AKMG President 2019-2020
Introducing Dr. Usha Mohandas as AKMG President for the year 2019 - 2020 at the 29th AKMG Ruby convention in New York
Dear AKMG Family,
I would like to Thank Dr. Thomas Mathew, Dr. Unnikrishnan Thampy, Dr. Alex Mathew and the entire NYC Convention team for all of their hard work to make the convention a great experience for all of us.
I am honored to follow in the footsteps of the many great leaders & past presidents who have worked hard to build this organization to its current stature. On behalf of the entire AKMG family and myself, I want to give a special thanks to all of you for your services to our organization.
Florida chapter has always been one of the most active chapters. and has been fortunate to be the home of many well known AKMG leaders & past presidents including Dr Ravindrnathan, Dr Venkit Iyer Dr George Thomas Dr Sovi Joseph Dr Abdul Karim Dr Aravind Pillai & Dr Sunil Kumar.
We are excited to present to you the "2020 AKMG Symphony Cruise convention" from July 18 to 25, 2020.
It will be a 7 day cruise aboard the Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas, one of the biggest & newest cruise ships in the world We will depart from Miami, visiting the private Island of Labadee, the ports of Falmouth, Jamaica & Cozumel, Mexico,
In addition to all the CME and AKMG activities, you get to experience at no additional cost,
world-class entertainments and authentic Kerala food.
The convention Chair Dr Pradip Baiju, Florida Chapter President Dr Moideen & the entire convention team have been working diligently for the last several months. We have already kicked off the registration process Please go to www.akmg.org and register at the earliest.
As a token of gratitude and respect we bring forth a new initiative for our Senior Life Members of AKMG ( North America) above the age of 70. The delegate fee for the Symphony Convention will be discounted from $299 to $99( a $ 100 discount ) for our seniors.
On behalf of the Florida Chapter and the convention committee, I would like to extend a warm welcome to each & everyone of you to join us for the "Symphony Cruise convention".
See you onboard the "Symphony of the Seas"
Thank You
Usha Mohandas MD
AKMG President
President's Convention Message
President's Message Cancelling Symphony Cruise Convention
Dear AKMG Family
Greetings from Orlando, Florida
First of all a big THANK YOU to each and every one of you for supporting the 2020 AKMG Symphony Cruise Convention. A special acknowledgment to the AKMG UAE chapter and the UK folks who registered.
All of us hear the news everyday about the Pandemic caused by the COVID-19 Virus and the Impact/RISK associated with gathering in numbers especially on a cruise ship. It becomes obvious that in the best interest of all of us, the only option is to cancel the Cruise convention.
Hence on behalf of the 2020 Convention Committee, Convention Chair Dr. Pradip Baiju, the AKMG Board of Governors (which met tonight) and myself, this email is to officially notify you that our 2020 AKMG Symphony Cruise Convention is hereby cancelled.bight
For those who have booked through the AKMG website/our booking agent will get a 100% refund (or if you prefer a future cruise credit) if the booking is cancelled before March 31st 2020. Kindly send the cancellation request with your name and cabin number to Barbara@continuingeducation.net. Make sure you get an acknowledgement from Barbara, and if needed call this number +1 727-526-1571 or 800-422-0711. A special THANKS to Sandra Barnhat and the entire Continuing Education Inc., team for all the great work they have done so far and continue to do for AKMG.
EACH FAMILY HAS TO EMAIL THE ID GIVEN ABOVE, TO CANCEL YOUR BOOKING AND TO GET YOUR REFUND. There is NO Bulk or group cancellation process.
Given the dynamic nature of the situation, at this point in time there are no immediate plans for an alternate convention. We will however closely watch how the situation evolves over the next few weeks/months and revisit the feasibility of having a land convention in Florida. Stay Tuned.
Thank you.
President's Covid Message
President's Message at 2020 E Convention
Good Evening everyone,
Thank you for joining us for the 2020 Virtual AKMG convention. I wish we could all be sharing this view and beautiful weather together, but unfortunately 2020 had other plans for us. We all have been affected by the COVID 19 pandemic in various ways, so let us dedicate this convention to all of the frontline healthcare workers who continue to serve our communities. Let us take a moment of pause to reflect on those that have lost their lives during this pandemic, as well as our AKMG members who have lost their lives this past year. This includes: Dr. K.S. Gokulanathan our first AKMG president, Dr. Prathap Chandran former AKMG president, Dr. A.O. Matthew, Dr. Ayer Bala, Dr. Edattukaran Stanley, Dr. Sathy Kampil, Dr. Madan Mohan, Dr. John Raj Mathew, Dr. John Varghese Cholankeril, Dr. Lilykutty Roy Varghese, Dr. Vimala Nayar, Dr. George Mathews and lastly my dear friend and the 2020 Florida Chapter President, Dr. KK Moideen.
It has been my privilege and honor to be the 2020 AKMG President. The pandemic has created many barriers to the way we typically conduct business. Myself, the governing body, and convention committee have had to tap into our creativity and innovation. I feel that our virtual presence, from Zoom meetings to social media, has been strong and serving as a place of community and collaboration for AKMG physicians across the globe. This is the first virtual convention and I hope in the years to come we continue to provide online forums and access to our events for members to join from all over the world. I would like to propose that all future in-person conventions provide an option for virtual access.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, AKMG has been a stronghold for Keralite physicians both here in the US, as well as in the UK, UAE, and in India. We have been able to join with other physician groups here in the USA to reach out to the White House Coronavirus Task Force to address the national PPE shortage. We were able to assist PAHA, Physicians for American Health Care Action, in their efforts to obtain permanent resident status for international medical graduates working on the front lines. We served as a trusted source of COVID-19 information for USA and Kerala based media programs. We also worked alongside FOKANA, FOMA, and NAINA in creating the Malayalee Help Line Forum.
Through our online programs, we have been able to hold the first ever new member welcome party for our 200 new members. You have seen the caliber of our young and upcoming members during this morning's CME discussions. I am confident in the future of our organization in the hands of these bright young physicians.
The AKMG archives have been revised and digitized. The events of our organization from 2013-2019 are in the process of being updated, and our 2020 archive has been completed. This will serve as a database for all members to easily access and reminisce on past activities and events. The website and membership database have also undergone revisions, solidifying AKMG's virtual presence. I would like to give a special thank you to my husband Velluva Mohandas for his hard work on these projects.
In addition to our digital updates, AKMG has had some organizational changes over the past year. Dr. Prem Menon, who has been the chair of AKMG Humanitarian Services for 17+ years, has passed the torch to Dr. Sunil Kumar. Sunil and Vandana have been some of my closest friends for 30+ years, and Sunil's mentorship has been invaluable during my presidency. He has been an amazing representative of AKMG and the face of frontline healthcare workers in South Florida during the pandemic. I am confident that he will continue the outstanding work of Humanitarian Services. Dr. Nisha Nigil does not require any introduction. Her dedication and passion for AKMG social media, prompted to us to create the new position of Communication Director. We continue to have active chapters in the UAE, Florida, Michigan, Canada, New York, California, and most recently Atlanta. We are continuing to lay the foundations for chapters in the Midwest, Dallas, DC, as well as AKMG UK.
As my presidency comes to an end, I would like to thank every one of you for joining us this evening and throughout the year. AKMG has been a part of my life for 20+ years and has always felt like a piece of home. This organization has brought me many close friends, as well as many mentors both professionally and personally. It has been an honor to work with several of you over the years, especially in this past year. I would like to give a special thanks for a few individuals.
Firstly, I would like to thank the convention committee. We worked tirelessly planning the cruise convention, and I believe it would have been a great success. Despite the frustration in the change of plans, the committee has been forever optimistic, innovative, and passionate. Dr. Pradip Baiju the convention chair, alongside his wife Dr. Jaisy Baiju, have been a big support for me during the past year. You have seen Dr Baiju chair the CME sessions this morning. They are always ready to step into any roles to help me. Dr. Vandana Kumar, Dr. Sunil Kumar, Dr. Paul Kotturan, Mrs. Bessy Kotturan, and Mrs. Sulekha Moideen have all been integral as well.
Next, my mentors, Dr. Ravindranathan, Dr. Abdul Kareem, Dr. Aravind Pillai, and Dr. Thomas Mathew for always providing guidance. Dr. Nisha Nigil and Nigil Haroon have been invaluable. Their enthusiasm and drive have awoken the AKMG spirit in all of us. Nisha continues to build our strong social media presence. Nigil's creativity and intellect have been an important part of all AKMG events this past year. They are true leaders and continue to motivate all of AKMG. I have no concerns about the future of AKMG in their hands.
Finally, I would like to thank my children Anisha, Ajay and Ronak for their support over the past year. There is one person who has been the backbone of all of my AKMG efforts. He created AKMG's first online registration during the Miami convention and has been a vital part of this organization since. He has worked tirelessly over the past two years on the cruise convention, from heading the registration committee to helping me in all aspects of the planning. AKMG's transition to the virtual world during this pandemic would not have been possible without him. Dr. Thomas Matthew once told me, "I wish I had someone like him on my team." Although sometimes his persistence drives us crazy, he is often the reason why things get done on time. He has been endlessly supportive and patient, and I would not have been able to hold his office without him. Please give all of them, who made everything happens a special round of applause.
In 2019 soon after the NY convention, during a conversation Dr. Thomas Mathew last year's president said to me "Do you know Usha we don't have President to take over after your term. If we do not find anyone you will have to continue for one more year. You don't have to do anything. We are all here o help you How about Subra? Since he had other commitments said "why don't you give him a call".
I called Subra as soon as I hung up with Thomas. Subra was hesitant at first due to other commitments, but said he would think about it. He called back after a few says and said Yes. The rest is history as we all have seen what he as done. He started the Georgia Chapter, adding new life members almost daily or every few days. He has been an ardent supporter of my presidency and conventions. I thank him from the bottom of my heart.
He is an excellent leader, hardworking, always ready to help and above all an incredibly good human being. Let us all work with him to make AKMG bigger and better. Let us watch the video introducing him to the rest of the members.
President's Whatsapp Message at 2020 E Convention
Dear AKMG Family,
THANK YOU for giving me the privilege of being able to serve our organization in the capacity of President AKMG for the 2020 Convention year, after serving as Convention Chair in 2016 for the Miami convention and Convention CoChair in 2011 for the Alaska Convention.
More details of the year's activities will be on our website under the tab "About AKMG/AKMG Archives/Digital Archives/2020 Florida".
It has been an interesting, challenging, humbling, and memorable experience, It is time to pass the baton.
THANK YOU ALL for your support.
God Bless AKMG
Regards,
Usha Mohandas, MD, FACP
AKMG President
2019 - 2020
