A Meaningful contribution

Outgoing AAPI President Dr Vinod K Shah in his closing speech at the AAPI Convention recounted the milestones achieved by one of the largest professional organizations by people of Indian origin during the past one year.

AAPI President, Dr. Vinod K. Shah, “passes the gavel” to President-Elect, Dr. Ajeet Singhvi, officially making him the AAPI 2010-2011 President

NRITODAY brings you an abridged version of the same:
I think of India and America as a pair of twins. Both nations are modern democracies with steadfast commitment to the ideals of liberty, equality and justice. People of both nations, guided by the vision and zeal of their founding fathers made great sacrifices to shape their destiny, to take charge of their future.

Indeed, to show mankind a whole new path.
I am truly privileged further to belong to these two nations, a nation from where Buddha, Mahvira and Mahatma Gandhi came, and a nation that gave the world Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr.

Medicine may mean a few different things to different people. To me it is an opportunity to be human, to understand pain and fear and anxiety. To be able to touch someone, comfort and relieve their suffering, and restore health, my friends, let me tell you, it is indeed a pleasure and a privilege to be able to practice medicine in this country in a society that values life and provides us with an atmosphere of scientific rigor, technological advances, ethical acuity and above all work places conducive to render compassionate care.

As I stand here in front of hundreds of my colleagues, gathered here to celebrate a year of hard work and to chart a path for years to come for our organization, I must think.

AAPI 2010 Convention attendees enjoy a relaxed evening with a delicious dinner and ghazals.

A year ago, in Orlando, together we pledged to:

1) Work for increased residency program and graduate medical education funding. I met with our President Obama and senior leadership and conveyed your message. I believe that they will work with us because it is the right thing to do.

2) We strengthened our organization with significant changes in our ByLaws – Election process – and with a robust membership of our young physicians. You approved all of this and more with an overwhelming majority. To be exact, 97.4% of our membership approved all of these changes.

3) We also changed our Convention strategy – adding rigorous educational activities, communication with our legislators and a stronger partnership with the Health Care Industry – Today we see the results of these changes - 2,400 people have registered.

4) And finally we have broadened our horizons with global outreach.

A Global Health Care Summit in New Delhi on January 2 and 3, 2010, is one such example –
Where 350 physicians of international eminence came from the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United States and the Middle East and with our counterpart from India discussed topics of clinical relevance.

We also met with our honorable health minister and we are creating a partnership to make a meaningful difference. We have had a great year and I thank you for all of your support.

In closing, I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Nayan Shah and his team for supporting me with this convention, and my AAPI Executive Committee who have worked with me throughout the year, and lastly, to my family without whose support I could not have accomplished all this.

To my mother, she is always guiding me, even today, and my lovely wife, a friend for 48 years; you have been the strongest influence and support in my life. I love you, and I thank you.

I was hoping that President Obama would be here tonight to grace this occasion. But since he was unable to join us, the only other person who I would want in his place would be my mother – at the age of 94, she wanted to join me in this celebration. So my friends, here is my mother.
Thank you.

His Holiness Swami Baba Ramdev brings his blessings to the AAPI 2010 Convention

Hon. Governor Martin O’Malley of Maryland joins the AAPI Executives in inaugurating the AAPI 2010 Convention

Bollywood Superstar Shreya Ghoshal captivates the audience with her melodious voice

Words of Appreciation ‘A history making convention’

Our collective hearty congratulations for the most successful conventions ever held in the nation’s capital areas under the able leadership and guidance of you and your team. I had the privilege of attending hundreds of conferences and conventions of professionals over the years but this Convention at the Gaylord National resort on the bank of the river Potomac and Woodrow Wilson Bridgewas the most appropriate setting when you succeeded in bridging US, India, and Indian American Communities in USA. To me the most inspiring and everlasting highlights of the entire convention is the introduction of your illustrious mother .The presence of this great mother electrified the entire crowd. Everyone felt that she is the embodiment of all the mothers in the world.

Dr. Nayan Shah and his team deserve the highest accolade for his organizational skills and the cool and calm disposition in the most stressful situation maintaining his signature smiles. His chairmanship reflected his unique talents of co-ordination and speed of efficiency.

The presence of prominent personalities as well as Youth Programs and other seminars including political one made this one the best convention for all.

AAPI Convention Executive friends and family celebrate Gujarat Day

Last but not the least I want to thank the entire Shah family for their dedication and hard work to make the 28th Annual Convention so rich and memorable. Of course my dear Dada Vinodbhai (Dr. Vinod K. Shah) should be recognized with one of the highest Padma Awards by the President of India.

Bollywood Megastar, Shankar Mahadevan, invites audience members
to join him on stage to dance to some of his most famous songs

You included Yoga and Meditation to start the daily event and the presence of Baba Ramdev and his eloquent speech on improving both physical and mental health through yoga and breathing exercises was the most tangible and immediate health benefit for the participants. Besides CME sessions, you and your team even provided a symposium on Asset Protection and Global Investment, inspiring speeches by former Congressman Billy Tauzin and world renowned actor, director and humanitarian Sean Penn, stirring and highly complimentary speech of AAPI’s contributions to America by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, the president’s Speech (Dr. Vinod K.Shah) on “Our future is in our hands “ and the presentation of AAPI’s blue prints of global outreach activities to President Barack Obama by the President of AAPI at the White House and the honoring of women for their achievements (Sonal Shah, Kalpanatha Guntupalli, Shivam Mallick Shah, Archana Patil and Dr. Ila Shah) were some of the other highlights of the convention. You even organized a dinner cruise at the Potomac with the background of starlight sky and the river. The attendees got more than money’s worth and the entire Convention went smoothly without any major hitch.
Sambhu Banik, Ph.D.

‘Execution was almost flawless’

This is to personally thank you and extend my sincere and hearty congratulations on an outstanding job with the 28th annual AAPI convention. You took several steps that were implemented with precision, the execution was almost flawless, what was more important was in the swift and prompt resolution of issues when they arose. Having attended several AAPI conventions over the years, and having provided input for improvements and enhancement, I am so very impressed with what your team has accomplished, no other team had done this well.

Hon. Secretary of Health & Human Services Kathleen Sebelius greets Her Excellency Meera Shankar,
Indian Ambassador to the U.S. and Hon. Glulam Nabi Azad, Union Health Minister of India

Federal Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra welcomes Hon. Glulam Nabi Azad, Union Health Minister of India and Her Excellency Meera Shankar, Indian Ambassador to the U.S.

From left to right, AAPI Convention Chair, Dr. Nayan Shah, AAPI Convention Co-chair, Dr. Kiran Mehta,
and AAPI President Dr. Vinod K. Shah, smile cheerfully at the very successful AAPI 2010 Convention

Beautiful young girls in saris welcome Governor Martin O’Malley of Maryland to the AAPI 2010 Convention inauguration ceremony

Dr. Margaret Hamburg and Dr. Freida Hall take time to enlighten attendees at the AAPI Wo
men’s Forum

USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah and wife, Shivam Mallick Shah from the U.S. Department of Education relax with Actor and Humanitarian Sean Penn

Vipul Shah singing American and Indian National Anthems: Vipul Shah, one of the AAPI 2010
Convention Directors, mesmerized the audience with his renditions of both the Indian and American National Anthems

[ BY HEMA FERNANDO ]