President’s Letter-March 2026
March 2026 President’s newsletter
Welcome to this month’s, March 2026, newsletter!
Dear friends and colleagues,
Opening reflection and context: Writing the newsletter for March has proven more challenging than anticipated. I was hoping to write about glass ceilings, and how NAAMA, as a unique, wide network in the US, allows us, from learners to senior physicians, to get through those glass ceilings that curtail our growth, ambitions. I was going to comment on the very successful iftars and interfaith events our various NAAMA chapters had helped in the past few weeks. Hundreds of colleagues and friends gathered because of the strength of our dedicated chapter organizing committees. However, the war has been unleashed and made all conversations almost moot. The stories shifted to mass displacement of more than a million individuals in Lebanon, and to the continuing dire circumstances in Gaza, the continued difficulties in Syrian Yemen and Sudan
Mental health impact on the diaspora:
The conversation I heard the most this past week revolves around “I can’t sleep”, “the video of buildings falling was so traumatic” and “I can’t believe it’s happening again”. The most common issues the diaspora is expected to encounter are poor sleep, poor concentration and increased irritability. Those are symptoms of hyper-arousal. It is an intensely isolating and distressing experience. So while we do not all have a clear diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder, we certainly carry many sequalae of our collective experiences in war-torn regions. We will certainly include these elements in the upcoming convention in Lisbon, as well as a discussion how to help, the limitations of humanitarian work, and such topics not traditionally considered “medical”. If, as NAAMA members and friends, you wish for a webinar or educational session on trauma or other topics before then, please feel free to email naama@naama.com with your preferences and needs so our programming is customized.
NAAMA’s immediate humanitarian response:
NAAMA’s first emergency response to gather funds for three organizations in Lebanon: Amel Association(to cover basic needs), the Ghassan Abu Sittah Children Fund (for help with children’s war injuries), and the American University of Beirut (for emergency response and disaster medical care). Our many thanks to those of you who have already donated, and if you wish to contribute, please use the Donate button at the end of the link. For transparency, the first 20k have already been sent to Lebanon as the need is pressing but the campaign remains open so far.
Educational initiatives & Upcoming conventions:
In terms of treating individuals who have been victims of torture, this has been an ongoing issue with survivors in countries with less active combat. Torture tears the social fabric and leaves unimaginable scars, but few people seek professional care. Instead, you see them in primary care and specialty clinics and as a practitioner, are suddenly faced with a complex history that hinder the medical treatment needed. NAAMA has developed an 90-minute education module on torture assessment, which is currently being translated to Arabic. If you or someone you now treat patients who are victims of torture, please visit our page to learn about how to handle this group of individuals.
Our two annual conventions are coming up. Our conventions focus on Arab American health across clinical care, public health, research, policy, and community engagement. We welcome submissions from physicians, trainees, researchers, students, public officials. The international convention will be held July 3-5 in Lisbon, Portugal. The convention team has developed an outstanding scientific program and equally interesting pre and post-convention touristic tours to Portugal and Spain. I have personally been so impressed with their cost-effectiveness and creativity. This convention will include a specialized pathology symposium led by Dr Rouba Ali-Fehmi and a specialized section on humanitarian work, co-organized by NAAMA and GHRI.
The national convention will be in Houston, Texas this year, September 4-6, 2026. The call for abstracts will be out April 1st, and this conference will include, for the first time for a NAAMA conference, a Literature and Art of Health section. The latter will be run by Dr. Fady Joudah, a Palestinian American poet, physician, and translator whose work blends lyrical intensity with themes of identity, exile, and human dignity. Winner of the 2007 Yale Series of Younger Poets for The Earth in the Attic, he has authored collections including Footnotes in the Order of Disappearance, Tethered to Stars, and was a 2024 National Book Award finalist. His acclaimed translations of Mahmoud Darwish and Ghassan Zaqtan have earned international literary prizes.
Membership reminder & closing:
Lastly, the offer on lifetime membership ($1500) will expire on March 31st. This offer has been very well received, with close to a hundred new members signing up, and if you have not taken advantage of it please do so asap. NAAMA does not charge operational fees on fundraising, many of our events subsidize students and learners, and chapters provide scholarships to students in their areas. Your membership fees help make all this happen and we appreciate each contribution.
With gratitude,
Nidal Moukaddam, MD, PhD
President, National Arab American Medical Association (NAAMA)
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