SAMS OHIO

The Gala

    It was a fest!  American physicians and dentists of Syrian origin in Ohio came together in an unprecedented medical and social function in the heart of Cleveland.  On March 3rd, The Renaissance Hotel hosted 233 attendants of the first SAMS Ohio Gala event from Cleveland, Columbus, Youngstown, Akron, Sandusky, and other Ohioan communities.  The program featured a lecture by Dr. Naim Farhat titled “Bivaluridin in ACS and Coronary Interventions”, followed by a dynamic Qs and As session.

   The program moved on to the Ambassador Ballroom where Dr. Basel Moussa, President of SAMS Ohio, presented the chapter’s mission.  He further asserted that investing in Ohio and local communities would create an atmosphere for better understanding and deepens our children’s sense of pride and belonging.  He expressed the board’s priority in connecting with and empowering the first Syrian-American generation.

Dr. Thabet Alsheikh of Florida, President of SAMS National, presented highlights of the extra-ordinary clinical work done by SAMS in Syrian hospitals and the novel concept of “transfer of skills across nations”.

       Ohio Chapter board members handed out Awards.  “Professor Award” was granted to Prof. Dr. Khalil Azem, who taught several generations at Damascus University School of Medicine before settling in Ohio.

   “Outstanding Physician Award” was given to Dr. Mousab Tabbaa, the first physician ever to chair the board of trustees at Lakewood Hospital in its 100 years of history.

 “Academic Achievement Award” was taken by Dr. Nizar Zein, director of hepatology at Cleveland Clinic Foundation

Finally, “Student Award” was earned by Kenan Dia, a gifted 16 year-old son of this community going on his second year of college.

    Keynote Speaker, Dr. George Paras, president of the Cultural Garden Federation in Cleveland, turned the lights on the Syrian Garden project and its standing among other nations’ gardens on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

   One of the highlights of the night was a 16-minute video presentation, “Where the heart is…” directed and produced by Dr. Adib Alsous.  It showcases touching portraits of Syria, the cities and the people, medical schools, great Syrian personalities in the US, like Steve Jobs of Apple Inc, and Indiana Governor, Mitchell Elias Daniels, and ends with moving clips of children of our community, paying tribute to their folks’ mother culture in their own ways.

   With cheers of the young in the crowd, Ronnie Khalil, a Florida -based comedian, shared with the crowd his funniest stories as a first generation Arab American.  Then, came the Raffle, and reached a peak when Dr. Haitham Haddad topped all prizes by winning the Grand Prize of $5,000 towards a Jaguar presented by Khouri’s Westside Automotives.