May 08, 2009
Brooke Braun
703-836-2272 ext. 3502
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Melia Dayeh
703-836-2272 ext. 3501
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Michigan Physician Assistant Named Humanitarian PA of the Year
American Academy of Physician Assistants Announces 2009 PAragon Award Winners
(Detroit, Mich.) - The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) will award the 2009 Humanitarian PA of the Year Award to Julie Malacusky, PA-C, of Troy, Mich., who founded "The Dream Project" to help children orphaned and abandoned by the AIDS epidemic in Mozambique, Africa.
The Humanitarian PA of the Year Award, which will be presented Friday, May 22 in San Diego at AAPA's 37th Annual Physician Assistant Conference, honors a PA who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to human rights and exemplifies the PA profession's philosophy of providing accessible and quality health care in geographic locations inside and outside of the United States.
"It is a true honor to receive this award," said Malacusky. "If we will not stand up and fight for those too weak to fight for themselves and too vulnerable to have any voice in society, we will have lost the essence of our humanity."
An ordained minister and a certified PA, Malacusky first provided health care to patients in the inner-city and surrounding community hospitals of Michigan. She then began leading short-term medical teams in Brazil, India and Mozambique to help destitute children - using her personal savings, raising funds, and receiving medical donations to provide care.
In 1999 Malacusky opened the "Calcutta Hope Home" to provide safe shelter for children in the region. One year later, she established a ministry for street children in Brazil and founded "For the Children International," a non-profit focused on reintegrating street children into society.
Malacusky's current venture, The Dream Project, provides fresh water, food, health care services, education, and vocational training to needy children throughout Mozambique. As executive director and co-founder of the Project, Malacusky not only finds funds to pay local staff and buy food for the children, but she also provides training for relief volunteers. Under Malacusky's leadership efforts, the Project now has an extensive base of volunteers, churches, and businesses across the nation and provides support to as many children as generous supporters make possible. In recognition of Malacusky's current Project and past humanitarian efforts, officials at Wayne State's Physician Assistant Studies program awarded Malacusky the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2007.
AAPA will present Malacusky with a crystal Humanitarian PA of the Year Award, a check for $2500, and a matching donation to The Dream Project - all of which is made possible with support of Pfizer Inc. The award is one of five PAragon Awards presented annually by AAPA to recognize members who have demonstrated distinguished service to patients, the community, and the profession. Other awards include: PA Service to the Underserved Award, Outstanding PA of the Year, Federal Service PA of the Year, and the Physician-PA Partnership Award.
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The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) is the only national professional association that represents PAs across all medical and surgical specialties in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the armed forces and federal services. Founded in 1968, AAPA works to increase the professional and personal growth of the entire PA workforce by providing comprehensive support and advocacy for physician assistants so that they may, in turn, provide patients with increased access to quality, cost-effective health care. Learn more at www.aapa.org.
For more information about The Dream Project, please visit www.thedream-project.org.
