• An AMHE milestone was reached this year with the “Inauguration of the Maison des Etudiants” at the School of Medicine of the State University of Haiti which took place on 2/22/02. The AMHE was then fully acknowledged for the financement of the rehabilitation of this fine building, which is turned into a very modern and efficient compound with facilities for meeting area, recreational area, a cafeteria and a medical center for the students.
  
  This gesture was cited as an example to validate the huge potential for positive contribution from the Diaspora, which was a huge concession as there is a sizeable number of people in Haiti who refuse to see the Haitians living abroad as part of the equation.
  
  They can’t be more wrong. To be convinced otherwise just take a look at the bilan of our activities in Haiti:
  
• The “Visiting Professor Program” has been so far a huge success with the following programs held at the States University School of Medicine in Haiti under the stewardship of Dr Eric Jerome and Dr Louis Auguste.Various sessions have been held, one on Breast Cancer Management, one on Pulmonary Diseases, and two on Surgical Critical Care. Our contribution to the Conventions of the Society Haitienne D’Oncologie aka “SHONC” has been also paramount over the last couple of years.
  
• The “Medical Mission Program” has been an ongoing activity with most of our members. The chapter of New York is now providing coordination of this program. Some of the needed information for participation have been collected, and made available in our Website. The BATEY Medical Mission expected to take place on the third week of July 2002 and addressed to the Haitians working in the Plantations in Dominican Republic, fits also quite well in the scope of such program.
  
• The “Medical Supplies Program” designed to unload the garages and basements of our members filled with supplies in route to Haiti, is also shaping up. An elaborated scheme is being developed in order to facilitate the door-to-door collection of these supplies, their shipping to Haiti, their reception and distribution.
  
  “Berean Medical Mission”, a philanthropic organization from Pennsylvania, has donated a Full Laparoscopic Unit.
  
• In the local arena, another milestone has been met with the Opening of our Administrative office at Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn NY, with an Administrative Assistant.
  
  A big void has been filled. The office is now the linkage, which had been missing, for the development and the full implementation of all our programs in our current communities as well as aboard in Haiti.
  
• Our radio programs continue to be the most reliable sources of medical information for our constituency in New York, New Jersey and Florida.
  
• The dismal statistics in the incidence of HIV, Breast Cancer, and Infant Mortality in the Haitian communities with their dreadful effects, have led to the creation of the AMHE respective Task Forces, HIV Task Force under the leadership of Dr Edouard Hazel, Breast Cancer Task Force under the leadership of Dr Louis Auguste, which has been the beneficiary of a small grant from a Faculty at the Long Island Jewish Hospital.
  
• Our Website has undergone a new facelift since our alliance with Haiti Medical making it more attractive, more functional and more efficient. The number of our visitors is increasing every day. The site is currently experiencing more than 250 unique visitors a week
  
• As an additional benefit from our website, our Membership Drive is also more successful, as several applications are being currently received thru the website.
  
  The Student National Medical Association (SNMA) has been contacted thru the President of the New Jersey chapter, Pascale JnLouis. The AMHE has also held a stand at their exhibit, which took place in February 23rd 2002 at Rutgers’s University. Numerous were the young enthusiasts inquiring about the association.
  
• Our stake is growing bigger thru our contact with some other prestigious organizations:
  
  a) “NOAH” by attending their annual gala at Washington DC on March 2,2002.
  
  b) “TOUSSAINT LOUVERTURE HISTORICAL SOCIETY” by honoring with them, the Ambassador Pierre-Richard Prosper as he was given the first Toussaint Louverture Award.
  c) “AESCLEPIUS” with which we partnered last December 6th –7th in providing a conference on HIV Prevention among Caribbean Immigrants.
  
  d) “ GHESKIO” by contributing to their Fund Raising for the creation of the “Institute of Infectious Diseases and Reproductive Health”
  
  e) “ NCHR”, National Coalition for Haitian Rights by attending their annual summit held at Miami last month.
  
  f) “BATEY RELIEF ALLIANCE” with which we are organizing the Batey Medical Mission.
  
  g) “FOOD FOR THE POOR” with which we are on the verge of cementing an alliance.
  
• Dr Gerald Bertoni has retired after a very successful career. The AMHE Leadership was proud to honor him with a plaque, for his achievements within the Haitian community. The growing number of our members to enter retirement has necessitated the creation of a special committee headed by Dr Jean Baptiste Jasmin to address their special needs within the Association.
  
• Our finances are getting stronger, better structured, better managed under the supervision of Dr Daniel Faustin and Dr Reynald Altema. A computerized system of recordings is currently being implemented
  
• Trough the hard work and the dedicated participation of a large number of our members, a new vision has been formulated for the AMHE, with long term strategic planning, in the course of a Retreat organized at Maryland on May 18-19 2002, under the leadership of Dr Fritz Apollon Chairman of the Board and with the guidance of a very able facilitator Ms. Karen Finn
  
• Our involvement in the activities of the chapters has been recognized all along in many ways and most recently on June 22, 2002 at New Jersey where the fund raising Gala for the AMHE Scholarship Program has taken place successfully. This program has donated so far over $50,000.00 (Fifty thousand dollars) to the winners of their contests enrolled in medical schools. Kudos to the New Jersey Chapter President Dr Louis Sangosse.
  
• The determination, the organizational skill and the acute flair for perfection of the New York Chapter President Dr Paul Nacier have been in full display during the preparation of the 2002 convention, which is shaping up with all its expected hypes and pomp. The programs on the Educational / Scientific as well as on the Social / Recreational fronts are very promising and guarantee again another memorable gathering.
  
• The AMHE is about to reach its 30th anniversary since its inception on November 12, 1972. Some feverish activities through a very eager Steering Committee are being deployed in order to make an event of this milestone. A Gala Celebration is scheduled to take place at the United Nations Building on Saturday November 16, 2002. Several dignitaries are being invited to celebrate with the AMHE family as “we are building for the future”.

Thank you to the CEC Members

Thank you to the Chapters Presidents, the Task Force Chairmen, the Committee Chairmen and to every member of the AMHE who have contributed so largely to the present success of the AMHE.


Yves J. Manigat, MD.FACS
AMHE President

YJM/cm