The Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) Foundation Board of Trustees recently made grants to three non-profit organizations to benefit local health programs:

• Genesee County Medical Society - $5,000 for aid in the Flint water crisis.
• Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation (CHRT) - $5,000 for the CHRT Policy Fellowship, the goals of which are to teach the researchers and policymakers about health policy in Michigan and nationally, to help the researchers translate their research into policy, and to provide the policymakers with evidence-based resources.
• HAVEN, Inc. - $2,500 to conduct a community-wide Danger Assessment Training, which will provide education and certification in the use of a validated tool for the assessment of overall danger and potential lethality for victims of domestic violence.

Also during the meeting, MSMS Foundation President Dorothy M. Kahkonen, MD, honored two outgoing Board members, Busharat Ahmad, MD, and Peter A. Duhamel, MD, for their many years of service. Both Doctor Ahmad and Doctor Duhamel have served as Directors on the MSMS Foundation Board since prior to 2001.

Busharat Ahmad, MD, a retired ophthalmologist from Monroe, is the recipient of many awards throughout his years in medicine, including the Benjamin Rush Award for exceptional service from the American Medical Association (AMA). Doctor Ahmad is a pioneer whose efforts resulted in the formation of the AMA International Medical Graduates (IMG) Section, in addition to founding and serving as the first chair of the MSMS International Medical Graduates section.

Peter A. Duhamel, MD, a retired general surgeon from Oakland County, is a life-long advocate of community service, medicine and MSMS. Doctor Duhamel was elected by his peers as president of MSMS and as a Michigan Delegate to the AMA.

Founded in 1945 by Michigan physicians, the MSMS Foundation is the non-profit charitable organization of MSMS. A 501(c)(3) public charity, the Foundation supports public or professional education, research programs and projects in the field of health; to encourage the advancement of healthy lifestyles and the prevention, diagnosis or cure of disease; to offer support for physicians who suffer impairment; and to provide a resource for the management and distribution of signature funds or bequests designated for special purposes. For more information, to donate or to apply for a grant, please visit www.msms.org/foundation or contact Carrie Wheeler.