UMANA National Office appoints new editor-in-chief (11/24/02)

UMANA National Office appoints new editor-in-chief

by George Hrycelak, M.D.

WARREN, Mich. - The Board of Directors of the National Office of the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America (UMANA) held its regular meeting on Saturday, October 12 at the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Warren, Mich. The UMANA Michigan Chapter president, Renata Juzych-Kucyj, D.D.S., continued the longstanding tradition of hosting the board at the locale of one of the organization's 18 chapters active in the United States and Canada.

UMANA President and Chairman Ihor Voyevidka, M.D. opened the proceedings with a warm thank-you to the chapter for its hospitality. Members present at the deliberations included President-elect Bohdan Iwanetz, M.D., Treasurer Andrij Iwach, M.D., Archivist Maria Hrycelak, M.D., World Federation of Ukrainian Medical Associations (WFUMA) Liaison Roxolana Horbowyj, M.D., Editor-in-Chief Pavlo Dzul, M.D., Membership Director Larissa Iwanetz, Michigan Chapter President Renata Juzych-Kucyj, D.D.S., and chapter officers Boris Leheta, M.D., Andrew Dzul, M.D., Mark Juzych, M.D. and Zirka Kalynych, M.D. Roman Worobec, Ph.D., was present by invitation.

The board resolved a number of routine housekeeping issues, including setting up the proposed budget for 2003, and heard reports from relevant officers and committee heads on the positive and expanding status of the association. Of particular interest is the growth of membership. Since the last board of directors meeting in April, 22 new members have applied - half of those coming from the New York Metro Chapter as a result of its concerted recruitment drive.

One of the major actions taken was the orderly transfer of responsibility of the position of editor-in-chief of the Journal of the Ukrainian Medical Association (JUMANA). Dr. Dzul has capably edited the JUMANA for 35 years, with dedication and zeal unequaled in recent memory of UMANA. Reaching a point of contentment in his editorial mission, Dr. Dzul requested UMANA President Voyevidka to appoint a new editor-in-chief to take over the publishing responsibilities. In accordance with UMANA By-laws, Dr. Voyevidka searched for and found an appropriate nominee for this position, Roman B. Worobec, Ph.D. Dr. Worobec was invited to appear before the board, presenting his views and approaches to the editorship.

Dr. Worobec, who received his doctoral degree in microbiology/immunology from Tulane University in New Orleans, is a biomedical information specialist at the Library of Congress. His position includes analysis, evaluation and management of English-and foreign-language biomedical information, including recruitment and management of teams of Ph.D. scientists for medical information assessment and/or translation projects. He is the on-call consultant for Medical Sciences and Ukraine to the Congressional Staff via the Congressional Research Service Directory of Subject Experts.

Dr. Worobec has oversight responsibility for accurate and timely responses to congressional requests for biomedical and related information, Medical Sciences and Biotechnology Team, Library of Congress. He is a consultant to the Life Sciences Research Office, Federation of American Societies of Experimental Biology, Bethesda, Md.

In a gesture of collaboration and solidarity, Dr. Worobec asked Dr. Dzul to stay on as emeritus editor-in-chief, and they have agreed to cooperate on a transitional issue of JUMANA due out next year. The board unanimously approved the nominee for the position of editor-in chief.

UMANA also confirmed its commitment to stand by the World Federation of Ukrainian Medical Associations (WFUMA) as it undergoes the legally complex process of transitioning leadership from corporate headquarters in the United States to Ukraine. WFUMA-UMANA liaison Dr. Horbowyj updated the Board on the importance of mutual cooperation and joint alignment. She stressed that UMANA was instrumental in setting up the original WFUMA in the 1980s, and remains an integral part of this international organization.

The board affirmed that the 37th Scientific Convention and the 30th Assembly of Delegates planning process is well under way, with high expectations for a successful conference on June 18-22, 2003, in Chicago.

The proceedings concluded with a statement of support for the Ukrainian American Birth Defects Program, under the direction of W. Wertelecky, M.D., at the University of South Alabama. Their simple and innovative program called "Wheat Flour Fortification Initiative" can save the lives of many children affected with neural tube defects, and is a worthwhile project with achievable, demonstrable results.

On Saturday evening the Michigan Chapter of UMANA met with the board of directors over a pleasant dinner at the Detroit Athletic Club, followed by an evening at the opera enjoying the opening night of "Il Trovatore."

The next board of directors meeting is scheduled for Saturday, February 8, 2003, in Chicago.

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