“The Lifetime Achievement Award of any reputable national and international organization is a tribute to the decades of selfless service of an outstanding leader that propels the organization to the heights of excellence, which remains a significant milestone in the annals of the organization,” said Dr. Ravi Kolli, President of APPI, while announcing that “The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) is proud to bestow the AAPI 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award on Dr. Ranga Reddy, a veteran AAPI leader and past President of AAPI, a 41 years old organization.
Dr. Ranga Reddy will join 5 others who will be honored at the the Presidential Gala during the 41st annual AAPI Convention planned to be held in Philadelphia from July 6th to 9th, 2023.” Others who will be honored along with Dr. Reddy with awards during gala include: AAPI will honor Dr. Prem Reddy, AAPI Patron in Chief with the “Special Presidential Appreciation and Achievement Award” for his Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Philanthropy; Dr. Manmeet Ahluwalia is the recipient of the AAPI 2023 Most Distinguished Physician Award; AAPI’s 2023 Most Distinguished Service Award is being bestowed on Dr. Udaya Shivangi; Dr. Soumya Reddy Neravetla is the recipient of the AAPI’s 2023 Most Distinguished YPS Award; and, AAPI’s 2023 Most Distinguished MSRF Award will be given to Mehul Mehra, Dr. Kolli said.
“The entire leadership of AAPI congratulates Dr. Ranga Reddy on being chosen to receive the prestigious AAPI 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award,” Dr. V. Ranga, Chair of AAPI Board of Trustees, said. “AAPI stands today on the shoulders of pioneering leaders such as Dr. Reddy, who have shown the way for us to emulate.”
An alumnus of Kurnool Medical College, Andhra Pradesh, with MBBS and M.S. (General Surgery) degrees, Dr. Reddy was trained at the State University of New York. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology and Pain Management. He was a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology@ SIU School of Medicine and Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology, Memorial Medical Center, Springfield, Illinois.
Dr. Ranga Reddy’s contributions to AAPI in various leadership roles, including as the President (1997-98) and Member of the Board of Trustees (1998-2001) for more than three decades are a testimony to his commendable service to the organization and membership. Dr. Reddy streamlined the AAPI organizational structure and simplified the election process. As Chairman of the AAPI Bylaws Committee (1996-97), Dr. Reddy amended the bylaws to include one “member- one vote” provision that reflects a truly democratic election process.
Dr. Reddy envisioned the bright future of AAPI as belonging to the younger generation of Physicians and created a robust new Chapter of AAPI, viz, the Medical Students and Residents (MSR) section. Dr. Reddy initiated an Annual “AAPI Legislative Conference Day” in Capitol Hill, Washington D.C., to represent the interests of the Indo-US Physicians.
Dr. Manmeet Ahluwalia is the recipient of the “AAPI 2023 Most Distinguished Physician Award,” which is given to a current or former physician member of AAPI, whose work has had a significant impact on science, innovations in patient care that have had a widespread impact, or health-related community service that has served humanity at large.
““The AAPI is proud to bestow the AAPI 2023 Most Distinguished Physician Award on Manmeet Ahluwalia, an alumnus of Maulana Medical College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India. AAPI leadership congratulates Dr. Manmeet Ahluwalia on being chosen for the AAPI 2023 Most Distinguished Physician Award for his accomplishments and contributions in the field of Medicine,” said Dr. Anjana Samadder, President-Elect of AAPI. “Dr. Ahluwalia has enhanced AAPI’s image though his great services to the nation.”
After his internship and residency at Fairview Hospital, Cleveland Health System, Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Ahluwalia did a Hematology-Oncology fellowship at University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, followed by advanced training at Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio.
Dr. Ahluwalia is currently the Chief of Solid Tumor Medical Oncology, Chief Scientific Officer & Deputy Director at Miami Cancer Institute, and Professor of Translational Medicine at Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida.
For over a decade, Dr. Ahluwalia has led practice-changing research for developing new therapies for patients with primary brain tumors and metastases, resulting in his 250 +peer-reviewed research publications. He designed and led the initial studies on combining immunotherapy/targeted therapy and radiosurgery in brain metastases. He co-led the first-in-man trial of Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT) for primary brain tumors, which led to US FDA approval. He also designed and led the LASER trial exploring LITT for brain metastases and radiation necrosis.
An internationally recognized authority in Neuro-Oncology in all domains, a longitudinal mentor, and a champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion in healthcare, Dr. Ahluwalia is the recipient of several prestigious awards such as the National Cancer Institute /Career Development Award, the Velsano Impact Award for Brain Metastases, Cleveland Clinic’s Leadership Award in Healthcare, ASCO Leadership Development Program Award including the highest level of Organizational Service Recognition as Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
“AAPI’s 2023 Most Distinguished Service Award” is being bestowed on Dr. Udaya Shivangi, a distinguished member of the AAPI, who has rendered decades of outstanding service in advancing the mission of the Organization,’ said Dr. Satheesh Kathula, current Vice-President of AAPI.
Dr. Shivangi is an alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Karnataka, India (MBBS). She was a Resident Physician at Kuhn Memorial Hospital, Vicksburg, Mississippi, a Fellow of Sleep Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and a Staff Physician for Disability Determination Services. She was also the Founder-Director of Jackson Sleep Centers, Mississippi.
Dr. Udaya Shivangi’s contributions to AAPI have been extensive and outstanding. She has served AAPI in different capacities and many of them in leadership roles. A Patron Member of AAPI for over 30 years, she currently serves as the Chairperson of the AAPI Women’s Forum. Her previous roles and services include President of AAPI Mississippi Chapter and Chairperson of a number of AAPI committees: Global Health Summit, Publications, and Women Physician’s committee. She is also a member of the AAPI Legislative committee and Bylaws committee.
Dr. Shivangi‘s untiring humanitarian services as the Director of AAPI Charitable Foundation during COVID-19 era are ongoing. She has organized successful fundraisers supporting national AAPI initiatives, and community service projects such as “blood drives” and “share a blanket” program for the homeless. As one of the top dedicated Women Physician Leaders of AAPI, she has excelled in her commitment to champion the specific causes of Women Physicians in AAPI and elsewhere in other Organizations.
Her contributions to Organized Medicine in the US and India, both mainstream and ethnic, as a distinguished member of various professional organizations (such as Indian Medical Council and American Medical Association) are well recognized. Dr. Shivangi, with a longtime track record of “Service of Excellence” to AAPI, has also contributed to ongoing activities of various social organizations including humanitarian assistance to communities in Mississipi. Her distinguished service to AAPI was recognized with the “AAPI Presidential Award” in 2017-21.
“Dr. Soumya Reddy Neravetla is the recipient of the AAPI’s 2023 Most Distinguished YPS Award, given to a young physician (within eight years of completing GME training) and has distinguished herself in the workplace and has done outstanding service to organized medicine,” Dr. Meher Medavaram, Secretary of AAPI announced. “AAPI is proud to bestow the AAPI 2023 Most Distinguished YPS Award on Dr. Soumya Reddy Neravetla, a Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine alumnus in Rootstown, Ohio.”
Dr. Neravetla pursued her residency program in General Surgery at Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Residency in Cardiothoracic Surgery at Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami, Miami, Florida. She did her fellowship in Thoracic Robotic Surgery at Baptist Health System/South Miami Hospital in Miami, Florida, followed by another fellowship in Structural Heart Surgery at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Neravetla is currently the Director of Thoracic Oncology and Structural Heart with Springfield Heart Surgeons, LLC in Springfield, Ohio, and TAVR & Lung Nodule Clinic Director at Kettering Health in Dayton, Ohio. She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Department of Surgery at Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. She has a strong record of quality research presentations and publications in peer-reviewed journals in the specialty of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.
As a patron member of AAPI, Dr. Neravetla has an impressive track record of years of serving the organization in different roles such as Chairperson of Committees of IT, Publications, Women’s Forum at the 2019 Global Health Summit, Co-Chair of Membership Committee and Member of the Nominating Committee. A current member of the Board of Trustees, she served as the President of the Young Physician Section of AAPI with significant ground-breaking contributions to the growth and expansion of the Chapter.
Dr. Neravetla is the recipient of several prestigious awards, such as the Presidential AAPI YPS National Award, the Healthcare Heroes’ Award of Georgia Medical Society, and Awards of Academic Distinction and Scholarships as a Medical Student, Resident, and Cardio-thoracic Surgery Fellow.
“AAPI’s 2023 Most Distinguished MSRF Award will be given to Mehul Mehra. The award is given to a medical student, resident, or fellow who has distinguished him/herself in the workplace and has done outstanding work for organized medicine,” Dr. Sumul Raval, Treasurer of AAPI announced.
Mehul Mehra, an MD-MPH Student at the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, graduated from the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences, Augusta, Georgia. He has a commendable track record in academic medicine, research, and clinical work. He was the STEM (Science Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Academy Founder, President, and Volunteer Advisor.
His scholarly activities involve research in diverse fields such as Epidemiology, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Neurosciences, and Cardiology. His numerous high-quality posters and oral presentations, Journal reviews, and publications are outstanding. Mr. Mehra is a student leader of Organized US Medicine. Through the Georgia American Medical Association Student Chapter, he worked to lobby state legislators to support prior authorization reform in Georgia, where physicians no longer need prior authorization on chronic drugs for up to one year.
In India, Mehra has volunteered as a Medical Student & Logistical Coordinator at Aakash Healthcare & Venkateshwar Hospital in New Delhi, India. He assisted in general surgery for underserved populations at Venkateswar Hospital in Haryana. He also provided vaccine education and community health awareness to socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods in the local Hindi language.
Mehra’s recognitions Awards include “Augusta University Student Leader of the Year, 2023, National Science Foundation Travel Award, 2023, MCG Educational Innovation Institute Funding Award, 2022, AU/MCG Student Research Program Award, 2020, Augusta University Annual Deans List Award 2017-20, Augusta University COVID-19 Student Innovation Challenge Award 2021, among many others.
