2005 Annual Report

Dear colleagues!

It is truly an honor and a privilege for me to write to you. Russian American Medical Association is now almost 4 years old and we were able to do a lot and I hope made some difference in lives of many people. This short report is a culmination of efforts of many people who worked to bring us together.

Statistics
The Association’s size almost doubled in 2005 – we now have 317 full members from 40 states of the United States and Canada. We also have several members in Russia, Germany, Israel and South Africa. The database of the Association includes more than 5,000 Russian-speaking physicians and other medical professionals.The Association’s size almost doubled in 2005 – we now have 317 full members from 40 states of the United States and Canada. We also have several members in Russia, Germany, Israel and South Africa. The database of the Association includes more than 5,000 Russian-speaking physicians and other medical professionals.

Physicians are a majority of RAMA members
In residency 46
Practicing 115
Professors 11
PhD 38

By specialty:
Surgery 19
Internal Medicine/FP 42
Pediatrics 11
Psychiatry 7
OB/GYN 11
Dentistry 2
Other 16

Researchers 32
Students 39
Nurses 6
Other medical professionals 24

Main goals of RAMA
Education and Academic Excellence
Humanitarian work
Networking
Representation

Legal status
The Association is working with two lawyers who help us with multiple legal issues (administrative – Ted Brown, Esq. and immigration – Anna Markovich, Esq.). RAMA’s Articles of Incorporation and the Code of Regulations are approved by the State of Ohio. We officially have 501(c)(3) status of a non-profit organization. RAMA hired an accountant – Alex Nersesov, who oversees our financial issues.

New RAMA Board of Directors
The 3rd RAMA Conference elected new President and the Board of Directors, which now includes 8 people from 7 states and coordinates all RAMA work.

Chairman of the Board
Immediate Past President
Boris Vinogradsky, MD
Cleveland, OH

President
Dmitry Arbuck, MD, PhD
Indianapolis, IN

Vice President
Konstantin Slavin, MD
Chicago, IL

Secretary
Lioudmila Lipetskaya, MD
Bethlehem, PA

Treasurer
Alisher Dadabayev, MD
Cleveland, OH

RAMA Journal Editor-in-Chief
Grants and Awards Committee
Nikolay Vasilyev, MD
Boston, MA

Education and Research Committee
Lyuba Varticovski, MD
Bethesda, MD

RAMA Help Initiative
Vladimir Bogin, MD
Longview, WA

We now have an Executive Director - John Wiedelman, Indianapolis, IN
The BOD meets 4-6 times a year by teleconference.
I would like to express my gratitude to the members of the first RAMA Board of Directors:

George Muenster, DO - Surgery - Cleveland, OH
Natalia Gorecki, MD - Internal Medicine - Yardley, PA
Julia Frantsuzov, MD - Pediatrics - Cleveland, OH
Igor Efimov, PhD - Cardiology Research - St. Louis, MO
Elena Hudson, MD - Health Care Management - Houston, TX
Ivan Alpatov, MD - Vascular Research - Memphis, TN
Gregory Chernyak, MD – Anesthesiology - Oklahoma City, OK for their enormous contribution to the formation of the Association. They became the first members of the RAMA Board of Regents that serves as a group of advisors.

Local Chapters
In 2005 RAMA grew larger and in addition to Ohio, Massachusetts and Students chapters, formed separate independent chapter in Indiana (Dmitry Arbuck, MD, PhD – President). Canadian members are working of forming a chapter, as well as physicians in Missouri (Alex Beyser, MD – Coordinator), New York and New J ersey (Dr. Gennady Ukrainsky, MD – Coordinator). We are working on forming new chapters in California and Illinois.

I would like to underline the fact that our Association is not a political organization. We participate in legislative and political process but we DO NOT endorse or support any particular party, group, or political opinion.

We consider democratic principles to be of the paramount importance in the functioning of the Association. RAMA has no intention of “enslaving” any group of physicians in different states of the Nation. We would like to expand and incorporate new regional chapters, which should be independent in their activity and decision-making. State chapter President or representative becomes a member of the Council of States (COS) and helps to coordinate our work. Michael Maysky, MD is the COS President.

Finances:
Our finances come from three main sources: membership fees and donations, sponsoring drug companies and medical equipment manufacturing companies, and fees from Association conferences and other activities. A financial report is presented to members at each annual Conference and is available to public per written request.

RAMA Programs
The Help Initiative - Charitable Foundation
The goal of the Foundation is to provide humanitarian help to patients in the United States and Russia, with emphasis on illnesses that are not treatable in Russia and specifically children. Vladimir Bogin, MD from Longview, WA is a head of this Program.As a part of the Charitable Foundation - Medical Missions Program will provide assistance in organization of educational and clinical missions to Russia for RAMA members, groups and partners. The first International Conference of RAMA is scheduled in Moscow in the spring of 2007.The first International Conference of RAMA is scheduled in Moscow in the spring of 2007.

Partnership Program
The goal of the program is to coordinate efforts of multiple medical and non-medical groups that work with Russia (i.e. Cleveland-Volgograd Alliance, Kidsave International etc.)

RAMA partners:
Our most important partner is the Russian American Dental Association – http://www.radaonline.com We started working together in 2005 and plan to develop this partnership as much as we can in the future.

American International Health Alliance www.aiha.com
Association for Advancement of Ilizarov Method www.asamile.com
36.6C - Chicago Russian Medical Internet Magazine www.36-6c.com
Cleveland-Volgograd Alliance www.russiandoctors.org/about/gcvoa.shtml
The Congress of Russian Americans www.russian-americans.org
The Continental Group www.continentalpac.com
Doctors without Borders www.doctorswithoutborders.org
Eurasia Health Knowledge Network www.eurasiahealth.org
Foreign Consultants, Inc.www.foreignconsultants.com
Friends of Russian Orphans www.russian-orphans.org
Global Pediatrics www.globalpediatrics.net
From Heart to Heart www.dovgan.medico.ru/H2hpage.htm
www.Medico.ru www.Medico.ru
International College of Surgeons www.icsglobal.org
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War www.ippnw.org
Kidsave International www.kidsave.org
Lake County (Ohio) Medical Society www.lcms.net
LOREO - Local Russian Emigre Organization ww.loreo.org
The Magic House Project www.housemagic.org
Maria’s Children International www.mariaschildren.com
Meridian Health Group www.meridianhealthgroup.com
MNAP Diagnostics www.mnap.com
MolbiolMolbiol www.molbiol.ru
Physicians for Human Rights www.phrusa.org
Russian American Medical Partners www.rampartners.org
Russian Media, Inc. www.russiancleveland.us
The Ukrainian Medical Association of North America www.umana.org
US-Russian Nurses Association www.us-russiannurses.com
Russia House www.russiahouse.org
Russian SurginetRussian Surginet www.surginet.narod.ru
New Russian Surgical Archive www.surgeon.spb.ru
The Health MagazineThe Health Magazine www.zdorovie.com

More than 20 major pharmaceutical companies support RAMA

Scholarship Program
The goal of this program is to allow the best medical students; young doctors and medical researchers from Russia visit the United States and learn the American medical system. Nikolay Vasilyev, MD – Cleveland, OH is a head of this program. First two medical students – winners of the Russian National Scientific Contest were scheduled to arrive to the USA for one-month fellowship in the summer of 2005, but for administrative and political reasons this did not happen. We will continue to work on this project.

Observership Program
The purpose of this program is to let those Russian doctors, that immigrated to the United States and passed their USMLE exams get clinical experience of an American hospital, in preparation for the residency training.

Heart Health Awareness in Russians Project
This pilot program is being developed and will provide health information and medical education to the Russian immigrant population. The Phase I of the project will focus on the issues of the heart disease.

RAMA Discussion Forum
This is the largest Russian medical discussion group in America. Most questions of the certification process, residency and private practice issues, as well as the areas of all levels of the American health care system are discussed in detail there.

Russian-speaking Physicians Database
RAMA maintains the database of the Russian-speaking physicians in North America that is used for referrals and benefits both – physicians and patients across the country

RAMA Journal
The second issue was published on time for the 3rd National Conference in Washington, DC and includes information about RAMA as well as scientific articles of RAMA members. We plan to have two publications a year – the Journal and the National Conference Proceedings. The Journal is prepared by a large group of people and Nikolay Vasilyev, MD is coordinating this work.

Other programs (at different stages of development)
Credentials Verification Service
Job Search Assistance Program
Translators Bureau
Speakers Bureau
Advertising Service

World Russian Forum
Annual meeting of Russian and American political and business leaders put together by the organizer of The Russia House Edward Lozansky in Washington, DC. Boris Vinogradsky, MD, Victor Hinov, MD – member of the Indi-RAMA Board of Directors, Rada Sumareva, DDS – the President of RADA and Dmitry Stillman, DDS – member of the RADA Board of Directors went to this meeting in 2005 and we plan to develop this cooperation farther.

RAMA web site
The most important information resource of the Association, now being developed and maintained by Nataliya Kozlova – Stamford, CT

The 4th National Conference of RAMA is scheduled for the September 29-October 1 of 2006 in New York City

I would like to thank all people who help us in our work. Even though I could not mention everyone in this report, but I want you to know that I remember each of you and am immensely grateful for your efforts!

Boris Vinogradsky, MD
Chairman of the Board and Immediate Past President of RAMA
General and Trauma Surgery
Cleveland, OH