AAPI’s 41st Annual Convention Inaugurated in Philadelphia, PA

PA: The 41st annual American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) Convention and Scientific Sessions was officially inaugurated with the chanting of the Sanskrit Mantras, seeking blessings from above, Ribbon cutting, and lighting of the traditional Lamp by AAPI leaders and distinguished guests on July 7th, 2023 at the famous Philadelphia Marriott Downtown in Philadelphia, the birthplace of US Independence.

Addressing the over 1,000 delegates from around the nation, Dr. Ravi Kolli, President of AAPI in his welcome address, said, “Welcome to Philadelphia for our convention. I applaud you and thank you for your support all through the year. And your presence here with your blessing and your goodwill and warm wishes for the successful 41st Ave annual convention here in our brother City of Brotherly Love Philadelphia.”

While describing the origins of AAPI, 41 years ago and how the physicians of Indian origin have been sought after for their excellence in Medicine, Dr. Kolli said: “AAPI has a long and illustrious history of 41 years of existence.  Started by a few physicians of Indian origin as they started their journey to this land of opportunities, today, they have succeeded beyond anybody’s expectations. And they have been contributing to our communities and our societies in every possible way. And they’re the most respected physicians of any group that we can call. So, we all should be proud of our heritage and our dedication to our patient care and our successful transition from one to another world and being a role model and almost model citizens in the United States,”.

In his keynote address, Shri Venkaiah Naidu, former Vice President of India stressed the importance of the need for changes in lifestyle for healthy living. He urged AAPI members to give back to their Motherland, Janmabhoomi, their native place as a way of returning the many blessings they have received.  He highlighted the importance of taking care of one’s Mother, Janmabhoomi, and Motherland. Praising the many initiatives of AAPI, Shri Naidu said, “AAPI’s programs are more centered around addressing the issues related to the stigma of mental illness and the importance of the practices such as meditation, and yoga, which is a connectivity between the body and the mind.”

In his address, Rep. Shri Thanedar, the 5th member to join the Samosa Caucus in the US House praised the great contributions of the physicians who worked so hard, especially during the Covid, saving millions of lives. “Congressman Thanedar, who has been instrumental in starting the Hindu Caucus in the US House with the intention of eradicating discrimination on the basis of religion or any other means, wowed to “fight for the transformation of the broken immigration system in the US.“

Mr. Vivek Ramaswamy in his address passionately spoke about the reasons for his Presidential ambitions. Leaving his successful business, the young and talented Ramaswamy said, “I stepped down from my job as a biotech CEO to focus on different kinds of cancer. Not biological cancer, but cultural cancer that threatened to kill that dream that Martin Luther King had 60 years ago, and that tried to kill the dream that allowed me to achieve everything I had in my life.”

Ramaswamy quoting Dr. King said, “You do get ahead in this country, not on the color of your skin, but on the content of your character and your contributions. A dream that says that any child no matter who they are, where their parents came from, or how long their last name is that we still achieve what we want in this country through their own hard work, our own commitment, our own dedication, that’s the American dream.”

Dr. Willie Underwood, American Medical Association Chair-Elect praised the contributions of Indian American physicians. He said, “You have a lot to celebrate today, not just the past 41 years, but all the work that you do every day to improve the health outcomes of all Americans. While we have differences and divisions throughout this country,  one thing we do share is our desire to be physicians that improve health and healthcare outcomes. I know that together, we can lead this nation forward since we have more in common than differences, with one mission and one goal and that is to improve the health and the health care of this nation.”

Dr. Prem Reddy was honored with the Special Presidential Appreciation and Achievement Award for his Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Philanthropy. Dr. Ranga Reddy, past AAPI President, was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Manmeet Ahluwalia was the recipient of the AAPI 2023 Most Distinguished Physician Award; AAPI’s 2023 Most Distinguished Service Award was bestowed on Dr. Udaya Shivangi; Dr. Soumya Reddy Neravetla was the recipient of the AAPI’s 2023 Most Distinguished YPS Award; and, AAPI’s 2023 Most Distinguished MSRF Award was given to Mehul Mehra, Dr. Kolli said.

Dr. Raghu Lolabhattu, Chair and CEO of the Convention praised the wonderful team who have been planning for months and organizing the event to make the 2023 annual convention a memorable experience. “I’m glad to be serving as the convention chair. We have been working hard to put together an attractive program for our annual get-together, educational activity, and family enjoyment. We are fortunate to have a dedicated team of convention committee members helping us to make this event truly historic.”

The evening had a Fashion Show by AAPI members, who delighted the audience with their talents and elegant performance.  The young and rising artists from the Arya School of Dance performed brilliantly showcasing the history of Bollywood films from the 1960s through the present. The long day’s event came to a close with Mehfil & Khaas.