that pay at a higher rate than most U.S. patients.

“But, more than that, he’s an exceptionally good person. He’s been a great friend.”