Aesclepius Medical Society, Inc.

During the year 1984, while completing his third year of medical school, Dr. Herold Simon decided to materialize his vision for organizing a solid, medical study group. His basic goal was to create a stimulating forum for continuing education. In July 1984, he discussed the idea with Jean D’Augustine, MD. The two of them began to contact their colleagues and a group of medical students met for the first time on the second Saturday of December 1984, in the lobby of Downstate Medical Center (now State University Health Science Center at Brooklyn). All of those students are now board-certified, practicing physicians.

As the organization grew in numbers and excelled in achieving its goals, the members decided that it was time to elect a cabinet. We held our first election in November 1985 and our very first officers were Jean D'Augustine, MD (Chairperson) and Mona Pervil, MD (Vice Chairperson). Our ranks continued to grow and we became incorporated under New York State, with a governing Board of Directors. Our office/educational center is located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. In 1997, we received our not-for-profit status as a 501 (c) (3) organization recognized by the IRS.

While one of our major goals is medical education, we view this as a means toward an end. From the very beginning, Aesclepius members have been committed toward the goal of helping to improve the health status of our community— especially, the Haitian and African-American communities of New York City which are severely underserved. We continue to reach out to the community through volunteer efforts, raising their awareness of the major health problems that affect their daily lives in order to reduce morbidity and mortality from manageable and preventable diseases. We participated in community health fairs with Caribbean Women’s Health Association in Brooklyn and many other organizations, helping to screen, counsel and refer patients for a wide range of medical problems.

On the 4th and 5th of December of 2002, AMS organized a public health conference entitled: HIV Prevention Among Caribbean Immigrants: Strategies for Success, Lessons Learned. It was sponsored by Center for Disease Control and Prevention and co-sponsored by other organizations. The conference was unique in that it provided an avenue for different organizations to share their experiences and learn new modalities pertaining to HIV education and prevention. More then two hundred and fifty participants gathered to listen and communicate with speakers who belong to various organizations. The event was successful and certainly a quantum leap for the organization.

The vision of a handful of young ambitious students became the reality for educating future generations and serving our community with high quality, caring physicians.

On January 12, 2010, Haiti was catapulted into the worst humanitarian crisis it has ever seen when the earthquake struck the capital city of Port-au-Prince and its surrounding areas. The level of devastation has been unimaginable, the pain and suffering have been ongoing. Given the massive scale of Haiti’s medical crisis and the urgency of saving lives, two (2) Haitian-American medical organizations the Aesclepius Medical Society and Doc's Tee-Time consolidated into one, (1) keeping the name: AESCLEPIUS MEDICAL SOCIETY.

IN ESSENCE

AMS is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the advancement of minorities in the field of medicine through mentorship, academic support, and resources. AMS also exposes physicians, members as well as aspiring health professionals to the practice of giving back through our year-round community services that provide healthcare assistance to the medically-underserved populations of New York and Haiti. In the aftermath of the overpowering earthquake that devastated Haiti on January 12, 2010 and beyond, the organization sent approximately 150 volunteers to Haiti, to provide care, donate food, water, clothes and 1000 pairs of shoes. AMS also responded to the Cholera outbreak by sending antibiotics, IV fluids as well as a delegation of providers. Until recently, the organization had been embarked on a project to send to school impoverished children in need of an education. To face the destruction caused by hurricane Matthew, AMS completed a mission in Haiti whereby, water, food, clothes and medications were provided to hundreds who are severely affected. Those have been just a few of our activities in Haiti. In New York, AMS held its latest Health Fair on Oct. 13, 2018.