FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ON January 20, 2005
American Academy of Neurology Names Two Advocates of the Year
ST. PAUL, Minn. -
Maureen A. Callaghan, MD, and Mohammad Wasay, MBBS, MD, have been selected as the American Academy of Neurology’s 2004 Advocates of the Year. They were honored during the third annual Donald M. Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum held January 6 – 9, 2005, in Huntington Beach, Calif. Callaghan was recognized for her efforts to advocate for tort reform in the state of Washington, where she is a staff neurologist at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia. In addition to her active role in the Washington State Medical Association, she helped launch the Washington State Neurological Society and serves as its current president. “I am thrilled and honored to receive this award,” said Callaghan. “What is most important about the Advocate of the Year Award is that the Academy is demonstrating the importance of advocacy for all neurologists, and the value of learning and using the tools so that we can be champions for our patients, for research and training, and for the practice of neurology.” Wasay is an assistant professor at the Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan. He has led efforts to improve public health through programs to decrease rabies and tetanus and to increase support for stroke and multiple sclerosis. Wasay has established a training program for Pakistani neurologists similar to the Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum. “The greatest thing which I am really happy about is that we have been able to do a lot with this workshop and training,” said Wasay. The American Academy of Neurology established the Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum in 2003 to empower neurologists to advocate on behalf of their patients for sensible healthcare reforms on local, regional, and national levels. Callaghan and Wasay completed training during the 2004 Forum. The 2005 Forum prepared 31 neurologists from 20 states and two countries to serve as Advocacy Leaders. Courses covered media training, facilitating organizational change, and legislative advocacy training. For more information about the Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum, visit www.aan.com/advocacy/index.cfm.