NETWORKS COMPETE TO COMBAT HEALTH DISPARITIES
One way members get involved in CHEST’s philanthropic efforts takes place each year with the start of the NetWorks Challenge. CHEST members compete through their NetWorks – special interest groups that focus on particular areas of chest medicine — to raise funds that support Foundation microgrants.
NetWorks Challenge 2021 kicked off in June with a special twist to celebrate the Foundation’s 25th anniversary. Each NetWork is asked to complete a 25k virtual physical challenge. This can be done by walking, running, biking, swimming — or any other physical activity.
“For me, giving to the CHEST Foundation is a chance to recognize and repay the debt I owe to my mentors, trainees, and colleagues for my success and joy in practicing medicine.”
—David L. Bowton, MD, FCCP
Through the challenge, members engage in friendly competition while supporting the goals of the Foundation. This year, money raised will directly help the Foundation in addressing health disparities through our microgrants program. In addition, the funds will support travel grants for doctors in training looking to attend CHEST 2021.
“For me, giving to the CHEST Foundation is a chance to recognize and repay the debt I owe to my mentors, trainees, and colleagues for my success and joy in practicing medicine,” said David L. Bowton, MD, FCCP, former challenge participant and member of the Executive Committee of the Council of NetWorks.
By participating in the NetWorks Challenge, members help fund grants that aim to lend a hand to those who need it the most. Expanding research capabilities, improving patient care, and giving access to medical equipment are just a few ways microgrants from the CHEST Foundation have been used in the past.
Inspired by the Listening Tour and the struggles experienced by underserved communities, money raised through the NetWorks Challenge will go to a new pilot microgrant program called Rita’s Fund. The grants aim to supplement community-based projects that provide resources to individuals to help drastically change their quality of life. Funding will assist with coverage for medical equipment, transportation, and access to technology for those living with lung disease and other medical complications.
“Whatever the Foundation pays in terms of grants and awards impacts not only the recipient but also the community as a whole… For me, it was a no-brainer to get involved in an organization that actually raises funding to support community, education, and research,” says Salim Surani, MD, MSc, FCCP, a long-time supporter of the NetWorks Challenge and the Foundation’s grants program.
NetWork members are asked to encourage one another to join in this summer’s race to 25k.
“When you work within the NetWorks and join together, and work along with the CHEST Foundation, the impact is much more powerful. I always believed that it is a privilege for us that we have the outlet at the CHEST Foundation to provide grants,” Surani said.
TRAVEL GRANTS SUPPORT THE FUTURE OF CHEST
A portion of the money raised through the NetWorks Challenge is used for travel grants to the CHEST annual meeting. These grants are awarded to medical students looking to network with their peers and learn more about the organization. Creating an opportunity to build relationships, learn from expert faculty and mentors, and experience the community of CHEST early in one’s career is just one way the Foundation supports the future of CHEST.
“Through the grant program, I was able to meet a CHEST member who has gone through a similar career path that I hope to follow. It was good to hear from his experiences as well as learn about how to get involved in the organization from the standpoint of a budding academician. Receiving this grant certainly opened the doors for attending the meeting, but it also gave me exposure to parts of the organization that I may not have necessarily been exposed to attending the conference on my own. I learned more about what CHEST Foundation does, and it does make me want to get more involved in the organization in general.”
—Jennifer Krall, MD
OTHER ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE
HEALTH CARE DISPARITIES ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE FEW
Physicians respond to lessons learned from Listening Tour
In October 2020, the CHEST Foundation launched a Listening Tour in five cities across the country to uncover health disparities in the United Stated from the patient’s perspective.
11 MINUTE READ
LIVING WITH PASSION
CHEST Foundation past president Dr. Ed Diamond encourages everyone to focus on the “why”
In medicine, finding one’s passion is the key to success. For Ed Diamond, MD, MBA, FCCP, this passion is triggered by filling the voids in health care and staying focused on the “why” of medicine.
10 MINUTE READ
COMMUNITY SERVICE GRANTS BEDROCK OF SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITIES IN NEED
Community service grants are one way the Foundation strives to make a tangible, lasting impact on the lives of the patients we serve – they’re not just one-off projects with limited effects. But how do we really know that we’re making a difference?
8 MINUTE READ
A DAY AT THE RACES!
Foundation hosts Belmont Stakes in NYC
This year’s Belmont Stakes Reception and Auction was our most successful event to date! Hosted in NYC at the Hotel Edison, the event raised more than $200,000 for the D. Robert McCaffree Community Service Grant Program, which focuses on helping those who face health disparities.
2 MINUTE READ
The Donor Spotlight Summer 2021 issue is also available as a PDF DOWNLOAD THE PDF »