STEPPING OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE
like driver ’ s licenses , social security cards , a vehicle , an apartment , the list goes on .
Hospital month was one of my earlier rotations , and I learned my way around the hospital . Though tough at first , it went smoothly with the help of some caring upper levels , attendings and residency staff . From there onward , three years went by quickly . There were also smaller challenges too , like getting used to black coffee at work compared to traditional Pakistani chai tea with milk and sugar .
After residency , the decision to settle in Louisville was an easy one . It was now our home where both kids were born . My first job was in West Louisville as a family physician working in outpatient , hospital and long-term care facilities . Subsequently , we moved to South Louisville and continued with a strictly outpatient practice . Family medicine is a fulfilling career , but I wanted to expand my horizons . One of my mentors suggested long-term geriatric and palliative care . Over the next few years , I started caring for seniors in long-term facilities and still do . This work exposed me to AMDA - The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care ( PALTC ) facilities . Over the years , I became a Certified Medical Director ( CMD ) and , with the help of some amazing colleagues , incorporated the Kentucky Chapter of AMDA-PALTC . I served as President and our chapter became quite involved at the national level .
As a practicing Muslim , faith is an integral part of my identity . I was raised in Pakistan , which is majority Muslim . Immigration to the U . S . exposed me to so many individuals with diverse backgrounds , nationalities and faiths . It is simply fascinating how Mother America welcomes and assimilates so many people from all over the world .
Just as in any other society , there is disinformation and misunderstanding about minorities . I decided to be on the board of Muslim Americans for Compassion ( MAC ), a nonprofit envisioned by my friend , Dr . Muhammad Babar for better interfaith understanding . Each year , we hold an Interfaith Iftar Dinner usually attended by about 500 individuals of various faiths . The idea is to get to know each other better while breaking bread together . The goal of the nonprofit is to serve . This includes providing lunch to first responders every year in Jefferson County on the anniversary of 9 / 11 and supporting organizations like Uniting Partners , the St . John Center for Men and St . Vincent DePaul with their various needs such as blankets and winter clothes . Our priority as physicians is to improve the health of the patients we serve . Nationwide , Kentucky ranks poorly for health outcomes and numerous social determinants of health . The state has widely prevalent poverty which correlates with adverse health outcomes , chronic medical problems , obesity , smoking and various other issues . Our public school system does an amazing job with the resources available , but still many students throughout Kentucky lack access to basic needs . Data from our public schools shows that a significant number of students do not receive necessary physicals , immunizations or dental and vision examinations due to these barriers .
For these reasons , we founded Doctors for Healthy Communities ( DHC ) in 2017 , a 501 ( c )( 3 ) non-profit with a goal of reaching public schools to fill in the much-needed gaps in student well-being . The mission of DHC is to support students , their families and teachers in whatever way is needed . This is achieved in several ways .
For example , each year DHC providers and volunteers take part in sports physicals across Jefferson County to ensure student athletes are given a proper check-up before competition begins . During these examinations , children may be identified with vision or dental problems , chronic medical issues like obesity , food insecurity or psychiatric issues . They are then referred to an appropriate provider by the school ’ s health care staff .
In the past few years , DHC has built significant partnerships with schools . There is a regular delivery of clothes for “ clothing pantries ,” school supplies , reusable water bottles and hygiene products in various schools throughout Jefferson County and a few schools in Fayette and Warren Counties , as well . We deliver hygiene care packages that include basic supplies like toothpastes , toothbrushes , deodorant , dental floss , soap and hand sanitizer . After devastating tornadoes hit western Kentucky in December 2021 , funds were raised , and supplies delivered to those who lost their homes in towns such as Mayfield and Dawson Springs .
Medical regulation and how the practice of medicine varies in different parts of the world always fascinated me . I was fortunate to be accepted as a board member for the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure ( KBML ) and am currently serving as Vice President . Each day , I am amazed by the work done by the Board to protect the public while educating physicians about various regulatory changes . In 2022 , I was elected to the nominating committee of the Federation of State Medical Boards ( FSMB ), whose task is to identify future leaders of the organization . While walking the hallways during the annual meeting of FSMB , I always remember the first time I learned about the organization : when the mail man delivered my certification letter in the small town of Kharian , Pakistan .
Life is a journey , and we all have our own pace . I look up to so many mentors and friends every day who are doing amazing things , and hopefully a few may be looking up to me too . I feel very lucky to have a very caring family , friends and colleagues . I am also equally fortunate to have two motherlands : my beautiful , adopted country of U . S ., whose Statue of Liberty welcomes the poor yearning to be free , and my beloved country of birth , Pakistan . I like having black coffee at work during the day while still enjoying chai in the evening .
Dr . Saleem is board certified in family medicine , hospice and palliative care and addiction medicine . He serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor at University of Louisville and Clinical Faculty , AHEC program at University of Kentucky .
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