Intealth™ is pleased to announce the winning projects of its 2024 Well-being Grant Opportunity. In recognition of the outstanding volume and quality of project proposals received, Intealth leadership expanded the program for the 2024 grant cycle to support five winning projects (up from three)—an increase that underscores Intealth’s commitment to advancing physician wellness initiatives. Each selected project receives up to US$5,000 in funding.
Intealth received nearly 70 proposals from J-1 physician-led teams across the country, reflecting the dedication and innovative spirit of international medical graduates (IMGs) in the U.S. graduate medical education (GME) community. The selection process was highly competitive, with proposals evaluated for their potential to address the unique challenges and improve the wellness of foreign national physicians in U.S. GME programs.
The following project teams have been awarded:
- Project Lead: German Corrales, MD
- Group Member: Tatiana Torres Costa Lino, MD
- Institutional Mentor: Lauren Gibson-Oliver, MD, MBA, FAAFP
- Project Title: “Empowering IMGs: Fostering Support, Leadership, and Inclusion in Family Medicine”
- Institution: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, AR
- Project Lead: Desiree D’Souza, MB BCh BAO, MSc
- Group Members: Alexandre Maalouf, MD; Hodaka Takaiso, MB; Chidumebi Nwokolo, DO, MPH; Antonella Melani, MD
- Institutional Mentor: Aisha Barber, MD, MEd, FAAP
- Project Title: “The IMG Taskforce: A Comprehensive Support System at Children’s National and Beyond”
- Institution: Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C.
- Project Lead: Lekha Karthikeyan, MD
- Group Members: Zeina Al-Obaidi, MD; Ramaneshwar Selvaraj, MD; Sakshi Bai, MD; Arooj Naz, MD; Parneet Kaur Hari, MD; Fajar Pasha, MD; Chidinma Abara, MD; Shervonne Superville, MD; Saadiya Mushtaq, MD; Manell Aboutaleb, DO; Ammy Ghosh, MD; Palak Sharma, MD
- Institutional Mentor: Kristina Sturgill, DO
- Project Title: “Funding the Future of Female Leadership at Henry Ford Jackson Hospital”
- Institution: Henry Ford Health/Henry Ford Jackson Hospital in Jackson, MI
- Project Lead: Diana Carolina Largo Luna, MD
- Group Members: Ece Yilmaz, MD; Namritha Nayak, MD; Zarish Malik, MD
- Institutional Mentor: Kristin Pyne, MD
- Project Title: “The Wellness Initiative for Supporting Health for Foreign Medical Graduates in Pediatrics”
- Institution: Rutgers Health/Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, NJ
- Project Lead: Frans Serpa, MD
- Group Members: Joseph Kassab, MD; Diana De Oliveira Gomes, MD; Dimitri Maamari, MD
- Institutional Mentor: Salahuddin Kazi, MD
- Project Title: “IMG Connect: Integrating Mentorship for Guided Transition into the U.S. Healthcare System”
- Institution: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX
Intealth congratulates the project teams and looks forward to seeing their innovative approaches to supporting foreign national physician well-being come to life. Updates and additional information on these projects will be shared throughout the coming year on the Intealth Well-being Grant Opportunity page and Intealth’s social media pages.
This grant initiative is one of the ways Intealth seeks to support foreign national physician wellness, thereby promoting successful clinical and cultural exchange for J-1 physicians and the delivery of quality patient care.
[Updated: May 30, 2025]
Categories: IMGs in U.S., Wellness