TAMPA: An Indian American woman physician and philanthropist, Dr Pallavi Patel of Tampa, bagged a rare honor when the Florida Governor Charlie Crist announced her selection for induction into the Florida Women's Hall of Fame. Dr Patel's selection marks the first time an Indian woman has been extended such an honor anywhere in the United States. She joins the august company of Justice Barbara Pariente and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in this year's induction.

"These women represent the very best of Florida," Governor Crist said. "Their accomplishments are not only impressive, but have impacted their communities in a powerful and meaningful way. It gives me great pleasure to honor their contributions to our state through the Florida Women's Hall of Fame."This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Florida Women's Hall of Fame.

To be considered for induction into the Florida Women's Hall of Fame, the inductee must be a woman who was born in Florida or adopted Florida as her home state and base of operation, and has made significant contributions to the improvement of life for all citizens of Florida. This year's inductees will be honored at a ceremony on March 11 at 5 pm in the Capitol Courtyard in Tallahassee.

Honorees are commemorated by a plaque in the Capital Building that includes their biography. Past honorees include notables such as international singing star Gloria Estafan; tennis-great Chris Everett and environmentalist-writer, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.

For many people in the Tampa Bay, the first time they heard of Dr Pallavi Patel was when she and her husband, Dr Kiran C. Patel, announced a $5 million gift to the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center to establish a school in her name. Beginning in1989, she worked to bring Indian culture to her new home by co-founding the Annual Indian Festival at the Sun Dome at the University of South Florida.

The annual festival is now in its 20th year, and one of the largest in Florida.Always connected to India, the Patels have worked to improve their ancestral home, Mota Fofalia, a rural village in Gujarat. There they have established and supported schools, hospitals and community revitalization projects. The Patel Academy educates hundreds of rural children who are now among the highest achievers in the country.

Nearby, a 50-bed charity hospital sees hundreds of people daily and performs over 1000 surgeries a year. In Tampa Bay, they have helped establish a charter school to meet the needs of at-risk children at the University of South Florida, which includes a Pediatric Care Center where Pallavi provides free pediatric care to all students.Over the years, the Drs. Patel have often been recognized by their community.

As a special honor in 2005, Pallavi was individually celebrated as the Tampa Bay Business Women of the Year by the Tampa Bay Business Journal. The following year she and her husband were recognized by the community as the Philanthropists of the Year.