Medical Affairs Committee

It is my great pleasure and honor to inform you that on January 28, 2011 one of our most prominent physicians, Dr. Ivan Ciric, neurosurgeon, was honored by North Shore University Health System by receiving the Endowed Chair award.

Endowed Chairs are the highest form of recognition that an academic medical center can confer on a recipient. They acknowledge multifaceted strengths, intensity of commitment, and dedication to superior standards in both ground-breaking research and dedicated clinical services.

We are proud to have in our ranks a nationally and internationally recognized physician, researcher, teacher and humanitarian. Dr. Ciric is a long time supporter of Serbian causes and was a distinguished member of our team of physicians who participated in the Diaspora Medical Conference held in September 2010 in Belgrade.

Dragana Cupic, M.D
Medical Affairs Committee
Lifeline Humanitarian Organization

Click the following link to read biographical information about Dr. Ciric:
http://www.societyns.org/society/bio.aspx?MemberID=2278

The Medical Affairs Committee of Lifeline Humanitarian Organization successfully participated in organizing the first strategic conference of Serbian Medical Diaspora titled: "Together Fit for the Future." The conference was held in Belgrade from September 2 to 4 2010.

The objectives of the conference were:
1.To develop a strategy to improve cooperation between Serbian doctors and their counterparts from Diaspora.
2.To develop a network of experts from the academic community in Serbia and abroad.
3.To establish a continuous exchange of academic achievements and to coordinate help in equipment, pharmaceuticals and teaching materials to medical institutions in Serbia.

Active participants at the conference were:
Dragana Cupic, MD coordinator of Medical Affairs Committee Lifeline Humanitarian Organization;
Zivojin Pavlovic, MD Board member of Lifeline;
Dr. Terry Mason, Chief Medical Officer, Cook County Health Systems;
Dr. Paul Jones, Director of Jones Institute of Chicago;
Dr. Ivan Ciric, professor of neurosurgery at the University of Chicago Medical School;
Dr. Gregory Lekovic, Neurosurgeon from House Clinic in California;
Dr. Ljuba Stojiljkovic, Anesthesiology professor from Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine;
and Dr. Biljana Pavlovic Surjancev from Loyola School of Medicine.

There were numerous physicians from the United States as well as from Europe who attended the conference.
The conference opened with a reception at the White Palace hosted by HRH Crown Prince Alexander Karadjordjevic who was the Honorary Patron along with HRH Crown Princess Katherine. On the last day of the conference participants visited various medical facilities in Serbia and Vojvodina.

The feedback from the participants was overwhelmingly positive and everyone expressed the desire to have this event annually.

Now that all of us are energized and inspired with the possibilities of helping the people of Serbia who face major economical and health system crisis we have to get to work to identify and prioritize the needs. We will continue to update you of our progress.

For the Medical Affairs Committee,
Dragana Cupic, MD