Medical Articles & News
By: Dr. Miriam Y. Vega
My father used to have an expression. He’d say, ‘Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It’s about your dignity. It’s about respect. It’s about your place in your community’ – Joe Biden Every four years, since I was a young girl in the South Bronx dreaming of grander things, I’ve […]
By: Amelia Noor-Oshiro
An African American patient comes in with a chronic medical condition and is having a hard time coping with the prognosis. She had been struggling with her health for a few years, battling hypertension and trying to lose weight. Her chart is handed over to one of the clinicians at UMMA Community Clinic. He sees […]
We all rise or fall together.
By: Dr. Miriam Y. Vega “It’s OK. I’m right here with you.” -Toddler girl comforting her mom as she witnessed police kill her mom’s fiancé “I have never run so fast in my life”- Woman at the rally in Dallas Run. Run fast. Try to dodge the bullets permeating a community event as police fall […]
Talk to your co-workers, friends, brothers, fathers, and the other men in your life about preventative care. Encourage them to get a check-up, to exercise, to lead a healthier lifestyle. And tell them that it is because you want them around for a long time. The summer solstice approaches on June 20th, the longest period […]
The rhetoric of fear and stigma are inevitably amplified every four years by the impending U.S. presidential elections. While we must remain vigilant, we must also temper our trepidation with the understanding that the jockeying for political prestige, prominence, and electoral power are not always a reflection of dire consequences to come. As comedian Groucho Marx once […]
May is Mental Health Awareness month in the United States and has been since 1949. 31 days out of each year for more than half a century. Sadly, not nearly enough to call sufficient attention to a range of prevalent public health problems that suffer from the scourge of lack of treatment and ubiquitous stigma. But […]
April is here, a time of rain showers and blossoming flowers. Spring is a time of rebirth and rejuvenation, where we shake of the winter chill and look forward expectantly to the halcyon days we remember from summers past. As the daylight stretches out, it is the perfect time to take stock of our health, […]
For the University Muslim Medical Association (UMMA), February is a month near and dear to our hearts with two important events that speak to UMMA’s core values and the foundation of its existence. February marks Black History Month, as well as American Heart Month. Every observance of Black History Month honors both the triumphs and […]
On October 29th, 2011, UMMA held a Gala dinner at the Anaheim Hilton to mark our 15th anniversary of service to South Los Angeles. More than 1,000 community members and friends joined us to celebrate past successes, and to reflect on our ongoing efforts to promote healthy living in our service communities – including plans […]
