Elmhurst Hospital team honored for helping Syrian refugees

Elmhurst Hospital recently was honored for its 2017 medical mission to provide care for Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

The Syrian American Medical Society Midwest Chapter presented Elmhurst with the Hospital Partnership Award for "Dedication to Making a Difference" at its 14th annual fundraising gala at the Westin Lombard.

Dr. Madhavi Ryali, who was the recipient of the SAMS Leadership Award, coordinated and raised funds for the mission, which resulted in a team of about a dozen doctors, nurses and other caregivers from Elmhurst and Naperville's Edward hospitals volunteering for the weeklong April 2017 trip.

The team eventually grew to 25, including medical professionals affiliated with other hospitals in the Chicago area, Philadelphia and the United Kingdom. The team included specialists in internal medicine, general surgery, urology, oncology, cardiology, gastroenterology, vascular surgery and nephrology.

The mission, one of several sponsored each year by SAMS, included visits to Beirut, Tripoli and the Bekaa Valley to treat patients in hospitals and clinics, and small and large refugee camps.

The medical team met with more than 1,500 patients and performed about 200 surgeries and dozens of diagnostic procedures.

For more information, visit www.sams-usa.net. To learn more about Elmhurst and Edward hospitals, visit www.eehealth.org.