On the 102nd birthday of Dr. Lown, hear from the 2023 Bernard Lown Award winner Dr. Altaf Saadi on her story of becoming a doctor; and how she’s inspired by the resiliency of the people she works with; and the importance of interconnectedness. Watch her acceptance of the Bernard Lown Award, read quotes from her speech, and see photos from the ceremony below.

Dr. Altaf Saadi accepts the Bernard Lown Award

The following are excerpts from Dr. Altaf Saadi’s remarks at the Bernard Lown Award ceremony June 7, 2023.

Following in the footsteps of Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the inaugural recipient of this award, and Dr. Bernard Lown, its namesake, is no small challenge. Those are large shoes to fill. I am honored to be in their remarkable company and promise to do my best to earn this award every day.

I will begin in 2006, while I was a student at Yale University. I walked into a pre-med study group for my organic chemistry class. Another student looked up, wrinkled her forehead at seeing my shirt that said in bold, green letters: “Stop the Genocide in Darfur,” and she asked, “wait, what? There’s a genocide going on in Darfur?”

I would like to say this was the only encounter that I had like this as a budding doctor, but it wasn’t. Now, as a full-fledged doctor in medicine, I still receive reactions like this.

We live in a world that seems inundated by crisis after crisis. The conflict in Darfur, back in the early 2000s, involved the ethnic cleansing and death of over 300,000 Darfurians in Sudan.  Michael Brown was an 18-year-old boy who was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson.  The phrase “Hands up, don’t shoot,” that Michael Brown had uttered to Officer Wilson before he was killed quickly entered the lexicon of the growing Black Lives Matter movement.

“Yemen, Afghanistan, Ukraine. Uvalde, Pulse Nightclub, Sandy Hook Elementary School. Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, George Floyd. There are so many more.”

Dr. Altaf Saadi

But there is a crisis that does not garner headlines, and that is the crisis of collective indifference, particularly among those of us with the privilege to look away, to move on with our lives undisturbed and unbothered by the despair and agony of our brothers and sisters in humanity.

Today, that indifference is often directed toward immigrants in the United States, whether it’s those fleeing persecution in their home countries and arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border or those who have lived in our communities for decades without any ability to obtain documented immigration status.  

In my work, I often meet with and evaluate immigrants who are imprisoned by our government pending the outcome of their immigration cases. During one visit, an individual had soft tears in his eyes when he told me, “This is by far the longest I have ever talked to anyone in the past two years.” We had spent forty-five minutes talking about his time in solitary confinement and lack of medical care in the  detention facility.

Indifference is both individual and societal. For him, at the individual level, it meant not having a meaningful conversation with someone for years and prison guards making fun of his mental illness. At a societal level, it meant languishing in abusive, inhuman conditions in a for-profit immigration detention facility before being sent to a country where he has no family and faces significant risk of harm and death—part of a larger immigration detention system replete with physical brutality, sexual abuse, racist mistreatment, and denial of due process.

“When I tell people about the work that I do, a common reaction is, ‘Wow, that’s so depressing,’ or ‘Wow, that’s so hard…’ In fact, it is inspiring. It infuses me with purpose. How could I not be inspired by the resiliency of the individuals I serve?”

Dr. Altaf Saadi

What is hard is trying to convince people that the work matters. That people who may not look like them, or speak like them, or go on vacations with them, or go to school with their children, are worthy—of attention, money, of both individual and societal investment.

I was lucky enough to intern for Physicians for Social Responsibility, which, as many of you know, was founded by Dr. Lown to address the threat of nuclear war. As Dr. Lown explained at that time, “the real death threat in the world was not cardiac, but nuclear …. How could I be a doctor and close my eyes to this overwhelming reality?”

And it was during this internship that for the first time I saw and learned about examples of physicians, like Dr. Lown, who combined their passion for medicine with human rights advocacy.  It was those role models and others who gave me the inspiration and confidence to do the work that I do. Even now, I seek their stories out. Within the example of physician advocates and leaders, we can find a path that can crack the indifference wall, reminding ourselves not only of our own power—often, our collective power—but also our connection to others and ability to empathize with distant situations and sorrows and joys.

One of my favorite poets is Palestinian American Naomi Shihab Nye. In a poem titled “History,” she asks about: “What we did to one another/ on a planet so wide open for doing.”

I hope that, like Dr. Lown, I too will inspire other physicians to remember that, in this planet so wide open for doing, our doing must extend beyond our individual patients to ensure justice for people everywhere, that our doing must be used to nurture hope as the antidote to complacency, complicity and injustice, and that our doing must above all else take stock of the reality of our interconnectedness with one another. Thank you all again.

“Our doing must above all take stock of the reality of our interconnectedness with one another.”

Dr. Altaf Saadi

The post “How could I not be inspired by the resiliency of the individuals I serve?”: Dr. Altaf Saadi accepts the 2023 Bernard Lown Award appeared first on Lown Institute.

BOSTON, MA – Dr. Altaf Saadi has been named the winner of the 2023 Bernard Lown Award for Social Responsibility for her outstanding work as a health justice advocate for immigrants and others impacted by trauma. Dr. Saadi is a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, and associate director of the MGH Asylum Clinic.

“Dr. Saadi is clearly unafraid to raise her voice and demand justice wherever it is needed, especially when the health of refugees is at stake,” said Vikas Saini, MD, president of the Lown Institute. “Her vision and bravery set an inspiring example for others to follow.” 

The Lown Institute, a healthcare think tank, grants this award annually in memory of their founder, the late Dr. Bernard Lown. Dr. Lown was one of the most distinguished physicians of the 20th century, best known for developing the defibrillator and receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. To be eligible for the award, nominees must be US clinicians age 45 or younger and stand out for their bold leadership in social justice, environmentalism, global peace, or other humanitarian efforts. The award, including a $25,000 prize, will be presented at an event on June 7.

“It is an honor to use my knowledge, passion, and purpose in medicine to speak out against injustice,” said Dr. Altaf Saadi. “Dr. Lown taught us to never whisper in the presence of wrong, and I hope to always live by that principle.”

Dr. Saadi’s many accomplishments in social responsibility include: 

• Helping hundreds of immigrants gain asylum and other forms of humanitarian relief through her volunteer work and leadership with the Physicians for Human Rights Asylum Network and MGH Asylum Clinic;
• Creating “Doctors For Immigrants,” a research-based website that provides resources for healthcare institutions to be sanctuaries for immigrants;
• Calling attention to abuse and poor conditions in immigration prisons as a medical expert for human rights organizations;  
• Speaking out on the myth of “excited delirium” and the dangers of neck restraints by law enforcement in medical and popular media.

Dr. Saadi was selected by a committee convened by the Lown Institute, including leaders from the American Medical Association, the National Medical Association, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and other groups focused on improving America’s health.

The Bernard Lown Award Ceremony will be held June 7th at Branch Line in Watertown, MA. Visit the Lown Institute website to learn more about Dr. Saadi. 

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About the Lown Institute

Founded in 1973 by Nobel Peace Prize winner Bernard Lown, MD, developer of the defibrillator and cardioverter, the Lown Institute believes that a radically better system of health is possible and generates bold ideas towards that goal. The Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility is a signature project of the Institute and features measures never used before like racial inclusivity, avoidance of overuse, and pay equity.

Contact

Aaron Toleos
(978) 821-4620
atoleos@lowninstitute.org

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The Bernard Lown Award for Social Responsibility was created in honor of our founder, Dr. Bernard Lown. Dr. Lown was an inspiration by standing up against racial injustice, nuclear war, and the industrialization of healthcare. He demonstrated both the vision to see the healthcare system as it is, as well as the courage to take a stand and the confidence the lead the way. 

“As the guardians of health, we can’t look away.”

Our 2022 winner truly embodied Dr. Lown’s activist spirit, identifying a severe problem in her community and demanding a solution. Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha is a pediatrician, author, and activist best known for her role in uncovering the Flint Water Crisis. Despite threats to her career, Dr. Hanna-Attisha stood up for her community and, in the process, inspired physicians across the nation.

We’re looking for young clinicians like Dr. Lown and Dr. Hanna-Attisha who lead the way towards a more just and caring healthcare system. To be eligible, candidates must be 1) age 45 or younger 2) work as a clinician in the United States, and 3) stand out for their bold leadership in social justice, environmentalism, global peace, or other notable humanitarian efforts. Nominations are open until March 1, 2023.

The post Bernard Lown Award nominations are open! appeared first on Lown Institute.

On the 101st birthday of Dr. Lown, hear from the first Bernard Lown Award winner Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha on what we need from clinicians to ensure that more kids can celebrate more birthdays. Watch her acceptance of the Bernard Lown Award and read quotes from her speech below.

Our healthcare system needs more clinicians like Mona who tackle our country’s toughest health challenges and are unafraid to tell the truth. We greatly appreciate your support to keep the award fund sustainable for years to come, and help us amplify the voices of a new generation of courageous doctors.

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha accepts the Bernard Lown Award

The following are excerpts from Dr. Mona’s remarks at the Bernard Lown Award ceremony June 7, 2022.

In some ways, my job as a pediatrician is to make sure that our kids have as many good birthdays as possible. A lot of my job is making sure kids are healthy today – broken bones, sniffles, but more importantly, my work – from vaccines to car seats to anticipatory guidance – is about making sure kids have the brightest futures possible.

But as Vikas shared, there was something in the water in Flint that was threatening the tomorrows – the birthdays – of an entire population of children.

One day, I was a pediatrician taking care of one cute kid after another. Asking kids what they want to be when they grow up. Giving out stickers, fist bumps, and hugs.

And the next day, I was facing the dire needs of an entire population of children. With every baby bottle, every sippy cup, every glass of water, my kids were being poisoned by a neurotoxin in the drinking water.

“With every baby bottle, every sippy cup, every glass of water, my kids were being poisoned by a neurotoxin in the drinking water.”

Mona Hanna-Attisha

And I had a choice to make. Would I keep my eyes closed and go about my business? And I was busy. I was a pediatrician, residency director, professor, mom, and wife, juggling a million balls in the air just like so many of you are.

Or would I stand up and do something?

There really was no choice. From the moment I knew about the possibility of lead in the water, there was no unknowing it. It was a choiceless choice. I could only go forward. There was too much at stake. My kids and their birthdays.

Making others see was a whole other thing. I ran up against people and entire systems built not to see — even when they did know. It was an indifference – a willful blindness to certain people, problems, and places. And no matter how hard and how scary it seemed, I couldn’t close my eyes.

That makes me think about Dr Lown. Throughout his life, he couldn’t close his eyes to the injustices threatening the health of not just his patients, but of people everywhere.

He saw a problem and he couldn’t unsee the problem. It was only about going forward.
Finding a solution with science and stubbornness.

“For a quick minute, I regretted using my voice. I began to second guess myself… But I quickly realized this wasn’t about me. This was about my kids – and their birthdays.”

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha

I leaned into that single-minded science and stubbornness. My doctor role quickly evolved from clinician educator to detective scientist to patient advocate. And even as I offered up that scientific proof – that yes, lead was increasingly in the bodies of our Flint children, my research was met with denials and attacks.

For a quick minute, I regretted using my voice. I began to second guess myself. After all, I was just one person – one doctor – a small brown immigrant woman no less – going against powerful forces.

I thought to myself, maybe I should have just “stayed in my lane.” It would have been easier to keep my eyes closed and my voice silent. But I quickly realized this wasn’t about me. This was about my kids – and their birthdays.

Whether we knew it or not when when we started, by taking on a life in medicine, we have placed ourselves on the front lines of some of the most important battlegrounds of society.

Our work is about standing on those front lines every single day, holding those lines against sickness and disease and also holding those lines against injustice and apathy.

“Working in medicine is about holding those lines against sickness and disease and also holding those lines against injustice and apathy.”

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha

Sometimes that means being on guard for a city that’s being poisoned and sometimes that means holding the hand of an isolated covid patient whose life is slipping away. Sometimes that means late nights in the lab figuring out how to prevent sudden cardiac death, and sometimes that means trying to stop nuclear warfare.

Dr. Lown understood that our work is about people. It’s not about the power or prestige or the paycheck. It’s about the people that we are privileged to serve.

He also understood that our work is not restricted to the bedside nor the bench; it’s not just about providing direct patient care to the people in front of us, but it’s also about seeing beyond the obvious and addressing what truly makes our patients healthy.

And I think what Dr. Lown understood the most was that those of us in medicine have a superpower. Our voices are powerful, privileged, and credible. When we speak, grounded in what’s best for our patients, people listen.

I walked out of my clinic and my “MD” was a megaphone for the kids of Flint. I used it and I was loud, and stubborn, and persistent — and it was the voice of medicine that ultimately changed the trajectory of an entire city. And I haven’t let go of that microphone – and I’m going to hold on to it as long as I can to help as many kids as I can, because it’s not just about Flint – there are kids and communities everywhere poisoned by inequities.

“This incredible honor is not so much about me or even Dr. Lown It’s about you – it’s about all of us and who we want to be.”

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha

And while I have this microphone a little longer, I just want to share that this incredible honor is not so much about me or even Dr. Lown. It’s about you – it’s about all of us and who we want to be.

Our collective work is unfinished. We have a lot of health injustices that still need solving: Like eliminating poverty, eradicating racism, narrowing inequality, reversing the climate crisis, preserving our fragile democracy, ensuring health care for all, protecting women’s reproductive health, and ending gun violence.

These are some of the upstream threats – the root causes, the underlying diagnoses – that make people sick.

And rather than making the right diagnosis, we too often reactively band-aid. Our communities can not afford to have the guardians of health shut their eyes, look away, and stay silent to injustices that threaten the health of our patients.

And I know this may sound overwhelming, but Dr. Lown said, “Great as the present danger is, far greater is the opportunity.”

My story is about turning a crisis into an opportunity. It’s about wielding that superpower that we all have in medicine to walk outside of our hospital and university doors to challenge the status quo and to make a difference in the world.

“My story is about turning a crisis into an opportunity. It’s about wielding that superpower that we all have in medicine to walk outside of our hospital and university doors to challenge the status quo and to make a difference in the world.”

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha

And I see it happening everywhere. Everyday I am inspired by folks in medicine bravely facing their present dangers – big and small – and turning them into opportunities. Opening their eyes to the inequities that are all around us – inequities that make our patients and communities sick – and standing up for justice, democracy, equality, and opportunity.

I think Dr. Lown would be proud. There are hundreds of people deserving of this award.
And we need hundreds more. Imagine a movement of doctors and nurses and all our partners in healthcare united for structural change.

As we celebrate Dr. Lown’s birthday and this humbling recognition, I hope it leaves us all inspired and committed to a tomorrow that is healthier, more equitable, and more just. And a tomorrow with more kids in more places celebrating more birthdays.

The post “As the guardians of health, we can’t look away”: Mona Hanna-Attisha accepts the Bernard Lown Award appeared first on Lown Institute.

BOSTON, MA – Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the Michigan-based pediatrician who helped expose the Flint water crisis, has been named the winner of the inaugural Bernard Lown Award for Social Responsibility. She was selected for the award following a review of over 50 nominees by a committee that included leaders from the American Medical Association, the National Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, and other groups focused on improving America’s health. 

The award is offered by the Lown Institute, a healthcare think tank, in memory of their founder, the late Dr. Bernard Lown. Dr. Lown was one of the most distinguished physicians of the 20th century, best known for developing the defibrillator and receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. To be eligible for the award, nominees had to be US clinicians age 45 or younger and stand out for their bold leadership in social justice, environmentalism, global peace, or other humanitarian efforts. The award, including a $25,000 prize, will be presented at a ceremony on June 7.

“Dr. Hanna-Attisha is an inspirational leader whose love for her patients and courage to speak up for them has been invaluable to her own community and to the entire nation,” said Vikas Saini, MD, president of the Lown Institute. “Every community deserves physicians like her, and we hope this award challenges others to follow her example.”

A pediatrician, scientist, and activist, Mona Hanna-Attisha, MD, MPH, FAAP, is a Charles Stewart Mott Endowed Professor at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. In 2015, she uncovered high levels of lead in the Flint, MI water supply and risked her career to bring this information to the public. Since then, Dr. Hanna-Attisha has worked continuously to improve the health of Flint children and children everywhere, founding the Michigan State University and Hurley Children’s Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative. Dr. Hanna-Attisha has testified five times before the United States Congress and was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2016. She is the author of What the Eyes Don’t See, a powerful first-hand account of the Flint water crisis.

“I am humbled to be the inaugural recipient of the Bernard Lown Award for Social Responsibility,” said Mona Hanna-Attisha. “Dr. Lown’s inspiring example is a reminder to all physicians that our oath to our patients extends beyond the bedside and that change is possible when we have the courage to speak out against injustice. I am honored to follow in Dr. Lown’s footsteps.”

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha will donate the $25,000 prize to the Flint Kids Fund, a nonprofit that helps Flint children thrive.

The Bernard Lown Award ceremony will be live-streamed on June 7th at 1pm ET. Visit the Lown Institute website to register for the event and learn more about Dr. Hanna-Attisha. 

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About the Lown Institute

Founded in 1973 by Nobel Peace Prize winner Bernard Lown, MD, developer of the defibrillator and cardioverter, the Lown Institute believes that a radically better system of health is possible and generates bold ideas towards that goal. The Lown Institute Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility is a signature project of the Institute and features measures never used before like racial inclusivity, avoidance of overuse, and pay equity.

Contact

Aaron Toleos, Lown Institute, (978) 821-4620, atoleos@lowninstitute.org

The post Pediatrician who uncovered Flint water crisis wins national award for social responsibility in medicine appeared first on Lown Institute.