AMHP is built on the vision of human rights and guided by human rights principles that affirm and prioritize the inherent worth and dignity of all human beings.
Our Mission
We are a non-profit organization bringing together and strengthening the impact of Muslim health professionals to improve the health and wellness of all Americans.
Our Vision
To be a leader in improving public health, through efforts inspired by the Islamic tradition.
MUSLIM MENTAL HEALTH
Mental health has increasingly been identified as a top priority for the communities we serve. Through our mental health programs and initiatives, our mission is to enhance community level capacity to identify mental health issues early on, increase awareness about available resources and support and most importantly, de-stigmatize mental health illness and improve mental health literacy in families and communities. Our mental health first aid certification trainings are currently being conducted in diverse communities throughout the nation and we hope to continue meeting the demand for this educational program. By training community leaders, educators and activists, we are able to provide a foundation and infrastructure for communities to be able to identify and respond to mental health crises, trauma and substance abuse issues. The ultimate vision of AMHP’s mental health program is to create environments that prevent mental health crises from occurring by integrating our faith’s teachings into our daily practices and interactions with one another and provide opportunities for building mental health resiliency.
2019 Accomplishments
- On March 6, 2019 AMHP was invited by Instagram and Facebook to participate in a special roundtable discussion on “Combating Teen Bullying with Interfaith Communities” at Facebook DC. Dr. Rukshana Chaudhry participated in the roundtable which brought together leaders from different faith and ethnic communities for a deep conversation on bullying and to explore approaches for prevention.
- AMHP, Muslim Mental Health (MMH), SWISS and Muslim Wellness Foundation (MWF) hosted a “Coping with Grief & Trauma” webinar to provide counsel and support in the aftermath of the devastating New Zealand terror attack. Over 250 people registered for the webinar and a recording can be found here. AMHP also shared a list of mental health resources with all registrants immediately following the webinar.
- AMHP hosted Youth and Adult Mental Health First Aid Training events in ten cities in 2019 and certified over 300 individuals in mental health first aid.
- AMHP began a partnership with ICNA Relief to host Mental Health First Aid Trainings in Southern California to meet the growing demand for this educational course.
ADVOCACY
American Muslim Health Professionals (AMHP) is a leading national public health nonprofit advocating for accessible, affordable, and equitable healthcare for all. AMHP views healthcare as a human right since it is an essential component of preserving life, and the absence of it has repercussions on an individual and societal level.
As a society, Americans are lagging behind other developed countries in terms of life expectancy, maternal mortality, and diagnosis of chronic illness. This is despite the fact that the U.S. has the highest, almost double the per capita spending costs on healthcare compared to other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.
The rising cost of healthcare has been recognized as a barrier to healthcare access for racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. and is also one of the leading causes of bankruptcy in the U.S. One of the means of overcoming the cost barrier has been to ensure health insurance for all Americans. This is especially significant since the U.S. is the only industrialized nation without universal healthcare. Subsequently, AMHP’s advocacy platform serves to support personal health care delivery and address the broad issues of health policy.
AMHP’s efforts to improve health status of all Americans includes an aggressive health policy dimension; partnering and collaborating with consumer health advocacy groups, health care providers, research and policy groups, state and federal government, and community-based organizations.
As we advance our mission to expand and improve access to affordable healthcare for all Americans, we look forward to your support and partnership in forging transformational solutions that improve the health and well-being of all Americans.
2019 Accomplishments
- Lujain Al-Khawi, AMHP’s Advocacy Intern, and Dr. Sana Syed, AMHP’s Director of Government Relations, participated in National Muslim Advocacy Day on Monday, April 1 and Tuesday, April 2 on Capitol Hill to advocate for healthcare issues that concern our communities.
- AMHP Advocacy leadership partnered with Doctors for America in organizing a National Leadership Conference at Johns Hopkins University in November 2019.
Professional Development
Professional development is at the cornerstone of AMHP’s mission. Our members can strive to excel in their chosen career paths by actively participating in networking, information sharing, and leadership building opportunities. AMHP creates platforms for its members to learn from one another and advance in their careers. AMHP encourages Muslim health professionals to leverage their unique skill sets to serve their local communities and advance health equity for all Americans.
We have hosted numerous sold-out networking events in major cities throughout the nation including New York, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Detroit and Washington, D.C. These events are often organized in collaboration with AMHP regional affiliates and include networking events with inspiring speakers. At a national level, we host an annual public health conference for health professionals and students from across the nation. The conference provides attendees with opportunities for networking and hosts a stellar lineup of speakers made up of public health pioneers, entrepreneurs and healthcare leaders.
We envision a national community of American Muslim Health professionals that support the advancement of health equity for all Americans.
2019 Accomplishments
- Our second annual National Public Health Conference was co-hosted by Harvard Medical School Office for Diversity Inclusion and Community Partnership and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and was held at Harvard Medical School on April 20. The conference reached its objectives of promoting efforts that drive towards health equity by fostering dialogue and collaboration among various disciplines, providing a platform for health professionals to showcase innovative work and promoting public health initiatives that impact our communities.
- The full-day program featured over 20 speakers including Martin J. Walsh, Mayor of Boston, who spoke to the theme of Eliminating Health Disparities. Over 150 professionals and students from 23 states were in attendance and benefitted from the information shared as well as the networking opportunities. The Conference was followed by AMHP’s 15-year Anniversary Dinner. Harvard Medical School published an article covering the conference.
- Hosted two professional development sessions at the ISNA Convention. The first session, “Unconditional Care: How Muslims are Closing the Healthcare Gap Across America And How You Can Get Involved” featured a screening of a new short documentary about a Muslim-run free clinic and a panel discussion with clinic representatives, the co-author of a new study documenting the impact of Muslim-run clinics, and the co-director of the film.
- The second session, “Navigating the Changing Landscape of Healthcare Delivery & Practice” was a thought-provoking panel discussion about the changing landscape of healthcare delivery and practice. The event was geared towards health professionals and students looking to expand their professional network.
Chapter Events
- AMHP Illinois Chicago Networking iftar featured guest speaker, Dr. Mazen Attasi and was held at the Downtown Islamic Center.
- Establishment of Chapters in New York/New Jersey & Texas – AMHP onboarded Chapter Leaders in both Texas and New York/New Jersey who will spearhead chapter initiatives and programs within their respective geographic regions.
National Events
- On Saturday, September 28, AMHP celebrated its 15 year anniversary at its Benefit Gala in Chicago. With over 300 guests in attendance, the event was a huge success!
- On Sunday, December 8th, AMHP hosted a Benefit Luncheon. The event featured healthcare champions including Dr. Kavita Patel, Dr. Omar Shareef, and Matt Colaciello and was an excellent opportunity to meet and network with other Muslim Public Health Professionals. The newly elected VA Senator Ghazala Hashmi was the celebrated keynote speaker.
