New York UMANA begins new term (12/23/01)

New York UMANA begins new term

by Ariadna Czartorysky

NEW YORK - The New York Metro Chapter of the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America (UMANA) held its first general meeting of the new term on Friday evening, November 9, at the prestigious Ukrainian Institute of America on Museum Row in Manhattan.

The meeting was opened by Metro Chapter President Dr. Lesia Kushnir, who led the meetings' proceedings, and then introduced Dr. Roman Goy as the evening's feature speaker. Dr. Goy recently completed his tenure as president of the national office of UMANA, and is currently the medical director of the Social Security Administration in Washington.

Over 40 new and experienced members gathered to hear Dr. Goy's address on the topic "UMANA For You - Role and Relevance," which provided inspiration and insight into UMANA's role at the local, national and international levels.

"First, we must exist on a local plane as active members of our Chapters. This fulfills our need for close interaction with our colleagues on a personal scale. By having a role at the national level, we have the critical mass of resources needed to meet the greater mission of our organization. Finally, by maintaining an international presence, we remain unique among all other medical organizations. Our ultimate goal should be to establish a liaison with Ukraine to help meet its full potential and its population's medical needs," Dr. Goy said.

Enthusiastic discussion led to a consensus arising on a protocol to help newly arrived medical professionals from Ukraine adapt to the American health care system. A buffet followed the meeting, with members lingering at an informal discussion until nearly midnight. UMANA members also viewed the Ukrainian Institute's ongoing exhibit of new Ukrainian artists.

The following evening, to the tunes of the New Jersey band Luna, the first annual "Fall Zabava in New York City" was inaugurated at the Institute. This cooperative venture was the result of hard work by UMANA-NY Metro, The Ukrainian Engineers Society (UESA) and the Ukrainian Institute of America (UIA). The evening drew guests from San Francisco to Montreal. Credit goes to the Organizing Committee: Andrij Wowk (UESA-NJ), Marko Shmerykowsky (UESA-NY), Arthur Hryhorowych (UMANA-NY Metro), Alexandra Kushnir (president, UMANA-NYMetro) and Luba Kos (UIA).

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