Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital’s Successful First Annual Charity Iftar Dinner!

By TMO Stringer

Bob Riney, President and Chief Operating Officer addresses the gathering. Photo by Ray Mannin.

The audience watches President Riney speak. Photo by Ray Mannin.

The 4th Annual Ramadan dinner hosted by the Henry Ford hospital on July 31st, 2013 was a great success. This year’s event was an inaugural charity iftar that began at the request of several of the Muslim physicians of Henry Ford Health System.  Henry Ford Health System employs over 23,000 people and has a vibrant 1,200 physician medical group practice. This year about 200 people attended the iftar that collected over $15,000 for the HUDA clinic. Chaplain Kraft along with a team of Muslim employees helped arrange the successful event this year.

As the leader of the Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital’s Pastoral Services, Chaplain Jim Kraft has been a strong supporter of interfaith relations and cooperation. He strongly believes in supporting the religious needs of all patients and has been instrumental in keeping up services to the Muslim patient and employee population at the hospital.  As part of his outreach program, he has been able to support multiple causes both within Henry Ford West Bloomfield as well as outside in the broader community.

In his welcome speech Bob Riney, President and Chief Operating Officer for Henry Ford Health System, embraced the celebration of Ramadan and the diversity within the health system. He thanked the service provided by some of the Henry Ford’s physicians in the audience, who were responsible for arranging the event.  He recognized specifically Dr. Zahid Sheikh and Dr. Asif Malik for their contribution to the well-being of patients within Henry Ford and those whom they care for in their spare time as volunteers.

Dr. Asif Malik, a pediatric anesthesiologist, introduced the concept of a “Henry Ford Medical Mission Fund” that would accept grant applications from local charities for distribution each year. This year’s charity iftar dinner was meant to collect the initial donations for this fund.  The charity recipient for the July 31st event was the HUDA Clinic (Health Unit on Davidson Avenue).

Dr. Zahid Sheikh, Associate Director of After-Hours Clinics for Henry Ford Health System and Medical Director of the HUDA Clinic presented an overview of HUDA Clinic and its operations. Dr. Sheikh explained that it was the collective decision of himself, Mr. Mitchel Shamsuddin (Detroit Muslim Center) and Dr. Faisal Qazi (then Neurology resident) to embark on the initiative to open the first free Muslim-run medical clinic in metro Detroit.

Dr. Sheikh reminded the audience that although the idea developed within the halls of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, it was the collective contributions of both money and time from many metro Detroit Muslim physicians that allowed the HUDA Clinic to grow. The clinic is now open 3 days a week, has purchased a new clinic site, and is looking to continue to expand its services.

Dr. Malik introduced the final speaker, Imam Aly Lela of the Islamic Association of Greater Detroit, who spoke on the virtues of charitable giving during the month of Ramadan. Imam Lela gave a wonderful motivational talk on the various aspects of charity in Islam and the importance of service to humanity that health care workers are providing.  He motivated the audience to donate to the Chaplain Fund generously and encouraged the audience to continue this new trend to make the Iftar dinner a charitable event.

After the call to prayer (Athan) by Mr. Jihad Allen, the attendees broke fast and collectively prayed Salaat-ul-Maghrib in the atrium of the hospital.

If you would like to know more about the Muslim Services of Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital you may contact Chaplain Jim Kraft via email jkraft2@hfhs.org.

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