June 22, 2017
Jasmine
Sulaiman, MD, a Cleveland family physician, was named a Health Hero by the Texas
Medical Association (TMA) for her commitment to improving the health of her
community. She was one of only four physicians TMA honored with the inaugural award
during TexMed, TMA’s annual conference, in Houston.
The new award recognizes
TMA members who have led and participated in all three of TMA’s flagship
outreach programs: Be
Wise — ImmunizeSM, a program to educate about
vaccinations and improve vaccination rates in Texas; Hard Hats for Little Heads (HHLH), a
bike helmet giveaway program; and Walk
With a Doc Texas (WWAD), a national grassroots
movement devoted to encouraging healthy physical activity. TMA’s Council on Health Promotion
presents the award as part of its oversight of TMA’s outreach programs, along
with the TMA Foundation (TMAF), which funds them.
“I am excited, humbled, and honored to receive
this award,” said Dr. Sulaiman. “Being recognized for your hard work is always
thrilling, and this recognition encourages me to continue my pursuit of community
outreach and primary care.”
Dr. Sulaiman has
sponsored a WWAD walk in her community regularly since late 2016. Once each
month, she invites community members to join her for a walk in either Cleveland
(at Health Center of Southeast Texas) or Liberty (at Liberty Municipal Park). Prior
to starting her walks, Dr. Sulaiman had sponsored HHLH helmet giveaways and Be
Wise vaccination events in her community. In October 2016, Dr. Sulaiman and the
Health Center of Southeast Texas (HCOSET) combined all three of TMA’s outreach
programs into one large community event. She is HCOSET’s medical director.
The TMA
Foundation, TMA’s philanthropic arm, is committed to focusing physicians’ love
of charitable giving toward helping Texans. The three TMAF-funded outreach
initiatives enable physicians to give back to their community and help support
TMA’s vision to “improve the health of all Texans.”
Dr. Sulaiman has
been a TMA member for 11 years and also is a member of the Liberty-Chambers
County Medical Society. She has received several accolades, including being
named Liberty County Citizen of the Year in 2017, Country Doctor of the Year in 2016 by Staff Care, and Family Physician of
the Year in 2013 by the Texas Academy of Family Physicians.
Dr. Sulaiman believes
bringing the outreach programs to her town allows her to improve her patients’
lives by strengthening the community where they live. “As a community health center provider, I truly believe I am a key part of
my patients’ well-being,” she said.
TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation,
representing more than 50,000 physician and medical student members. It is
located in Austin and has 110 component county medical societies around the
state. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans. TMA
Foundation raises funds to support the public health
and science priority initiatives of TMA and the Family of Medicine.
Contact: Brent Annear (512) 370-1381; cell: (512) 656-7320; email: brent.annear[at]texmed[dot]org
Marcus Cooper (512) 370-1382;
cell: (512) 650-5336; email: marcus.cooper[at]texmed[dot]org
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