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March for Healthcare Reform
Monday, March 22nd, 2010
On March 22nd, 2010, thousands of physicians and health professionals throughout the country will converge on Washington to express their support for comprehensive health reform This monumental effort is being organized by major allied health organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Student Association, National Medical Association, AFSCME and SEIU Health Care, National Physicians Alliance, and a host of other groups. Congressional and White House leaders have signaled their support and momentum is rapidly growing. As part of the planning committee, we are eager to mobilize American Muslims throughout the nation.
Regardless of whether you can attend, please visit http://healthmarch.org/?ref=amhp to learn more and register. Please make an effort to spread this information to your peers and professional colleagues and do not hesitate to contact Sameer Siddiqi at ssiddiqi@amhp.us if you have additional questions.
AMHP LA Networking Banquet - Yorba Linda, CA
Saturday, November 21st, 2009
AMHP volunteers organize Health Screening at Humanitarian Day in Inland Empire of southern CA
Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
(Ontario, California) Humanitarian Day, a day dedicated to serve the homeless, was a tremendous success this past Saturday. Despite the overwhelming heat and long weekend, over fifty volunteers dedicated their time and energy towards serving the homeless at the Mercy House, a homeless shelter located in Ontario, CA.
Humanitarian Day has developed into an international phenomenon thanks to the efforts of people like Umar Hakim, a long time organizer of Humanitarian Day. Hakim explained that Humanitarian Day is the result of a social network of volunteers, organizations and institutions that share resources to plan such projects. This network is organized by The Coalition to Preserve Human Dignity. AMHP had the honor of participating in Humanitarian Day this weekend. AMHP members worked with the Shifa Free Clinic of San Bernadino to organize a large scale health screening. With the effort of about fifteen volunteers stationed at seven booths it was possible to conduct body mass index, blood sugar, blood pressure and vision testing. Additionally, experts in health care including dentists, nutritionists, pharmacists, and Shifa Free Clinic Physicians provided counseling sessions to the participants. Those individuals in need of further care were referred to the Shifa Clinic for free services. The event was a great success for both the volunteers and participants. Almost 200 people were able to benefit from the services provided at Humanitarian Day. The volunteers’ commitment to making this event a success is best summarized by Iyad Afalqa, the AMHP lead coordinator. Afalqa stated that “This is really when one can relate to what it means to be needy. Today we execute or spiritual strength of Ramadan into physical action and also experience the plight of the needy.” AMHP is pleased that the event was a success but understands that there is much more work to be done to alleviate the plight of the disenfranchised. Dr. Faisal Qazi, the President of AMHP, commented that “Such opportunities to serve those that are living in the most dire circumstances can never be frequent enough, but while we must continue to provide direct charitable services, we should also strive to make systematic changes in our social settings to benefit those in need.” Dr. Qazi hopes to further AMHP’s commitment to improving access to health care through participating in more projects of this nature. Thus far AMHP has helped organize and participated in nine service projects and four educational forums on health reform as part of the United We Serve Campaign. President Obama initiated this Campaign to call upon all Americans to engage in public services. It is important to harness the efforts of all those that can donate their time, energy, and/or resources in order to truly accomplish the goals of projects like Humanitarian Day. Naim Shah, the founder of ILM Foundation and a pioneer of the Humanitarian Day project, reminds us that "Reward is granted each of us for good ideas and intentions, but a greater reward is reserved for those who are permitted by God to carry them out in to action."
9/7/09
Sumaira Arastu
Muslim Health Professionals From Across the Nation Advocate for Health Reform
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
Neveen Abdelghani
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) A delegation from American Muslim Health Professionals (AMHP) visited Washington, DC on June 25-26 to advocate for health reform. The group met with a number of congressional offices and partner organizations, including Faithful for Health Reform, which held a rally at Freedom Plaza representing a coalition of faith community leaders passionate about health access and equity.
With domestic health care reform high on the President's agenda, AMHP felt the time was right to move forward with more direct and reaching advocacy efforts. "Both the Senate and the House were all on the right track regarding eliminating certain health care costs," explained Dr. Yasir Shareef, neurologist from Phoenix who had the opportunity to meet with congressional staffers. "Currently, there are over 120 million people either uninsured or underinsured, and this motivates us to work harder before the problem continues to get worse."
Members of AMHP felt a trip to Washington was critical in order to voice their concerns during this short window of opportunity for comprehensive reform. AMHP has been deeply engaged in issues of health reform. Last year, AMHP Policy Analyst, Rabia Akram, drafted a health policy brief comparing the McCain and Obama plans for healthcare overhaul. Since then, AMHP has led a grassroots effort to articulate a vision for change. AMHP organized a number of health reform seminars across the country in March of this year. “These seminars attracted experts in the field that were able to educate and empower our communities to understand the nature of this crisis and take action”, said Dr.Faisal Qazi, President of AMHP and architect of its policy program.
"From both an Islamic and an American background, it is our duty to support these grassroots efforts in order to get things going,” said Dr. Shareef, a member AMHP’s Task Force on Health Affordability. Members of this team have been constantly evaluating the data and following the language and committee hearings closely.
The AMHP Washington, DC delegation was an extension of this process. Dr. Imran Khan, a member of the Task Force said, “It was a tremendous learning opportunity and we realized that these laws, even if 800 pages long, are written by people like you and me, most of whom appreciate some help writing them.”
Khizer Husain, the lead Washington-based coordinator for this recent lobby day said, “Muslim Americans need to build relationships with legislators. We can be a conduit to our communities and folks on the Hill appreciate this.”
Besides this commitment to political engagement and health reform, AMHP enjoys the unique position of having a comprehensive public health view and has become an organization focused on education, prevention, access, delivery and policy in the realm of healthcare. The organization’s work places an emphasis on public service to all members of the community.
AMHP new website is live
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
That's right folks...
The August Initiative is now launched!
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
The “August Initiative” is a project to get all of our members out and advocating for health care reform by contacting their legislators while they are in their home districts, during the August recess.
August is the opportune time to have your voices heard on the issues that matter the most to you. We encourage the community to make this needed outreach that will shape the future of health care this country.
A number of organizations and community leaders have endorsed this initiative as it is a vital for the engagement and empowerment of our community and is a moral obligation that helps usher in positive change to the health care system.
"Health care reform is most certainly an ethical issue that needs the attention of American Muslims. Millions of our neighbors, including children, are sick and in pain because they do not have adequate health care. Infections go untreated, chronic illnesses worsen, days at school and work are missed. Muslim Americans are already working to provide treatment to some of the needy through community clinics. These clinics, although important, have limited impact, and can never take the place of a fair health care system. Working for justice is a fundamental duty of Islam, and I am proud that the AMHP is leading our community in showing how we can rectify the injustice of there being millions of Americans without adequate health care, when we live in a country of such wealth." - Dr. Ingrid Mattson, President, Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
"We support the AMHP's call to health care reform. These practical policy directives are the public face of our combined faith principles that see health as a human responsibility in which we all share, an individual right that must be made manifest for our common good. We are proud to share this vision for the health of all our people" – Reverend Dr. Rick Schlosser, Executive Director, California Council of Churches and California Church IMPACT
