Houston Physician Receives Humanitarian Award

(NORTHBROOK, IL, January 7, 2010)—Nicola A. Hanania, MBBS, FCCP, of Houston, TX, has been nationally recognized for his humanitarian efforts in coordinating the Health Outreach Project to the Middle East Program, located in Mafraq, Jordan.

The CHEST Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), recently announced the winners of the 2009 D. Robert McCaffree, MD, Master FCCP Humanitarian Awards, at The Foundation's Making a Difference Awards Dinner, held in October in San Diego, CA. Dr. Hanania was one of two recipients of The CHEST Foundation's $15,000 Humanitarian Awards, which are given on behalf of medical professionals who volunteer their time and expertise to improve the health of communities and people in need worldwide.

"These physicians and their projects leave lasting impressions on the communities in which they serve," said John C. Alexander, Jr., MD, FCCP, President of The CHEST Foundation. "The CHEST Foundation commends their efforts and is proud to recognize and support this year's award recipients."

Dr. Hanania, a pulmonary and critical care physician at Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston, TX, serves on the project team and is the country coordinator for Jordan on the Health Outreach to the Middle East Program, of which Anoor Sanatorium is part. Dr. Hanania helps coordinate the shipment of medical supplies, recruitment of volunteers, and provides medical care for low-income patients afflicted with TB. Since 1965, the Anoor Sanatorium has diagnosed and treated more than 4,500 patients with TB and holds a 94 percent recovery rate. In October of 1997, the Anoor Sanatorium was named the country's official TB center, and the Direct Observation Therapy Short-course (DOTS) program, developed by the World Health Organization, was implemented there.

Established in 1998, The CHEST Foundation D. Robert McCaffree, MD, Master FCCP Humanitarian Awards program encourages volunteer service by ACCP members to improve the health of individuals and communities through advocacy, direct patient care, and/or patient education activities. In addition to honoring the recipient, The CHEST Foundation also grants a monetary award to the organization each recipient supports.

The CHEST Foundation was created in 1996 as the philanthropic arm of the ACCP and seeks to improve lung health for patients and communities through education focused on public health issues. The ACCP represents 17,500 members who provide clinical pulmonary, critical care, sleep, and cardiothoracic patient care in the United States and throughout the world. The mission of the ACCP is to promote the prevention and treatment of diseases of the chest through leadership, education, research, and communication. For more information about The CHEST Foundation, please visit The Foundation's Web site at www.chestfoundation.org.

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Contact:
Jennifer Stawarz, (847) 498-8306