Candidates for 2018-2020 SAMS Midwest Chapter Board
Adeeb Alshahrour, MD, FACOG
Born 1970 in Tizi Ozo Algeria., raised In Damascus Syria,Graduated from Medical School 1994 from Aleppo college of Medicine.
Graduated from OB/GYN residency program 2004Cook County Hospital, Chicago, IL. And Board certified.
Trained in Urology Gynecology from University of Guadalajara, Mexico 2005.
Currently in private practice in city of Chicago at Women’s Healthcare Center of Chicago. Fluent in Arabic, English, Spanish.
SAMS Member since 2004.
Currently serving at the Board for SAMS Greece.
Participated and led several Medical Missions in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey.
Dr. Alshahrour currently serves on the SAMS Lebanon Committee and SAMS Global Relief Committee.
His Vision:
Membership and recruitment to bring Syrian American physicians back to the organization, one additional member worth a lot and speaks a lot.
- As the organization is gaining recognition nationally and internationally, it is time to reshape and strengthen the bones of the organization by drawing more conclusive and comprehensive bylaws.
- Through Advocacy and outreach, looking forward that SAMS becomes an influential lobby in the US, to serve the US and abroad.
- Energize more SAMS members to engage in SAMS Missions and activities.
- Emphasize Unity and Transparency among SAMS Members and the Governing body.
- Upgrade SAMS Medical Relief Missions to meet the best standards, and set an example for future Syria to how provide and run health system. And Focus on quality of care, and quality control and review.
Ahmad Agha, MD
Graduated from the University of Damascus Medical School class of 1992.
Board Certified in Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine.
I have been involved with SAMS since early inception.
I’m highly committed to SAMS Mission and vision.
With my medical and business background I hope to take SAMS to the highest level of achievement and give it the importance the organization deserves.
I’m committed to achieve the goals set by SAMS organization and its active members.
I’m also committed to make SAMS one of the highly respected international humanitarian organizations in the world.
Azzam Alkhudari, MD
Attending physician at Stroger hospital of Cook county in Chicago, Department of Anesthesia& Pain Management. I have been serving on SAMS Midwest chapter board for the last 2 years looking for 2 more years to advance SAMS goals and mission.I have been going on mission with SAMS over the last 5 years, and just came back from my sixth mission to Lebanon with SAMS.
With the experience I gained over the last 5 years, I am looking for more comprehensive plan to improve the quality of our missions especially those to Lebanon, and continue working on the projects we started with current board members.
Bsher Touleimat, MD
I am honored to be nominated to serve for 2 more years on the board of SAMS Midwest Chapter.
I am a pulmonologist/ critical care physician who has been in private practice for over 20 years. I have been privileged to be part of SAMS since its inception and have been impressed with the rapid growth of the organization and the many lives it has touched throughout the world.
I have participated in 3 missions to Lebanon in last 4 years and my involvement has centered around seeing pulmonary patients and performing procedures including bronchoscopy.
I envision continued involvement in SAMS activities to reach as many patients as possible to provide comprehensive care at the lowest cost possible and to have close contact with local physicians providing needed care on a regular basis.
I wish to continue to serve our community here at home through free clinics/ health fairs and educational seminars.
Dema Alzein, PharmD
I have been an active SAMS member in the past and am proud to be a part of this organization with a commitment to save lives. In my experience as a pharmacist I have been able to work with Sams in various projects and have also been on multiple missions to Jordan and watched their work firsthand.
I would like to help this organization reach further goals and be part of the momentum that would drive their force. I am committed to keep improving the services our local chapter can offer to our local community, refugees in various countries, and coordinated assistance to those inside Syria. I would also like to see the growth of new services that we can provide to these communities, and to outreach and work with more organizations to help us reach our goals.
Fuwad Al-Sabek, DMD, MS
Studied dentistry in Damascus and Pittsburgh university and specialized in Endodontics (root canal treatment) from state university of New York at buffalo. I Have been in endodontic private practice since 2004. Started participating in SAMS dental missions since 2013 specifically in training local dentists in refugee clinics to improve quality of root canal treatments provided to refugees and participated in three such missions to Lebanon in 2016 and 2017. On board of SAMS Lebanon Committee as SAMS dental director in Lebanon. Founder of the very new SAMS Dental Committee that is overseeing SAMS dental relief efforts in both Lebanon and Jordan.
Hussam Almasri, MD
Graduated from the University of Damascus Medical School class of 1992.
Board Certified in Family Medicine
Medical Director of United Elite Hospitalists Group and has articipated in several local SAMS activities.
If elected, I will work with all board members to make SAMS a stronger and a better organized institution.
Mohamad Riad Alzein ,MD
Board certified internal medicine.
Emergency room experience, coronary, surgical, and post CABG ICU experience.
I did few missions to Jordan with SAMS in the last 2 year.
President of ADVANCED URGENT CARE CENTERS.
My goal: The medical need is huge and overwhelming , we have to concentrate on business people involvement and support for our mission.
Muhammad Abdulgany Hamadeh, MD
Pulmonary &Critical care and sleep disorders Chief , Pulmonary section, Christ Medical Center
Medical Director, Sleep disorders Center, Christ medical center
Assistant professor, UIC school of medicine.
Single specialty group practice.
Founding member (on of five) who established the SAMS Midwest Chapter of SAMS and served for 2 years.
My goal: Need to expand the work of SAMS within the SAMS Midwest Chapter and coordinate with SAMS HQ to deliver medical care to those who need it most abroad and locally.
Need to expand our base to include all medical professionals including health care extenders and cooperate with other health care organizations locally and nationally.
Samer Al-Khudari, MD
Graduated from Rush Medical College in 2007 and subsequently trained in Otolaryngology.
Head and Neck Surgery at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, MI.
Completed a fellowship in Head and Neck Oncology and Reconstructive Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic.
Currently the Assistant Professor at Rush University Medical Center in the department of Otorhinolaryngology.
Dr. Al-khudari serves as the Director of the Transoral Robotic Surgery Program and as the Medical Student Director and closely works with medical students as they pursue a career in Otolaryngology. He has been an active member of the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) for the last 4 years. He has been a part of multiple mission trips aimed at providing Otolaryngology care to refugees who have been displaced along the boarders of Turkey and Lebanon. He lectures often about his experiences with the Syrian refugees in hopes to increase awareness and to motivate other health care providers to consider participating in global health care opportunities. His primary concerns are making sure compassionate, high quality and safe surgical care is provided on all mission trips. He has participated in approximately 140 surgical cases with SAMS ranging from tonsillectomy, salivary gland surgery, endocrine surgery and complex facial reconstruction.
If elected to the SAMS Midwest chapter board, he will work with the SAMS leadership and membership to establish guidelines, requirements, and safeguard measures to provide high quality and safe surgical care on SAMS-supported mission trips.
Residents/Fellows Representatives:
Yaseen Alkaddoumi, MD
Graduated from University of Kalamoon, school of medicine, Syria with honors.
Completed Internal Medicine Residency, Mercy Hospital and Medical Center.
Served as Chief Resident, Mercy Hospital and Medical Center.
Starting Hematology/ Oncology Fellowship at Cook County Hospital and Health System.
Served as instructor/ trainer in SAMS workshops in the last 3 years helping medical students from Syria prepare for their exams and residency interviews.
Main focus: Support and help medical students from Syria achieve their goals in U.S by training, mentoring and networking.
Thaer Idrees, MD
I am current resident in Internal Medicine PGY-3 at Saint Joseph Hospital in Chicago, and a future fellow in Endocrinology at the University of Chicago. I have studied medicine at the University of Damascus and graduated in 2013 with good standing. I have the pleasure and the honor to join SAMS as a board member of the Midwest Chapter.
Since I came to USA in 2013, SAMS has offered a great deal of support for me and for my colleagues who were applying for the Match. I was impressed with this organization that offer help, assistance and good advice which resulted in me and many of my colleagues to match.
Before 2011, I did not know what war means, I did not experience the sounds of shelling, I did not know what it feels to loss a person in a war, to shatter relatives, I did not except to see Syrian people to suffer an ongoing massacre that is unheard of. The history will record this in the future as one of the darkest moments in humanity. It is up to us to be passive about this, or participate with anything we can offer, time, resources or at least a pure prayer from the heart to thousands and thousands of miserable individuals.
I have witness by attending many SAMS events the huge efforts that SAMS with its members do to minimize people’s suffering, I have also noticed the huge need for every drop of sweat, for every minute that can be spent, for every prayer that can be sent. Those are my people, my bus driver, my carpenter, my doctor, my construction worker who would build the future great Syria, Those all my family.