Letter from the President of Russian American Medical Association
Dear Members of RAMA and Guests,
As a newly elected President of RAMA, I would like to thank everyone for inferring this honor upon me and invite all of you to take an active part in RAMA’s work in an upcoming year!
Recent Annual Joint Meeting of RAMA and our primary partners - RADA and RASA- in Washington, DC (October 21-24, 2010) had confirmed a very unique role that RAMA plays in connecting Russian-speaking medical professionals in the US with each other and our colleagues in Russia and other countries of the FSU. Through a variety of programs, RAMA offers to physicians, research scientists, and students a wide range of opportunities to “give back” and share their knowledge and expertise with those in need. Because of several intense medical projects that RAMA runs in Russia, there is an impressive degree of recognition and influence gained there. Gennady Moiseenkov, MD (Physician-in-Chief, Kemerovo Center of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery) spoke about Siberian Pediatric Heart Project and a transforming role this RAMA’s initiative had played in a way children with congenital heart disease in Kuzbass are cared for.
A group of doctors and hospital administrators from St. Petersburg, Moscow, and Khabarovsk came to Washington to participate in the conference and to learn more about an immense potential that close collaboration with RAMA may bring to patients and health care professionals in Russia. At the conclusion of the conference, RAMA had signed an Agreement with the St. Petersburg-based Association “Professional Medicine” (President – Larissa Petrenko, MD) defining our collaborative effort in advancing medical education and patients care in Russia.
Joint Board Meetings of RAMA, RADA andRASA that also took place in Washington, DC had solidified our cooperation in several major directions including educational activities for Russian doctors and students and assistance with direct patients care on both sides of the Atlantic as well as a huge effort in advancement of fundamental and clinical research.
I had briefly reviewed here just a few of the highlights of the Conference with a single purpose – to relay to you how much of the exciting and deeply rewarding work is there ahead of us all in RAMA. We do recognize that there are plenty of ways of doing “good things” and helping people in the world without being a RAMA member or participating in RAMA projects. I invite you though to join our efforts here at RAMA, bring in your own ideas, and see them come to life!
Finally, mark your calendars and save the date – the next Joint Meeting of RAMA-RADA-RASA will take place on October 13-16 2011 in Las Vegas, NV.
WELCOME TO RAMA AND SEE YOU IN LAS VEGAS!
Sincerely,
Yakov Elgudin, MD, PhD, FACS
President, Russian American Medical Association (RAMA)
