ABMAC Foundation Activities

Announcement...

• The next executive board meeting will be in the Spring of 2012.
• Dr. John Watt's history book entitled "Health Care and National Development in Taiwan, 1950-2000." has been completed for publication. The Foundation has begun a fundraising process to cover the cost of publication. The book is priced $45.00 and can be ordered through the "Book Sales" of this web.
• Dr. Gerard Turino, Professor of Medicine, Columbia University, and President of ABMAC Foundation, and Dr. Leonard Stern, Associate Professor of Medicine, Columbia University, and board member of ABMAC Foundation, are invited by the Second Affiliated Chengdu Hospital of ChongQing Medical University in Chengdu to attend and deliver lectures at the 70th anniversary of the hospital between 11/25/11 and 11/26/11.

Recent Activities...

• March 19, 2006    Dr. Sze-Piao Yang, chairman of Harris Visiting Professorship Committee in Taiwan, visited the Foundation on 3/19/06. A dinner party was held at the Gala Manor Restaurant of Flushing sponsored by the Asian Bank (president: Mr. Jen-tai Tsai), co-hosted by Dr. Lena Liu Huang and Ms. Kathy Lin Huang. Attendants were Dr. S.P. Yang, Dr. Gerard Turino, Dr. Dorothy Estes, Dr. & Mrs. Richard Pierson, Dr. & Mrs. Kung-ming Jan, Dr. Randolph Cole, Dr. Harrison Bloom, Dr. Hsue-hua Wang, Dr. & Mrs. John Watt, Dr. Yi Hao Yu, Dr. Nancy Chang, Dr. Tsai Chao, Dr. Shou-hui Fan, Dr. Chun Lam, and Dr. Yi Lin. Dr. S.P. Yang presented the check of the left-over former ABMAC H. William Harris Visiting Professor program fund from Taita Jin-Fu Medical Foundation to Dr. Gerard Turino, President of ABMAC Foundation. Dr. S.P. Yang gave a speech on the reasons of the fund return. Taiwan government would not allow the fund to be tax exempted if it is not used up in 5 years. Through Dr. Harris' request and Dr.Turino's Taipei visit to discuss with the Taita Jin-Fu Medical Foundation in 11/05 together with the approval by the Department of Health of ROC, the fund was to be transferred to ABMAC Foundation to manage in the United States. The principal will be used as the asset to generate the revenue to support the international transportation fare for visiting professors to conduct bedside teaching in Taiwan. Dr. Turino, the president, reported the need and general aims of forming the ABMAC Foundation as to promote health care education in China. Dr. Pierson, the chairman of board, reported his experience as a former president of the former ABMAC. Dr. Watt, the vice-president, reported his progress of writing the ABMAC 1937-2003 history book and gave a brief outline of ABMAC history. Dr. Jan, the executive director, reported the process of forming ABMAC Foundation, a non-profit, non-political organization dedicated to the advancement of health in China. Dr. Estes reported her experience as the chairman of clerkship committee of former ABMAC. Dr. Bloom reported his experience on geriatric program in Taiwan which was supported by former ABMAC initiated Pfizer grant and subsequently Taiwan NHRI grant. Dr. Cole reported his experience as a Harris visiting professor. Dr. H.H. Wang reported her experience of leadership in Chinese American Medical Society (CAMS). Dr. Chao spoke on his interest of promoting activities in the mainland China. Dr. Turino thanked Dr. S.P. Yang and the Taita Jin-Fu Medical Foundation. Of the fund, four fifths was deposited at the Chase CD account, one fifth was placed at the Chase investment portfolio, and the rest was placed at the Chase money market account. The fund was deposited by Dr. David Hsieh, the treasurer of the Foundation on 3/20/06.
• June 2, 2006    The executive board meeting was held at Wu Liang Ye, 215 E. 86th Street. The attendants were Drs. Gerard Turino, John Watt, Kung-ming Jan, Dorothy Estes, and Nancy Chang. Dr. Turino asked the board opinion on the request from Dr. Jacqueline Peng of VGH in Taipei, asking placement of medical students at Columbia University Medical Center for clinical clerkship during the summer of 2006. It is apparently of too short period of time for the board to work on this project. Dr. Watt reported his progress on the ABMAC history book. Dr. Jan proposed to initiate fundraising to establish S.P. Yang Visiting Professorship and the board endorsed the idea.
• January 12, 2007    The executive board meeting was held at Wu Liang Ye, 215 E. 86th Street. The attendants were Drs. Gerard Turino, Kung-ming Jan, Dorothy Estes, and Richard Pierson. Guests were Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Sweeting. The board approved the itinerary of Dr. Sweeting's Harris Visiting Professor trip in Taiwan. Following the Taiwan bedside teaching in 3/07, Dr. & Mrs. Sweeting and Dr. Kung-ming Jan will visit Guanzhou, Hangzhou and Shanghai in 4/07 to look at the current status of medical education and residency training programs in mainland China. Dr. Jan proposed to the board the establishment of S.P. Yang Visiting Professorship with emphasis on the triangular cooperations among Taiwan, mainland China and the U.S. in medical education and hospital training programs. The Foundation will initiate a fundraising activity for the new program in 2007.
• April 15, 2007    Dr. Joseph Sweeting completed William Harris Visiting Professorship on bedside teaching in Taiwan on 3/31/07. He subsequently with Dr. Kung-ming Jan visited Guangdong Pharmaceutical University School of Medicine and Hospital in Guangzhou, Zhejiang University School of Medicine and Hospital in Hangzhou, and Jiaotong University School of Medicine and Jenji Hospital in Shanghai. In-depth discussions on clinical education and demonstration of U.S. style bedside teaching were made during the visits.
• May 8, 2007    Dr. He Huang, the vice-dean of Zhejiang University Medical School, a hematologist and director of bone marrow transplantation, visited the Foundation and Columbia University Medical Center. The Foundation held a reception to welcome Dr. Huang and to meet the board members on 5/8/07. Dr. Huang's visit was focused on the clinical medical education and the biomedical engineering program of Columbia University, the Foundation's visiting professor program of bedside teaching, and strategies of fundraising in promoting the Foundation's China program.
• February 2, 2008    ABMAC Foundation president Dr. Gerard Turino and board member Dr. Harrison Bloom were invited to attend Dr. Meng-Chih Lee's National Project for Excellence in Geriatric Care Education in Taichung between 1/26/08 and 2/1/08. Besides delivering speeches in the conference, Dr. Turino made significant fundraising activiteis in Taiwan accompanies by Dr. Meng-Chih Lee, the Foundation's Taiwan Representative and Dr. S.P. Yang, the Foundation's Harris Visiting Professorship Taiwan Committee chair.
• March 14, 2008    The executive board meeting was held at Peking Duck Restaurant, Closter, NJ. The attendants were Drs. Gerard Turino, Kung-ming Jan, Dorothy Estes, Nancy Chang, Joseph Sweeting, and Richard Pierson. The board approved the itinerary of Dr. Nancy Chang to visit Zhejiang University Medical School and hospitals. Dr. Chang will be focusing on issues of residency training programs. Dr. Sweeting suggested Dr. Chang to also do bedside teaching and look at the status of creating general medical wards in their hospitals. Dr. Jan suggested Dr. Chang to prepare talks on the current status of residency training program of Columbia University Medicla Center.
• April 20, 2008    Dr. Nancy Chang of Columbia University visited Hangzhou as an S.P Yang Visiting Professor on bedside teaching between 4/13/08 and 4/17/08. She did bedside teaching rounds and gave talks on residency training programs at Zhejiang University 1st and 2nd Affiliated Hospitals and the Shaoyifu Hospital.
• June 26, 2008    The executive board meeting was held at Columbia University Faculty Club. The attendants were Drs. Gerard Turino, Kung-ming Jan, John Watt, Nancy Chang, Joseph Sweeting, and Jen-Tien Wung, and guest Dr. Ming-neng Yeh. Dr. Nancy Chang reported her observations during her recent China trip. Discussions were focused on the training programs seen at Zhejiang University Medical Center. The information serves as a background information for Dr. Joseph Sweeting to do bedside teaching in China proposed in March 2009. For Dr. John Watt's publication on ABMAC's history book, Dr Turino suggested to quickly provide a Foundation fund to initiate the printing process.
• September 4, 2008    The new book press release for Dr. John Watt's history book entitled "Health Care and National Development in Taiwan, 1950-2000." was held at Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, 1 East 42nd Street, New York. Dr. Gerard Turino opened the conference, Ambassador Kenneth Liao gave a greeting speech, and Dr. John Watt presented the lecture. This was followed by a penal discussion with the penal members consisting of Drs. Gerard Turino, John Watt, Kung-ming Jan and Meng-Chih Lee. Many questions on Taiwan's health care, publich health, and education were discussed.
• November 9, 2008    The Vice-President Dr. John Watt of the Foundation visited Taiwan between October 31 and November 9, 2008. He gave a presentation on his new history book entitled "Health Care and National Development in Taiwan, 1950-2000." at National Taiwan University College of Medicine on November 8, 2008. There was an ABMAC alumni re-union party to welcome Dr. Watt on the same day. Dr. Watt met many medical professionals and health care administrators in Tawan to review and plan ABMAC's current and future roles in Taiwan.
• March 30, 2009    Dr. Joseph Sweeting of Columbia University served as ABMAC Visiting Professor in China between 3/8/09 and 3/30/09. Dr. Joseph Sweeting and Dr. Kung-ming Jan visited the Zhong Shan Hospital in Wuhan and the University Hospital of Hubei University for Nationalities at Enshi. They delivered lectures on clinical training programs and also conducted bedside teaching in these two hospitals. Both hospitals expressed strong wishes to establish exchange interactions with the United States. Subsequently, Dr. Sweeting was invited to visit Hangzhou and did daily bedside teaching at Zhejiang University between 3/16/09 and 3/30/09. Dr. Sweeting demonstrated the U.S. style bedside teaching at the First and the Second Affiliated Hospitals of the Zhejiang University College of Medicine.
• April 9, 2009    Dr. Sze-Piao Yang, chairman of Harris Visiting Professorship Committee in Taiwan, visited the Foundation on 4/9/09. A dinner party was held at Wu Liang Ye, 215 E. 86th Street. The attendants were Drs. Gerard Turino, Kung-ming Jan, Dorothy Estes, Richard Pierson, Nancy Chang, Joseph Sweeting, Lena Liu and Jay Meltzer. Discussions were focused on the Harris Visiting Professorship program. All attendants agreed that the bedside teaching conducted by the Harris Visiting Professors has made a significant impact on Taiwan's clinical training program and should be continued.April 18, 2009    Dr. Jay Meltzer of Columbia University served as the 2009 William Harris Visiting Professor in Taiwan. Dr. Meltzer was invited to conduct bedside teaching in Taipei between 4/4/09 and 4/18/09.
• April 21, 2009    ABMAC Foundation co-sponsored a mini-symposium entitled "National Health Insurance in the Republic of China (Taiwan): A model for other countries" at Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, 1 East 42nd Street, on 4/21/09 1:00-4:00 PM. This mini-symposium aimed to provide a forum to share Taiwan's experiences in developing an effective and economical national healthcare system. Three speakers (Drs. John Watt, Richard Pierson, and Michael Chen) chaired by Dr. Gerard Turino discussed topics such as the modernization of healthcare in Taiwan; cost comparisons of healthcare between Taiwan and the United States; and Taiwan’s experience with health insurance.
• March 15, 2010    ABMAC Foundation board members Drs. Joseph Sweeting and Kung-ming Jan, together with Mr. Michael Purce, director, Corporate Financial Systems of Columbia and Cornell University Hospitals, were invited to visit Yichang bewteen 3/7/10 and 3/11/10 and Enshi between 3/11/10 and 3/14/10. Drs. Sweeting and Jan did bedside teaching at the Trigorge University Hospital. Mr. Purce visited the hospital and conducted discussions, demonstrations and lectures on the hospital patient information and financial systems, with special emphasis on current U.S. hospital administration. All subsequently visited the University Hospital of Hubei University for Nationalities at Enshi. Both places expressed strong wishes to establish exchange interactions with the United States not only on medical training, but also on hospital administration.
• April 22, 2010    Dr. Charles Christian, Professor of Medicine in Rheumatology, University of Florida, served as Harris Visiting Professor in Taiwan between 3/5/10 and 4/3/10. Dr. Christian did bedside teaching at the Veteran Administration General Hospital in Taipei and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou. Dr. Christian subsequently visited Hangzhou and did daily bedside teaching at Zhejiang University between 4/3/10 and 4/11/10. Dr. Christian demonstrated the U.S. style bedside teaching at the First and the Second Affiliated Hospitals of the Zhejiang University College of Medicine. Dr. Christian then visited the University Hospital of Hubei University for Nationalities at Enshi between 4/11/10 and 4/17/10. He did bedside teaching and also delivered lectures in the Rheumatology Convention held at Enshi. On the way back to the U.S. on 4/20/10, Dr. Christian visited and gave a lecture PUMC in Beijing. All hospitals in China expressed strong wishes to establish exchange interactions with the United States.
• April 28, 2010    Dr. Leonard Stern, Associate Professor of Medicine in Nephrology, Columbia University, visited and did bedside teaching at the University Hospital of Hubei University for Nationalities at Enshi between 4/11/10 and 4/17/10. He also delivered lectures in the Rheumatology Convention held at Enshi. He subsequently visited and did bedside teaching at the Second Affiliated Chengdu Hospital of ChongQing Medical University in Chengdu. Between 4/24/10 and 4/26/10, Dr. Stern visited and did bedside teaching at the First Shanghai Hospital of Jiaotong University in Shanghai. All hospitals in China expressed strong wishes to establish exchange interactions with the United States.
• April 18, 2011    Dr. Leonard Stern, Associate Professor of Medicine in Nephrology, Columbia University, served as Harris Visiting Professor in Taiwan between 3/6/11 and 4/3/11. Dr. Stern did bedside teaching at the Shuang Ho Hospital at Wanfang and the Cathay General Hospital in Taipei. Dr. Stern subsequently joined Dr. Kung-ming Jan, visited Haikou, Hainan, and did bedside teaching at the Hainan Provincial Peopleˇ¦s Hospital on 4/5/11. Drs. Stern and Jan then visited the University Hospital of Hubei University for Nationalities at Enshi between 4/10/11 and 4/11/11. They did bedside teaching and also delivered lectures in the University Hospital t Enshi. Dr. Stern then visited and did bedside teaching at the Second Affiliated Chengdu Hospital of ChongQing Medical University in Chengdu between 4/11/11 and 4/15/11.

Recent Photos...