Dear NAAMA Michigan members
Happy new year to all of you and your families. I hope this year will bring the end of this pandemic and return to normal life. I am planning several activities during this year and will update you as we go. Please support our Facebook page.
Best regards
Dr. Ghassan Saed
NAAMA Michigan President
I’m sure you’ve seen the 2020 United States Census signs popping up everywhere, urging everyone to participate. In a few days, households will be receiving their official Census Bureau surveys.
Why is it important that we participate?
Have you ever seen a patient unable to receive the best possible care because of social factors? I have. The patient who couldn’t quite make it to her appointments; didn’t quite understand the extent of her disease? Didn’t pick up the phone, didn’t contact us, didn’t follow up.
I’m sure you’ve seen the 2020 United States Census signs popping up everywhere, urging everyone to participate. In a few days, households will be receiving their official Census Bureau surveys.
Why is it important that we participate?
Have you ever seen a patient unable to receive the best possible care because of social factors? I have. The patient who couldn’t quite make it to her appointments; didn’t quite understand the extent of her disease? Didn’t pick up the phone, didn’t contact us, didn’t follow up.
February marks World Cancer Month.
I recently watched the movie The Farewell, a true story about an elderly Chinese woman with stage 4 lung cancer, who was given 3 months to live, and the elaborate schemes her extended family goes through to shield her from her diagnosis and treatment. All this at the great dismay of her Chinese American granddaughter. “What about her goodbyes? She has a right to know! You can’t decide for her!”
Dear NAAMA Members and Friends,
It is an honor and a privilege to take on the role of president of Michigan’s Chapter of the National Arab American Medical Association in 2020. I would like to acknowledge the legacy of my predecessors, the members of NAAMA’s National and MI Board, who have provided education, advocacy, mentorship, and compassionate care to many, and I strive to carry on this legacy.
I hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable summer season with your loved ones. It is that time of year when the stress of multitasking and coordinating between work, home, and after school activities is in full effect. For those of us that have children, it is a rewarding feeling to finish a day’s work schedule and jump in the car to make it to your kid’s practice or game.
I hope you enjoyed our three days of Spring because Summer is upon us bringing with it all its beauty including the famous spur of the moment thunderstorms and occasional tornadoes. Although as a child I could not wait for the summer break, most notably for the opportunity to bask in the sun and indulge in the plethora of outdoor activities, as an adult I have somewhat of a love/hate relationship with the season.
First and foremost, on behalf of the National Arab American Medical Association-Michigan Board of Directors I would like to extend our sincerest and most heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of our fellow Americans who lost their lives as well as a speedy recovery to our brothers and sisters injured in the recent Boston Marathon bombings.
As the Spring season tries to burrow its way through what seems to be the endless Winter cycle, I can’t help but wonder what it must feel like to live and work in a state like California. I recently returned from a trip to a small community in the Golden State named Yorba Linda where I visited a good friend of mine and celebrated his daughter’s first birthday.