Physicians of Indian origin rededicate to service at 40th annual convention

iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-

The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), which held its 40th annual convention over the June 25 weekend, saw over 1000 delegates and guests attend the gala held at the Henry Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas, a media communique said.

“AAPI’s strength is its numbers and members. Our Sakthi (strength) is in our Samkhya (numbers) and our Sabhyas (responsibility to society),” AAPI president said in his inaugural address, immediately after he assumed charge. “You are that powerful threads of this colorful and strong fabric, and your participation and contributions are essential for its continued success.”

According to the AAPI, which has around 120,000 physicians of Indian origin as its members, the growing influence of physicians of Indian heritage is evident, as increasingly physicians of Indian origin hold critical positions in healthcare, academic, research and administrative positions across the United States. “Serving one in every seven patients in the U.S., AAPI members care for millions of patients every day, while several of them have risen to hold high flying jobs, shaping the policies and programs and inventions that shape the landscape of healthcare in the US and around the world,” the media release said.

Kolli, a board-certified psychiatrist with specializations in addiction, geriatrics, and forensic psychiatry, currently serves as the Psychiatric Medical Director of Southwestern Pennsylvania Human Services. He was previously a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh and West Virginia University. A graduate of Rangaraya Medical College, NTR University of Health Sciences Medical School situated in Andhra Pradesh in south India, Kolli is affiliated with medical facilities at the Washington Health System Greene and Washington Hospital.

The AAPI’s other officers for the 2022-23 batch include Anjana Sammader, MD, president-elect; Satheesh Kathula, MD, vice president; Meherbala Medavaram, MD, secretary; and Sumul Raval, MD, treasurer. V. Ranga, MD, will serve as the chair of the AAPI Board of Trustees.

Other key officers include Pooja Kinkhabwala, MD, who will serve as president, AAPI Young Physicians Section (YPS) and Ammu Susheela, MD, as president of AAPI- Medical Student/Residents & Fellows Section (MSRF). Anupama Gotimukula, MD, will serve as the immediate past president of AAPI.

In his acceptance address, Kolli said, “Tonight, I bow with gratitude and humility for the trust and faith you have in me to be the steward and servant of this esteemed and illustrious organization for the next one year.”

He called upon everyone to work towards ending “the unabating and senseless mass shootings and gun violence incidents” which he said “is a recurrent nightmare that needs to be addressed from a public health as well as civil societies perspectives honestly and forthrightly. The challenges of misinformation affecting the health and safety of our communities and children need to be called out.”