Tag: Dr. Suresh Reddy

AAPI’s Share the Warmth Program Brings Comfort to the Needy

Ajay GhoshCommunity 0

(Chicago, IL: February 20, 2023) “Continuing the tradition of providing comfort and warmth to the needy and the homeless in the United States during this winter season, with the overwhelming support from dozens of Chapters, we at the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) are happy to announce that thousands of people across the nation have benefitted from the generosity of AAPI members, ” Dr. Ravi Kolli, President of AAPI said.

For several years, AAPI at the national level and various Chapters at the state level have been jointly leading efforts to bring warmth and comfort into the lives of the needy across the United States. Launched in 2019, this noble initiative has now become an annual tradition of giving by AAPI to local communities. AAPI’s “Share The Warmth” project has donated thousands of blankets to the poor and the needy in several homeless shelters across the nation every year.

“We are immensely happy to state that our AAPI’s ‘SHARE THE WARMTH’ program has been highly successful this year,” said Dr. Raghu Lolabhattu, Vice Chair of AAPI Board of Trustees and Chair, Share The Warmth program. “We had nearly 30 state Chapters of AAPI who participated in this program and helped about 3,000 homeless and other needy citizens, which is a commendable gesture.”

Dr. Lolabhattu pointed to the local Georgia Chapter, which jumped into action, distributing Blankets to those stranded and without power during this cold winter, in the aftermath of a devastating Tornado striking parts of Georgia state. “It was heartwarming to see how they greatly appreciated our timely help.” Praising the concerted efforts of several other AAPI Chapters, Dr. Lolabahhttu said, “We had the same feedback from several other state leaders that their donations have been very well received and greatly appreciated by the local communities. Thanks to our AAPI President Dr. Ravi Kolli for his leadership and we would say that this is another glorious feather on his cap.”

In a heart-warming gesture, led by Dr. Madhavi Gorusu, Director of Medical Oncology at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, Hartford HealthCare, AAPI donated blankets to LifeStar, who in turn provided blankets to local EMS, the Hartford Hospital Emergency Department, and the Neighborhood Health team to hand out in the community.

“We at AAPI are extremely grateful for the opportunities we have been blessed with to serve the communities we live in and work in,” said Dr. V. Ranga, Chair of APPI BOT. “As a token of our appreciation and gratitude, we believe we are happy to be able to give back and serve the less fortunate in our society in times of their need.”

“This has been a one-of-a-kind experience for the teams of physicians and young volunteers alike who have generously volunteered their time and resources to bring joy to the less fortunate. I want to thank all the State Chapter leaders for their commitment and their enthusiastic participation,” said Dr. Anjana Samadder, President-Elect of AAPI.

“Realizing how this initiative benefits several needy in the community, gives us the motivation to organize many such events and give back to the local community. We are very happy to say that the purpose of the program has been accomplished by AAPI working with so many state Chapters and hope more things will happen in the future,” Dr. Satheesh Kathula, Vice President of AAPI said.

AAPI launched the “Share-A-Blanket” project during the holiday season in 2019 during the presidency of Dr. Suresh Reddy to bring warmth to the needy. Dr. Binod Sinha, founder President of NJ AAPI in New Jersey organized and conducted it successfully that year and since then it has been held annually by AAPI and local Chapters of AAPI.

“After experiencing the generosity of AAPI members, we strongly feel that we can accomplish much more with support and participation from all our AAPI physicians led by the local Chapters,” said Dr. Sumul Rawal, Treasurer of AAPI.

Dr. Kolli and Dr. Lolabhattu thanked ATG Tours for being the Grand sponsor of the program, and all the AAPI members for their generous contributions. Dr. Kolli, while expressing gratitude and appreciation to the AAPI Chapters for organizing the Drives around the nation, said, “Knowing that such measures benefit several needy in the community gives us the motivation to organize more such events and give back to the local communities where we live and serve. We strongly feel that we can make more such accomplishments with support and participation from all our generous AAPI physicians.”

American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), founded in 1982  is the largest ethnic medical organization in the United States, representing the interests of over 120,000 physicians of Indian origin. In addition to several programs in India, AAPI has been in the forefront, advocating for the interests of the medical fraternity and organizing regular CME programs, health & wellness events,  and financial workshops for its members and outreach, public health education, and advocacy activities for the community both locally and internationally. For more details and to join the Share-A-Blanket Drive in your state/community, please visit: www.aapiusa.org

“Unconventional year during unconventional times,” Dr. Suresh Reddy Describes his Presidency of AAPI “My three promises for the year of working in unison with the other arms of AAPI, long- term planning and financial stability have been achieved”

Ajay GhoshCommunity, India, Politics 0

(Chicago, IL: July 12th, 2020) Healthcare has come to occupy center stage in recent times, especially in the past few months with the spread of Corona Virus. Physicians of Indian Origin in the United States have been playing a unique and critical care combating the deadly virus.Leading an organization that represents more than 100,000 physicians and Fellows of Indian Origin in the US, and being their voice and providing a forum to its members to collectively work together to meet their diverse needs, is a major challenge. Dr. Suresh Reddy, president of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) has been right on task and has devoted the past one year leading AAPI to stability and greater heights. “As the year ends, my three promises for the year of working in unison with the other arms of AAPI, long- term planning and financial stability have been achieved,” Dr. Reddy, the young, energetic and talented out going president of AAPI, informed members of this noble organization as he passed on the gavel to his successor, Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalagadda during a Virtual Change of Guard Ceremony held on July 11th, 2020. The pandemic had put a dent on several plans and activities Dr. Reddy and his team had on their agenda. However, he turned the challenge into an opportunity to enhance the agenda of AAPI. “My term as president of AAPI will be noted as an “unconventional year during unconventional times,” Dr. Reddy told the AAPI members, as he enumerated several programs he and his Team had accomplished in the past few months. AAPI’s primary focus is education. The pandemic helped realize this mission of AAPI. “Never in the history of AAPI had so many educational programs been organized. Never had so many specialists shared knowledge so actively with the participation of thousands of Doctors from across the nation.” “I am humbled and honored for this opportunity bestowed on me to serve as the President of this esteemed organization,” Dr. Reddy said. “The current Executive Committee has been in office for the most eventful one year. As I look back to the past one year since we assumed office, leading AAPI, I am extremely happy to state that we have kept our promise.” Dr. Suresh Reddy said. “In my inaugural address, I had promised “to align all the energies to make AAPI an enormous force, committing to take the more than three decades old organization to the new heights and bring all the AAPI Chapters, Regions, Members of the Executive Committee and Board of Trustees to work cohesively and unitedly for the success of AAPI and the realization of its noble mission, bringing in increased dignity, decency, professionalism and eliteness into the organization, and thus elevate the already existing stand.” Some of the goals Dr. Reddy and his Team had set before them included: Make AAPI financially robust and increase our endowments enormously so we can focus on our mission of: Education, Mentoring, Research, Charity, and Service. “In the one year we have been in Office, we have worked hard to realize the goals we have set for ourselves, taking AAPI to greater heights,” Dr. Reddy proudly announced here. Giving credit to AAPI, Dr. Reddy said, “I have realized that AAPI has given me more than I have given AAPI in return.” Describing how his life had changed forever as he came to be associated with AAPI, Dr. Reddy said, “After a life that was based on planning, suddenly something called “AAPI” came along out of nowhere. I accidentally stumbled upon it.
Now I realize that the best things in life you happen to stumble onto. No plan, no heads up. Every important thing in life until then had followed a plan. But with AAPI, I unknowingly fell into its path and could never leave the path. Stumbling was the best thing I ever did. And I have never looked back.”
Dr. Reddy said, he is grateful for the priceless “comraderies, connections and convictions that came with my association with AAPI. Working with many physicians motivated me to be a better physician myself. I understood the higher meaning of being a physician, especially even more now in the time COVID. AAPI has in fact become my second family. All the emotions that characterize a family like love, connections, conflicts and challenges are also a part of AAPI.”

“For the first time, we have started an endowment for AAPI with an initial establishment of quarter million dollars, the returns of which will be used to run the AAPI office. We have also transferred $ 100,000 for the incoming team to work on their goals and mission. This will help the future Presidents focus on the goals and missions of AAPI rather than spend time on fund raising.”

It has been a learning curve for Dr. Reddy as he took on the challenges of leading AAPI. “My time with AAPI has shown me that leadership is a balancing act. I took every role I played in AAPI very seriously. I am proud to say that over the years, I have been involved in various projects that were meaningful.” Under Dr. Reddy’s leadership, AAPI has been actively involved In community awareness programs like Obesity prevention, sharing medical knowledge at the Global Health Summit, team building activities such as the Share a Blanket program, medical education programs such as CPR training, social networking programs including 3 trips to the continent of Antarctica, morale building programs like mentoring a future medical student, India heritage programs like Independence Day celebrations.

His foresight and leadership was appreciated as AAPI became the first major organization to call for ‘universal masking’. AAPI provided free masks to thousands of health care workers. AAPI members have honored more than 10,000 nurses in over 100 hospitals across more than 40 states by sponsoring lunches for them during the Nurses Week. AAPI has also stood against racial discrimination. “We are proud to say that for all our Doctors ‘all lives matter,’” he added.

It was the first time ever, a sitting Prime Minister of India addressed an AAPI event, when Shri Narendra Modi spoke at the Summer Summit organized by AAPI. AAPI Leaders presented a Memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi Offering to play a critical role in Implementation of Ayushman Bharat, during his visit with President Donald Trump in Houston.AAPI joined hands with IRC to train 500,000 lay people in CPR during the month of October to celebrate the World Restart A Heart (WRAH) day. AAPI has been in the forefront condemning Gun Violence, and has offered support to AMA’s Stance, calling upon the US and state governments to make common-sense reforms, supported by the American public to protect innocent lives. Dr. Reddy thanked “some senior mentors and friends for this idea. For two weeks we have celebrated the Summer Summit “Closing in on COVID” in lieu of an annual convention.
I have to say some amazing ideas have come forth during this online summit and I bet these changes and online ways of doing business will be a thing of the future.”

Dr. Reddy expressed gratitude to both his “friends and my critics and my supposed archrivals too! Because of them I worked even harder and put extra thought into every decision I made. Thank you for making me take better decisions.”  “Among several many, I give special thanks to my mentors and advisors, Drs. Jagan Kakarala, Ranga Reddy, Sanku Rao, Jayesh Shah Ravi Jahagirdar and Ajay Lodha and many other senior mentors. My additional thanks to Dr. Sudhir Parikh, Dr. Prem Reddy, Dr. Bharat Barai, Dr. Lokesh Edara, Dr. Vemuri Murthy, Dr. Dwaraknath Reddy, Dr. Srini Gangasani, Dr. Anil Tibrewal and many others. My love to my wife Leela and son Rohun, for letting me take this bumpy ride of AAPI, for last 10 years, at the expense of my family time,” Dr. Reddy said in an emotionally filled farewell address.

 “I am grateful to the AAPI members and leaders who have entrusted me with the task of leading AAPI,” said, Dr. Reddy, who along with Dr. Seema Arora, as the Chair of BOT; Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalagadda, President-Elect of AAPI; Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, Vice President;  Dr. Vijay Kolli, Secretary; Dr. Raj Bhayani, Treasurer of AAPI;  Dr. Stella Gandhi, President of Young Physician Section;  and, Dr. Pooja Kinkhabwala, President of Medical Student and Resident Section and the entire BOT and all the Regional and Local Chapters of AAPI. He wished the very best to the new leadership of AAPI under Dr. Jonnalagadda as the President and Dr. Sajani Shah as the Chair of BOT.

Summarizing the year past and the years ahead, Dr. Reddy said, “We still have a few challenges and many more opportunities. AAPI has faced some turbulence from time to time and we have overcome those and we have come out stronger.”

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