SOMERSET, NJ: Dr Hemant Patel, President of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) and a founding member of its Board of Trustees, was felicitated by US Senator Robert Menendez and other VIPs at a grand function organized by AAPI's New Jersey chapter at The Imperia in Somerset recently.

While Senator Menendez lauded AAPI's work in serving the community and talked about his association with the Indian community and his legislative work with healthcare, Dr Patel gave an account of AAPI's projects, platforms and achievements during his one year tenure that started in May last year.

He proudly talked about AAPI's initiatives taken in improving healthcare in India and commitment to healthcare reform in the US. Around 380 eminent doctors and others attended the dinner event in the home state of Dr Patel.Senator Menendez, who represents New Jersey, said it was an honor for him "to be present here as you recognize Dr Patel who has been so dedicated to AAPI and who is a founder of the NY-NJ chapter.

I want to congratulate Dr. Patel for his hard work and accomplishment on behalf of the medical community and the patients that all of you collectively serve. As a Senator in Washington, I am proud to say that your national president is from New Jersey," he said. "I am proud of your chapter that has 8,000 physicians.

I salute all of you being recognized today, you are an exceptional group."The Senator then recalled his long association with the Indian community, which he said went back to when he was a member of the House of Representatives from the 13th Congressional district and back in 1987 when he was a state legislator.

"The community came to see me and asked 'what can you do for us?'" the Senator said. Menendez realized then that there were laws in the state for extra penalty for the crime of bias against a religious community but none if the crime was against individuals.

He helped legislate what is now known as the New Jersey Bias Crime Law, which has benefited not just the Indian American community but everybody. "It sent a societal message that if you committed a crime against someone because of their race, ethnic origin, or religion, there is going to be a strong penalty," the Senator said.

Later, he, along with Frank Pollone, was a cofounder of the India Caucus in the House of Representatives for building a strong relationship with India, the largest democracy. Now he is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, engaged in, what he said, "is an important relationship in the national security interest of US with India, which is emerging as a major economic power by virtue of its economic liberalization.

Referring to the frivolous malpractice lawsuits that bedevil medical practice, he said they drive up healthcare cost and sometimes force doctors to close their doors. "Enough is enough," the Senator declared.

"We need to protect patients, but we also need to protect doctors so that they can continue to do their work." He promised to AAPI members amid applause, "I am working with other Senators to seek legislation that will provide a mechanism that will weed out frivolous lawsuits, so they never go to court and are not used by insurance companies to push up the rates for malpractice insurance."

Stressing the need for shifting a disease based system to prevention Based one, Menendez said he authored the Patient Navigator, Outreach and Chronic Disease Prevention Act, signed into law by the President.

It has a program of check ups and follow ups, for which $3 million was provided last week.Dr Seema Jain, regional director, Mid-Atlantic Region, who is contesting election for Board of Trustees, and was the main organizer of the event, said, "You can get all the education you want, but then you must use it to make a difference like Dr Hemant Patel has."

Dr Patel's dynamism also came for praise, and the fact that he is invariably away on weekends for AAPI meetings in different parts of the country.Dr Hemant Patel opened his address by lauding Sen Menendez for being a rare Senator who is easily approachable.

"He understands minorities' issues, he understands healthcare issues, and each time we called him he has never turned us down," Dr Patel said. "He is close to our heart, he is a new friend." Dr Patel promised to the Senator AAPI's "expertise in medical science, especially in the healthcare arena, to achieve the goal of healthcare reform in the country.

We will definitely work together."The AAPI president then quoted Mahatma Gandhi to say: Be the change you want to see in the world. You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean, if a few drops in the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty. If you want change, you better change yourself.

That is why, Dr Patel continued, "we proposed five platforms at AAPI's Philadelphia convention: i) Increasing membership, ii) Advocacy in healthcare, iii) Focus on women's health issues, iv) Bridging the gap between India and US, and v) Making partnerships and alliances.Talking of promoting membership, he said, "We are encouraging leadership all across the 10 regions where we have meetings every few months. We go the grassroots; ask people what their problems were and what AAPI can do for them.

It has worked very well: we are aware of the issues across the nation. It has brought lot of new membership and has created new leadership."On bridging the gap between India and US, he said "as India becomes a global power, it is a great opportunity to work with the government of India to improve healthcare." He referred to the first ever Indo-US Healthcare Summit, where AAPI partnered with the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Medical Council of India (MCI).

The major health problems identified by the Indian government included diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, mental health and HIV. Dr Patel chalked out AAPI's involvement there thus: "To work on those problems, we are partnering with the two apex Indian bodies-IMA and MCI. We have laid out a 5 year plan on how we are going to work together. We want to ensure that the medical curriculum in India is at par with that in western education.

We are partnering with a few medical colleges, starting some fellowships. "We are also having a MoU with the government, especially the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, to provide guidance in basic healthcare needs. We have adopted two states, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, where under a forthcoming campaign, in one village in each district a team of AAPI advisers will work along with local leaders to focus on diabetes, cardiovascular problems, etc.

"He said AAPI has adopted a village in a remote part of the country where the entire population of 7,000 was diabetic. Dr Patel said Indian Health Minister Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss has a very ambitious scheme of having trauma and other medical services every few kilometers along the four major national highways in the country, and AAPI is planning to work with the ministry on that project. He informed the audience that AAPI has opened an office in New Delhi, which will come handy with regards to legislative issues when working with various governmental agencies.

On AAPI's advocacy and communication efforts in the US, Dr Patel said, "Healthcare is No 1 priority in the country where lot of health dollars are spent, yet 47 million Americans do not have health insurance. AAPI supports the universal healthcare idea though we do not know how it will be achieved. But we will work with the legislators, offering our help and expertise."Dr Patel said AAPI was working with the American Jewish Committee on healthcare issues of the Indian community as well as the Jewish community.

"To understand Israel's healthcare system, we will take a delegation to Israel in April or May," he added. Referring to the Women's Health Summit in Houston, he said, "We aim to increase awareness of the community about the diseases that Asian women are prone to, for example the risk of heart attack after 40 was the same for women as for men." He announced that two colleges in the country are offering free scholarships each to the needy as community service and have authorized AAPI to select the candidates.

Dr Patel then emphasized the importance of preserving a doctor's autonomy as against "some guy sitting in a 10x10 cubicle controlling what the patient's needs are". He added that rules and regulations are making things difficult for doctors, many of whom are quitting or moving their practice. "Quality healthcare can be provided," he said, "as well as good reimbursement not only for the doctor, but also for the hospital, the nurses and all the paramedics. "He thanked and praised the AAPI members in the audience, and said, "You are the real heroes as you really have supported what we set out to do.

We are successful because all of you. AAPI has a great future because of you." Among those who spoke on the occasion and congratulated Dr Patel for his stewardship of AAPI included Kevi Slavin, President and CEO of East Orange General Hospital, veteran doctor Daya Naik and H.R. Shah, chief of TV Asia.

A vote of thanks was proposed by Dr Thomas Alapatt, treasurer of the AAPI-Greater NY-NJ. The evening program started with hors d' oeuvres and cocktails in a lounge where several stalls of medical and other products and services were put up.

The dinner that followed the felicitation function upstairs was accompanied by live entertainment. Besides Seema Jain, the organizers included Jayesh Kanuga, Tarun Shah and Thomas Alapatt. Headquartered in Chicago, AAPI serves as an umbrella organization for more than 130 member associations nationwide.

It represents 42,000 physicians of Indian origin. AAPI's 26th Annual Convention is coming up in June in Las Vegas.