ACAIM Positions

We are very proud to announce that Dr. Mayur Narayan, past president of ACAIM has launched the American College of Surgeons Trauma Evaluation & Management (TEAM) course in Catanzaro, Italy. He also serves as Editor of the 4th Edition of the course.

The TEAM course took place on June 6th in the Auditorium of the “S. Venuta” Campus at the University of Catanzaro. The launch in Italy, marks the 3rd international launch of TEAM (after India and Pakistan), opening a new chapter in healthcare education in Italy. Special thanks to Dr. Biagio Ravo for helping launch the course!!

Dr. Narayan extends his gratitude to the following key stakeholders who supported and were instrumental in the course's success: AVIS Provinciale di Catanzaro and Fondazione UMG; The Presidents of the ACS/SICUT Congresses, Prof. Antonia Rizzuto, Prof. Federico Longhini, and Dr. Biagio Ravo; Exceptional instructors, Prof. Andrea Mingoli, Dr. Giovanna Sgarzini, and Dr. Diego Mariani, who are nationally and internationally renowned professionals.

TEAM(TM) is a course by the American College of Surgeons that introduces the fundamental principles of trauma patient management through simulations, interactive discussions, and a systematic approach to trauma. There is an urgent need to introduce, reinforce, and sustain the provision of basic trauma management skills globally!

ACAIM strongly supports and promotes initiatives like TEAM, and we congratulate Dr. Narayan on this innovative and successful venture!

Our hearts go out to everyone in Greater Los Angeles affected by the devastating wildfires. Our thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones, suffered injuries, and lost their homes as a result of this unprecedented disaster. We are especially grateful for the enormous efforts by the first responders who are working around the clock and risking their lives to protect others and extinguish the wildfires.

We are confident that hope, strength, and healing will prevail and that Los Angeles and those affected will find both peace and recovery. We also hope for a quick return to normalcy. As we offer our unconditional support to the affected communities, we firmly highlight the best of Los Angeles - Its strong community, its resilience in the face of adversity, and most importantly its wonderful and diverse people!

ACAIM Executive Leadership

Resources for those looking to assist individuals and communities affected by the Los Angeles wildfires:

[Link 1]

[Link 2]

We are pleased to announce ACAIM Leadership Award recipients for 2024. Each year ACAIM awards two prestigious recognitions – Emerging Leader Award and Distinguished Leader Award.

2024 ACAIM Emerging Leader Award
Dr. Nathan Christopherson (Northwell Health, New York)
[More Information: Click Here ]

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2024 ACAIM Distinguished Leader Award
Dr. Vikas Kapil (Chief Medical Officer and Associate Director for Science, Center for Global Health / CDC, Co-Founder of ACAIM)
[More Information: Click Here ]

Leadership Award Nominees are reviewed by an independently operating ACAIM Awards Committee, in unbiased fashion, utilizing a standardized evaluation process. The following criteria are utilized to identify Leadership Award Recipients:

The ACAIM Distinguished Leader Award – To be selected by the Awards Committee, the candidate must:

• Demonstrate a long-term, deep commitment to international medicine;
• Have made an exceptional contributions to improving health internationally, through research, education and/or service;
• Demonstrate outstanding leadership skills;
• Be well published in academic journals;
• Be well-recognized in the international medicine community nationally and internationally;
• Have played a key role in advocating for, implementing or advancing international medicine policies and/or programs.

The ACAIM Emerging Leader Award – To be selected by the Awards Committee, the candidate must:

• Have shown outstanding achievement in education, research, advocacy and/or service in international medicine;
• Have collaborated with colleagues in limited resource settings;
• Have published in academic journals; and
• Have demonstrated leadership in international medicine organizations.

ACAIM Executive Director for World Dr. Sagar Galwankar delivered  an Inspiring Talk at the recently concluded TEDx Bradenton.

The gist of the talk featured around Health Security, COVID19 and enabling ACCESS to Credible Information using the strategy of Collaborative Creativity.

TEDx Bradenton Mentioned the Following about Dr. Sagar Galwankar:

“Sagar Galwankar is a career academician and an expert in International Medicine. He specializes in Education and Innovation in areas of Health Policy, Humanitarian Assistance, and Quality Health Care Delivery both in the United States and across the world. He has been in Florida for the last 2 decades and he currently serves as the Executive Director for The American College of Academic International Medicine. His career is studded with multiple leadership roles both at national and international level. He is an international speaker and researcher who strongly advocates for health security, quality education and impactful innovation.”

“Delivering a TED Talk was an experience of a lifetime for me. The Journey from Preparedness to Completion was a self-discovery process. I thank The TEDxBradenton Team for believing in me and guiding me to my final accomplishment.” Said Dr. Sagar Galwankar

To Watch Dr. Sagar Galwankar’s TEDx Recording

 

About ACAIM

ACAIM aims to promote the mission of Academic International Medicine (AIM) professionals in the United States and beyond. It will focus to promote clinical, educational and scientific collaboration of AIM professionals, both domestically and globally. ACAIM works to create a platform for domestic and global coordination of academic, clinical and educational efforts involving AIM professionals. ACAIM Leaders are encouraged to educate, generate and publish new knowledge, create relevant guidelines, and assist policy making in the area of international medicine. For More Information: www.ACAIM.org

Prominent ACAIM member and Cardiac Alliance's Dr. Bill Novick, was featured on MSNBC on March 14th, 2022 while assisting efforts in Ukraine.

During the past few weeks, the world has witnessed a ruthless and violent war of aggression in Ukraine. The thousands of injured and killed, including children, pregnant women, and the elderly, reflect the dehumanizing and barbaric nature of war. In fact, this is one of the worst humanitarian crises in decades. As of today, an estimated 2.8 million refugees from Ukraine, mainly women, children, and elderly, have fled the conflict, seeking safety in surrounding countries. Many Ukrainians are also internally displaced. Men of fighting age are not permitted to leave the country, adding to the difficult and often tragic decisions faced by families and children. In their recent communique, the World Health Organization has reported an increasing number of verified attacks on health care facilities, workers, and ambulances. These human rights violations are unacceptable and must stop immediately. In addition, we are deeply concerned about the negligent and extremely dangerous behavior of the invading Russian forces around civilian nuclear power plants.

The American College of Academic International Medicine opposes this and other armed conflicts around the world and promotes the peaceful resolution of international disputes. We call on our members to assist those in need, to protect the vulnerable from harm, and to ensure respect for human life and dignity.

We hope that the global awareness and outpouring support for the Ukrainian civilians who are facing this humanitarian crisis will also extend to the other communities who are facing similar atrocities throughout the world. We must stand together to prevent human rights abuses wherever, and whenever, they occur. Furthermore, we must stand united in supporting those whose lives have been devastated by acts of aggression across the globe.

Please consult the U.S. State Department website for the most recent updates on the situation in Ukraine.

The following list of charities has been compiled for those who would like to donate to the relief efforts.

• 9 Highly-Rated Charities Where You Can Donate Safely To Help Ukraine
• Malteser International Ukraine Relief Action
  
• Novick Cardiac Alliance

On behalf of ACAIM members worldwide, we mourn the loss of a great friend, teacher and mentor, Dr Paul Farmer. With his lifelong commitment to global health initiatives, Dr Farmer was an inspiration to many of us. His leadership and wisdom served as the foundation for many of the goals and principles for which ACAIM was founded, including a commitment to high quality medical care for all and the belief that health care is a human right. His tireless contributions included domestic efforts in the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as decades-long efforts in Haiti and elsewhere in South/Central America, Africa and Asia. He focused on helping provide the highest level of care with a belief that “location and circumstances of your birth should never dictate that quality of your care." All of us, including those of us at ACAIM who are committed to his beliefs, are better international medicine professionals from standing on the shoulders of such a Giant. He will be missed and our collective thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and three children.

Press Notes:

1. https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/21/health/paul-farmer-partners-in-health/index.html
2. https://www.pih.org/article/remembering-dr-paul-farmer
3. https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/02/21/1082117707/global-health-champion-dr-paul-farmer-has-died

About Dr. Paul Farmer

Paul Farmer, M.D., Ph.D., was the professor and chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Additionally, he was the chief of the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He Co-founded Partners In Health and he continued to pioneer approaches to delivering high-quality patient care in resource limited areas of the world.

He was the recipient of the 2018 Public Welfare Medal and was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.

His notable authorships includes books titled: In the Company of the Poor: Conversations with Dr. Paul Farmer and Fr. Gustavo Gutiérrez, Reimagining Global Health: An Introduction, and To Repair the World: Paul Farmer Speaks to the Next Generation.

(Photograph of Dr. Farmer sourced from https://www.pih.org/article/remembering-dr-paul-farmer and Biographic Information Sourced from www.PIH.org )

ACAIM has been greatly impacted by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed over a million lives and sickened many, many more. We have cared for innumerable critically ill individuals with COVID-19, and have found our professional and personal lives greatly changed by the ongoing crisis. We have learned that even the most robust health systems can quickly become overwhelmed when need outstrips resources. The pandemic has also exposed fissures in society within the United States and abroad. There has been a significant toll on health care provider morale and health, and many additional challenges in international medicine, clinical care and education have been brought to light.

ACAIM has risen to these challenges. Our members have stepped up to the plate to care for sick patients under uncertain conditions. Programs have pivoted to local initiatives and virtual formats, focusing on the dissemination of best practices, the provision of mentorship and support, and exploring novel approaches to these unprecedented times. The networks and partnerships established through ACAIM have helped our members weather these storms.

As our borders become ever less well-defined, we are working together to address global health challenges. ACAIM is one platform for a multi-specialty approach to international medicine that can create effective solutions to improve the health of our populations around the world.

Annelies De Wulf, MD MPH
ACAIM President 2020

Additional Resources

• World Health Organization (WHO) information about Coronavirus
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Situation Summary
• Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centers 
• The 2019-2020 Novel Coronavirus (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) Pandemic: A Joint American College of Academic International Medicine-World Academic Council of Emergency Medicine Multidisciplinary COVID-19 Working Group Consensus Paper. Journal of Global Infectious Disease. 
• A joint american college of academic international medicine-world academic council of emergency medicine multidisciplinary COVID-19 working group consensus paper. Journal of global infectious diseases.  

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