Most people get gifts when they retire. But Arkansas resident Dr. Omar Atiq decided to give a present when he retired after 30 years as an oncologist.
When Atiq was ready to retire many of his patients still had outstanding balances.
So, considering the financial difficulties caused by the pandemic, he canceled the debt for 200 of his patients.
A year ago, Pine Bluff's Arkansas Cancer Clinic, founded by Dr. Omar Atiq, closed its doors over staffing shortages. In…
Posted by Arkansas Democrat-Gazette / ArkansasOnline.com onSunday, February 28, 2021
“We thought there was not a better time to do this than during a pandemic that has decimated homes, people’s lives and businesses and all sorts of stuff,” Atiq told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Atiq, who founded the Arkansas Cancer Clinic in Pine Bluff 1991, forgave a total of $650,000 worth of patient debt.
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“Over time I realized that there are people who just are unable to pay,” Atiq told ABC’s Good Morning America. “So my wife and I, as a family, we thought about it and looked at forgiving all the debt. We saw that we could do it and then just went ahead and did it.”
Dr. Omar Atiq had served his community as founder and head of the Arkansas Cancer Clinic since 1991.For the holidays, he served a little more – forgiving a total of $650K in medical debt for 200 patients.
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Atiq says he sees his patients as more than just patients and people he provides chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and CAT scans to.
“They’re like our extended families — there’s no higher honor than to serve as a physician, if I have been blessed to be able to help a little, then I am glad for it,” Atiq, who is also a professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, told ABC 7.
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The debt forgiveness was announced in a Christmas card.
“The Arkansas Cancer Clinic was proud to serve you as a patient. Although various health insurances pay most of the bills for majority of patients, even the deductibles and co-pays can be burdensome. Unfortunately, that is the way our health care system currently works. The clinic has decided to forego all balances owed to the clinic by its patients. Happy Holidays,” the card read.
Dr. Omar Atiq opened the Arkansas Cancer Clinic 29 years ago to provide cancer care to an underserved community in Pine Bluff.
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David Wroten, executive vice president of the Arkansas Medical Society advocacy group, had lots of nice things to say about Atiq.
Atiq actually consulted him first to make sure there was nothing “improper” about the idea of forgiving patient debt.
“If you knew Dr Atiq, you would better understand,” Mr Wroten said. “First, he is one of the smartest doctors I have ever known, but he is also one of the most compassionate doctors I have ever known.”
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Atiq, who is from Pakistan and moved to Arkansas after completing a fellowship at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan, is well admired among his colleagues.
“He’s phenomenal in every aspect,” Dr. Maurico Moreno, a head and neck surgeon who has worked with Atiq at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences for 10 years, told Arkansas Online.
Pakistani American Dr. Omar Atiq wiped away a total of 650,000$ in debt from his 200 cancer patients during the holidays before retiring. 😍
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“He’s a leader in the field of medical oncology.”
Moreno said he was always impressed with Atiq’s focus and how he knows every all the details of his patient’s medical history.
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“For all his accomplishments both personal and professional,” Moreno said of Atiq. “He is a very humble person. This comes across to his patients. He has a way of being frank [with the people he treats] as well as being empathetic.”
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