.Irfan S. Ahmad, Ph.D., President

Shamim Sadiq, MD Medical Director;

Syed Hashmi, Roveiza Irfan, University of Illinois, Urbana

March 18, 2010 www.avicennahealth.org

An Interfaith Approach to Address Healthcare Disparities in Champaign County:

6th Annual Rural Public Health Institute Conference, Effingham, Illinois

Motivation: Spirit of Activism in Islam

“… and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the whole humanity,…” (Qur’an 5:32)

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "He is not a believer who eats his fill while his neighbor remains hungry by his side" (Hadith)

To address the healthcare needs of uninsured residents of Champaign County

Avicenna Community Health Center (ACHC) was initiated in May 2009

A project of the local Muslim Community, emanating from the Central Illinois Mosque and Islamic Center (CIMIC)

Community-wide launch: Jan 23, 2010 Avicenna is now incorporated in the state of Illinois

as a non-profit entity (EIN# - 27-0267757).

Equal Opportunity: Avicenna provides services to uninsured patients, regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, and lifestyle.

Background

Who is Avicenna?

Ibn Sīnā‘, commonly known in English by his Latinized name Avicenna (c. 980 - 1037)

Persian polymath, physician and philosopher of his time

Wrote:The Canon of MedicineThe Book of Healing

Pioneer of EBM, the introduction of quarantine to limit the spread of contagious diseases Statue of Avicenna in Dushanbe, Tajikistan

The Need

13.4% of the people living in Illinois do not have health insurance coverage. 10.8% of Illinois’ children are uninsured

According to the U.S. Census Bureau 47 million in 2006 people had no health insurance in the U.S, 8.4 million of whom are children, and out of these 8.4 million, 1.6 million live in Illinois

According to 2008 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Champaign County has more than 19000 uninsured (10% of the county population), some estimates have shown these numbers to be as high as 54,000 (including underinsured)- these numbers have increased due to recent job losses

Medical Focus: Besides providing primary care, Avicenna focuses on following medical conditions: 1) Diabetes, 2) Hypertension, and 3) Obesity.

Objectives

To provide healthcare for the uninsuredand underinsured

To engage in preventive healthcare through community health screenings

To promote health awareness through education and information

Healthcare and Legal TeamPrimary Care: Dr. Toufic Abdo Dr. Hani Ahmed Dr. Robert Boone Dr. Zoobia Chaudhry Dr. Hanan Fahmy Dr. Nazneen Hashmi Dr. Shamim Sadiq,

Medical Director, ACHC Dr. Pushpa Giri

Specialists: Endocrinology, Cardiology,

Heme/Onc, nephrology, Optometery, Dentistry, back care

Nutritionists: Fatemah Ahmed HanyYoussef, Exercise Consul.

Nurses: Paula Abdullah, RN

Pharmacists: Hanady Sharabash Suzzane Fadl

Medical Students and Residents: Syed Hashmi (University of Illinois) Mustafa Hyder (University of Illinois) Benazir Chhotani (University of Illinois)

Legal Advice and Assistants: LaDale George, Healthcare Attorney,

Chicago Omar Galaria, Law Student Khizer Hussain, Healthcare Services

Consultant, VA

Financial Support

Self

Short-term

Long-term• Local, State, and Federal• Foundations

Volunteers and Physician team; to launch the clinic

Engaging local resources to be monthly contributors

Institutional Support

Central Illinois Mosque and Islamic Center (CIMIC)

Muslim Students’ Association (MSA)

Muslim American Society, Urbana-Champaign

Muslim Women Outreach (MWO)

Islamic Resource Group (IRG)

Intercultural Friendship Foundation (IFF)

Champaign County Healthcare Consumers (CCHC)

Champaign County Christian Health Center (CCCHC)

Hope Community Health Center

University of Illinois

Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA)

Association of Muslim Health Professionals (AMPH) andInstitute for Social Policy Research (ISPU)

Local political , religious, and academic leaders

Avicenna is an interfaith-academia-community partnership engaged in providing curative and preventive healthcare to the uninsured residents of Champaign County, Illinois.

Organization and Management

*Executive Committee

Syed Hashmi, 3rd year Medical Student, Clinic Operations Manager

Obaid Sarvana, Assistant Secretary

Omar Fareedi, Volunteer Coordinator

Umair Irfan, Medical Technology Evaluator, and Procurement

Roveiza Irfan, Graphics Design

Hatim Rahman, Website and Intranet

Board of Directors

Irfan S. Ahmad, PhD., President*

Zeeshan Ahmad, MD, Vice President

Omar Galaria, JD (candidate), Secretary*

Imad Rahman, MBA (candidate), Treasurer*

Shamim Sadiq, MD, Medical Director*

Nazneen Hashmi, MD, Associate Medical Director

Hani Ahmed, MD, Assistant Medical Director

Usama Ahmed, PhD (candidate), Development Coordinator

Avicenna management team works on voluntary basis.

Avicenna Community Health CenterChampaign County Christian ClinicHope Community Health Center

Collaboration Framework

www.avicennahealth.org

Hope Community Health Center

ccchc2003.org

hopecommunityhealthcenter.com

3-1-7: 3-clinics, 1-location, 7-days of healthcare services

Collaboration Framework

Free ClinicsNon-profit

Avicenna

Christian Clinic

Hope Clinic

FQHCs/Public Clinics

Frances Nelson

CU Public Health

Mental Health

McKinley Health*

For ProfitClinics

Carle

Christie

Provena

Illinois Department of Public Health

Inte

rfai

th

Academia-Community Partnership

Primary objective is to provide smooth across clinics healthcare to patientsBusiness-C

omm

unity

* University of Illinois

First Meeting of The Three ClinicsA_C_H: Feb. 18, 2010 at Dental Circle

Attendees included representatives of: Avicenna,•Christian, and •Hope Clinics, •Frances Nelson, and •United Way

Avicenna Clinic Schedule*Dental Circle: Primary Clinic

507 S. Second St., Suite 2E, Champaign, IL 61820

Saturdays: 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Sundays: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Satellite Clinic: CIMIC, 106 S. Lincoln, Urbana, IL 61801

First Fridays: 2:00 to 3:00 PM Blood Pressure Checkups, Obesity, and Nutrition Information and

One-on-One Interaction with Avicenna physicians

*Volunteers arrive 30 minutes prior to the start of the clinic

What the Patients are saying about Avicenna?

A woman in her late sixties came back to us after being seen by Avicenna physicians on the first day of the launch of the clinic last year; and she said, “thank you Avicenna for saving my foot, if I had not seen an Avicenna physician- who was easily accessible, and for her timely intervention, and referred me to a local public health clinic for my un-managed diabetic condition, my foot would have to be amputated”.

The other day, a patient came over to be seen at Avicenna, after the visit while filling her patient satisfaction form, she mentioned to the Avicenna patient volunteer that on seeing the flyer “Avicenna Medical Clinic Now Open for Uninsured Residents of Champaign County” at her neighborhood Laundromat tears flowed from her eyes, as she saw it a God-sent opportunity, as she had been sick and did not have health insurance.

These stories are a stark illustration of how we are taking in people who are near poverty and have to choose from buying food or medication, and attempting to empower them to take charge of their healthcare in a patient-physician team environment.

Vignettes:

Acknowledgments

Dr. Masood Athar, Illinois Department of Public Health

Ms. Sophie Najie, University of Illinois Chicago, School of Public Health

Champaign County Christian Health Center for providing space for our clinic operations

Avicenna volunteers, donors, advisors, and friends

For more Information Contact

Avicenna Community Health Center

Phone: 217-355-1500

info@avicennahealth.org

www.avicennahealth.org