Members In the News

Hemant Patel, MD

Dr. Hemant Patel, a former president of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) and a recipient of this year’s Ellis Island Medal of Honor, says he is humbled and honored to hear the news. “The award will help my resolve to do more for the US and India and make the two nations a happy place to live under the sun. I firmly believe that every citizen should give back to the community by way of saying thanks. But for the community, society and nation we would be nowhere,” he said. “I thank Bob Miglani of Pfizer who recommended my name for the award.”
As President of AAPI between 2007-2008, Dr Patel worked hard to bring the physicians of both nations together on a common platform and that resulted in the first Indo-US Healthcare Summit in New Delhi.
Dr. Patel, Chairman of the AAPI Charitable Foundation of the Federation of AAPI Physicians of New York and New Jersey, is responsible for implementing the Sevak project in Gujarat where the foundation has adopted at least one village in every district to screen all the people and provide total healthcare to the needy and the poor. His stewardship in AAPI is being considered as a golden period. As founding chairman of the Indian American Committee, Dr. Patel helped bring the people of India and the US together. He was also invited as a guest speaker and delegate at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas conference in New Delhi in January 2010.
A pulmonary critical care specialist in Essex County in New Jersey, Dr. Patel is working on setting up 60 free dialysis centers in India to treat critically renal failure patients under the aegis of AAPI Foundation and Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. By Prakash M Swamy


Prasad Srinivasan, MD

“Ellis Island Medal of Honor recognizes people who have made significant contributions both in the US and in their country of origin. One feels honored to be in that group of eminent people and also humbled by the award. Each recognition and every single award energizes me to make more and more contribution to the society we live in and to the society that we left behind many years ago,” said Dr Prasad Srinivasan, chairman, Community Health Advisory Committee, Public Health Foundation of Connecticut. Dr. Srinivasan has diverse interests and accomplishments in medical, professional, intercultural, and inter-religious organizations. In his position in Public Health Foundation in Connecticut, he is addressing critical public health issues such as obesity, distracted driving and The Healthy Start Initiative. He is also a member of Public Health Committee, Connecticut State Medical Society and chairman of the Membership Committee, Hartford County Medical Association. Dr. Srinivasan is the founder of Free Public Health Clinic for Uninsured patients in the Hartford, CT area. He has also established the Prasad Family Foundation which provides scholarships for higher education. A proven leader of Connecticut Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, Dr. Srinivasan has served CAPI in multiple capacities. As president from 2002-2004, he created merit based and need-based scholarships for medical students in Connecticut. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees and has created a successful collaboration with the Malta House of Care, in order to bring medical services to Hartford’s uninsured and underinsured patients. He has been the Treasurer and Secretary for the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI). Dr. Srinivasan has raised funds for the annual walkathons to raise awareness for hunger in Hartford. He is a recipient of the 2007 Person of the Year Award. He has served the Connecticut Council for Inter-Religious Understanding and was actively involved in planning programs emphasizing tolerance and understanding among religious faiths. Dr. Srinivasan is considered one of the pillars of Connecticut Valley Hindu Temple Society over the past 30 years. During his term as Chairman of the Board of Trustees, he established a Youth Services Program and a Sunday Hindu Religious School.  He was named top doctor by Connecticut magazine, 2010. He treats adult and pediatric patients with allergies and has been serving the Hartford area for over 30 years. Dr. Srinivasan was chief pediatric resident at Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn, NY. He did his fellowship in allergy and immunology at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. He is a graduate of Baroda Medical College in India and is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Allergy
and Immunology. By Prakash M Swamy


K.A. Mehta, MD

K.A. Mehta, MD, an Oklahoma City vascular surgeon who has practiced in Oklahoma for the past 30 years, was inaugurated as the Oklahoma State Medical Association’s (OSMA) 105th president at its annual meeting late last month. Dr. Mehta has a long tenure of leadership in Oklahoma organized medicine. He has been active in and has served as Treasurer of the Oklahoma County Medical Society. He also served as Secretary Treasurer, Vice-President and President-elect before assuming his role as President of OSMA. Dr. Mehta has also been a leader in other medical organizations as well. He has served as Chair of the International Medical Graduates Council of the Oklahoma State Medical Association and has served as a member of the University of Oklahoma Medical School Admissions Board since 1995. From 1995-1997, Dr. Mehta served as Chief of General Surgery at St. Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City. Subsequently he served as Chair of the Department of Surgery for two years. Dr. Mehta is married to Sulabha Mehta, MD a Midwest City pediatrician, and they have two sons, both practicing physicians Aneesh Mehta, MD and his wife who live in Atlanta Georgia and Amit Mehta, MD and his wife who live in Dallas Texas. Read more here.

Navin C. Nanda, MD

Dr. Navin C. Nanda, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Heart Station/ Echocardiography Laboratories at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, a nationally and internationally renowned cardiologist, was selected by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) to receive one of their Distinguished Awards, the 2010 International Service Award.Dr. Navin Nanda has had a distinguished career as a master teacher, pioneer and innovator in various aspects of echocardiography and clinical and preventive cardiology. He has been recognized with unique honors by cardiology and echocardiography societies of many diverse countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, North America and the Middle East. He has also received awards from the Governments of several countries for outstanding contributions in cardiology. He has presided over more than 16 World Congresses of Echocardiography and World Congresses of Cardiology during his distinguished career. He has trained thousands of physicians, echocardiographers and technologists not only in this country but also several other countries throughout the world including India and has conducted teaching conferences at least three times a year in this country and several conferences in other parts of the world. He has served with distinction as the Editor-in-Chief of the Echocardiography Journal for the past 20 years. He has published nearly 1000 papers including 10 books on echocardiography some of which have been translated into French, Greek and Spanish. In addition, he has to his credit several teaching video-textbooks and CDs. He has also given over 2000 scientific lectures and Visiting Professorships.In addition to being a full Professor at the University, he also holds the title of Senior Scientist at the Minority Health and Research Center, Senior Scientist at the Center for Health Promotion in the School of Public Health and Senior Scientist at the Center for Aging in the same University. He is the Founder and President of the International Society of Cardiovascular Ultrasound, Past President of the Society of Geriatric Cardiology, Past President of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin and the Founding President of the American Association of Cardiologists of Indian Origin. He was awarded the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2006. In addition to many pioneering contributions in echocardiography, he also led a mammoth task of organizing the first ever large scale survey of Asian Indians settled in the USA for the prevalence of various diseases such as stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and coronary artery disease and found the prevalence of these diseases higher than in other USA ethnic groups and higher than in Indians living in India. Some of the citations he has received have named him “The World’s best and most respected echocardiographer” (from Chinese Society of Ultrasound in Medicine) and “unique in that he has become a legend in his own time” whose “pioneering work has significantly altered the way cardiology is practiced in the world today” (from Brazilian Society of Cardiology). He has been cited in the book “The Best Doctors in America” consistently every year since 1994. He was also the first recipient of the Tufts University (Boston) Award in echocardiography. He was honored as the “Prince of Echocardiography of the Heart” by the Italian Society of Echocardiography. This unique award had not been given to anyone in the past. He was also the recipient of the Andreas Gruntzig Award presented by the Swiss Society of Cardiology.

Dr. Nanda said, “He was most proud and at the same time most humbled by these two Outstanding Awards given only a month apart by two very prestigious groups in India”.
Read full article here.

Nik Nikam, MD



Dr. Nik Nikam, the author of Stress less Mind & Priceless Body, a practicing interventional cardiologist in Houston and Sugar Land, who has contributed more than 100 articles on heart healthy living, has just published his new book, “HEART HEALTHY LIFESTYLE.” He has compiled more than 25 years of his experience in managing cardiovascular patients, and condensed it into very provocative and practical guidelines that can serve you a lifetime. This book deals with body related topics such as a proper diet, exercise, smoking cessation, and cholesterol reduction, among others. The book goes beyond these current topics and enlightens you with preventive medicine tips to expand your knowledge and minimize the risk of complications related to heart disease, or diseases that complicate heart disease. You can read sample chapters of this book at: www.sugarlandheartcenter.com


Sudhir M. Parikh, MD



AAPI Member, philanthropist and publisher, Dr. Sudhir M. Parikh, has been named a recipient of the 2010 Padma Shri award. The New Jersey-based doctor made the President of India's honorees' list released on Jan. 25th, the eve of the country's 60th Republic Day. Dr. Parikh, who is a noted allergist and an acclaimed authority in the field of allergy, asthma and immunology, is also the chairman and publisher of New York-based Parikh Worldwide Media, Inc., which publishes three periodicals - "News India Times, "Desi Talk" and "The Indian American. Apart from medical practice and publishing, Dr. Parikh is actively involved in a number of charitable causes in the U.S. and in India. He was recently in New Delhi to attend the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, where he was invited to speak about philanthropy as part of the PBD lecture series.

Jayesh Shah, MD

San Antonio, TX - Jayesh Shah, MD was elected for a second term on the American Medical Association International Medical Graduate (AMA –IMG) Govering Council. Dr. Shah was recently selected to serve as Chair of the AMA IMG Governing Council for the 2009-2010 year. He is a wound care, hyperbaric medicine physician in San Antonio, Texas.

Dr. Shah attended medical school at Baroda Medical College in India and has been an AMA member since 1996. Currently, he is the Medical Director, Southwest Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine; Co- Program Director, The Wound Course, International ATMO, NIX Hospital; and President, South Texas Wound Associates, PA. He recently served as Vice-chair of the AMA-IMG Governing Council, Chaired the Reports and Resolutions Committee and served on the Observerships Committee to create a comprehensive observership guide for IMGs and preceptor physicians.

Dr. Shah resides in San Antonio with his wife, daughter and son. For more information about the AMA-IMG Section visit http://www.ama-assn.org/go/imgs

Vivek Agrawal, MD

Dr. Agrawal was was ranked amongst the top 10 Shoulder Specialists to Know in the Nation by Hospital Review Magazine.  He is the director of The Shoulder Center in Zionsville, Ind., which specializes in providing advanced care for shoulder problems .

Ram R. Krishna, MD

Federation of State Medical Boards’ elected Dr. Krishna to their Board of Directors for the year 2009-10. The Board consists of seven physicians. The FSMB represents all the 50 Medical Licensing and Regulatory Boards in addition to the 20 Osteopathy Boards.

Dr. Krishna is an orthopedic surgeon from Yuma, Arizona. He is a graduate of Bangalore Medical College, India. He is a Patron Member of AAPI.

He has also been serving on the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) since 2007 and just got elected for a second term. He is also on the Arizona State Board of Medical Examiners since 1994.

The entire AAPI family is proud of his achievements and congratulates him on his election.

Raj Gupta, MD

AAPI congratulates its Patron Member Dr. Raj Gupta, for being elected as 216th President of the Medical Society of New Jersey, a largest and an oldest medical Association in USA.

Dr. Gupta is a practicing Gastro- enterologist in Princeton, New Jersey. He is recipient of the Outstanding Leadership Award from AMA.

Dr. Gupta has been recognized by several professional and philanthropic organizations for his long dedicated services. He has served in panel discussions on Heath Policy Issues at various national seminars. He has also participated in AAPI’s Panel discussion.

Dr. Gupta firmly believes in “sacred relationship between physician and patient.” He is concerned that this sacred relationship is being ignored and under attack in the bigger health care debates, centered around cost and profitability.

It is matter of great pride that one of us, has been chosen to lead a prestigious Medical Society of New Jersey.

AAPI extends heartiest congratulations to Dr. Raj Gupta.

AppaRao Mukkamala, MD

Dr. Nathan Davis International Award in Medicine – The AMA Foundation’s Dr. Nathan Davis International Awards in Medicine and Public Health annually honors physicians or health sector organizations that further health information and medical practice worldwide. Named for the founder of the AMA, the awards expand the thirteen-year tradition of the Dr. Nathan Davis Awards Program-currently presented for outstanding service in the international arena. With the presentation of these awards, the AMA Foundation strives to encourage and stimulate international recognition of the highest standards of service that advance the well being of all.

Established NRI Medical College and General Hospital in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. The medical school has dramatically impacted health care in India by providing a stream of physicians into the country as well as cutting-edge medical research and free care to the community. Dr. Mukkamala, one of our past presidents of AAPI is a board certified radiologist practicing in Flint, Michigan for over 30 years. He is currently the Director/Chairman of the Board of American Physician Capital, Inc. and is the immediate past president of Michigan State Medical Society.

Shastri Swaminathan, MD

President, Illinois State Medical Society • Shastri Swaminathan, M.D., is a board-certified psychiatrist from Chicago. In addition to his private medical practice, he is the current medical director of the Department of Psychiatry at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago and a clinical associate professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine.

A member of ISMS since 1990, Dr. Swaminathan most recently served as president-elect of ISMS representing Chicago area physicians on the Society’s Board of Trustees. Locally, Dr. Swaminathan is a past-president of the Chicago Medical Society. He has also served as president for the Indian American Medical Association, the Illinois Psychiatric Society, and is a current member of the Illinois delegation to the America Medical Association.

Dr. Swaminathan received his medical degree from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. He performed his residency at Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago.

Dr. Swaminathan’s term as president runs through April 2009.

Roshni Kulkarni, MD

Dr. Roshni Kulkarni, Professor and Director, Pediatric & Adolescent Hematology/Oncology.

Director (Pediatric) MSU Centers for Bleeding and Clotting Disorders Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University and Distinguished Hematology Consultant, Division of Blood Disorders (DBD), NCBDDD; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was recently honored by the National Hemophilia Foundation’s with its highest recognition, Award of Excellence, Lifetime Achievement at the 60th annual meeting in Denver Colorado in 2008.

Dr. Kulkarni was the former director of the Division of Blood Disorders, at the CDC. She is a member of numerous local, regional and national committees, reviewer for many journals and is active in research and has received numerous awards. In 2003 she was the recipient of the National Hemophilia Foundation’s award of excellence as the “Physician of the Year”. In 2004 she received the “Distinguished Faculty” award from the College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University. In 2007 she was named to “Best Doctors in America”.

Her work includes raising global awareness regarding women/ adolescents and babies with bleeding disorders to prevent complications such as excess periods, post partum hemorrhage intracranial hemorrhages.

As a part of her ongoing interest in education, she has developed animations on hemostasis that are available on the web at msu.edu/user/phd, reddymed.com and hemostasiscme.org (cell based coagulation). She continues to mentor junior faculty both at hers and other institutions.

Dr. Kulkarni’s major interest is encouraging the development of well funded Blood Disorders Centers that will not only serve bleeding and clotting, rare blood disorders and hemoglobinopathies communities but will be a training ground to retain and sustain providers of this specialty world wide.

Prasad Srinivasan, MD

The first World Tamils Economic Convention Diaspora meeting was held in Chennai in January 2009. Dr. Prasad Srinivasan was a speaker at the health care forum and highlighted the activities and achievements of AAPI both in India and the United States.

He was featured on the cover of India Today (Tamil Edition) with an article inside the magazine highlighting his speech.

The caption on the cover reads “Golden Tamilians”