Umair A. Shah, M.D., M.P.H., (center) executive director and local health authority for Harris County (Texas) Public Health, received the 2017 NACDS Foundation Excellence in Patient Care Award for his exceptional work on Hurricane Harvey response and recovery efforts in Houston this year. NACDS Foundation President Kathleen Jaeger (left) was joined by NACDS President and CEO and NACDS Foundation Chairman Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE, (right) in presenting the award.
The NACDS Foundation celebrated its 19th Annual Foundation Dinner in New York on November 29. The event raised $1.8 million, which will help support evidence-based research, pharmacy education and philanthropic initiatives to improve patient outcomes and advance population health. More than 100 companies and individuals sponsored the event.
In delivering remarks at the event, NACDS Chairman Alex Gourlay, co-chief operating officer of Walgreens Boots Alliance & president, Walgreen Co., said, “The NACDS Foundation is engaging on issues that have been identified by public health authorities as some of the most pressing issues before us.” Gourlay pointed to the collaborative work the Foundation does on HIV and hepatitis C screening and on finding solutions for the opioid abuse epidemic. He said, “All of us are impacted and motivated to find solutions, from the basic perspective of helping to protect our families, and our neighborhoods.” Gourlay praised the significant progress the Foundation has made in its focus on evidence-based research, which has been a priority for the past six years.
Umair A. Shah, M.D., M.P.H., executive director and local health authority for Harris County (Texas) Public Health, received the 2017 NACDS Foundation Excellence in Patient Care Award for his exceptional work on Hurricane Harvey response and recovery efforts in Houston this year. Dr. Shah is also the president of the National Association of County and City Health Officials. NACDS Foundation President Kathleen Jaeger said, “From his start as a hospital emergency room physician to the position he holds today, Dr. Shah’s work is an inspiration…he is one of our nation’s quiet heroes of public health.” NACDS President and CEO and NACDS Foundation Chairman Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE, joined in presenting the awardNACDS Foundation President Kathleen Jaeger expressed gratitude for the work of public health officials. She said, “Not only are they crucial to our efforts to innovate new models, they are also tireless advocates of healthcare equity, giving all members of society a fair opportunity for improved health.” Jaeger thanked all of the participants at the event for their support.
To view more photos from the event, visit the NACDS Foundation Dinner Flickr album. More information about the NACDS Foundation is available on its website.
