39th Indian-American physicians’ convention is a tribute to frontline workers who lost their lives

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The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) is holding its 39th Annual AAPI Convention & Scientific Assembly from July 2-5, 2021 at the Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center and Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

Organizers say this year’s convention is a tribute to frontline workers who lost their lives in service during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Convention will feature an array of Bollywood stars, leaders in healthcare, business, spiritual, and political realm Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalagadda, president of AAPI indicated.

“We are bringing together a lot of knowledge and expertise during this convention. It was not an easy task to organize it considering the pandemic. I would like to thank the entire team for their tremendous efforts,” Dr. Jonnalagadda told ITV Gold in an interview.

The annual convention this year is being organized by AAPI’s Atlanta Chapter, chaired by Dr. Sreeni Gangasani.

This convention is a tribute to frontline workers who dedicated their lives during the COVID pandemic, Dr. Gangasani said in the ITV Gold interview. “We have limited the convention to 500 people,” he added.

“This meeting offers a rich educational and entertainment programs featuring the latest scientific research and advances in clinical practice. In addition, physicians and healthcare professionals from across the country will convene to develop health policy agendas and encourage legislative priorities for the upcoming year,” Dr. Gangasani was quoted saying in the press release.

The Chair of AAPI Board of Trustees, Sajani Shah emphasized the low participation rate, and the self-imposed limits on the number of people attending taking into consideration the coronavirus restrictions.

Governor of Georgia Brian Porter Kemp was among the special guests to the Convenion. Others who were expected to attend include U.S. Senators from Georgia Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, both Democrats; Georgia’s Democratic Party leader Stacey Abrams; and Mayor of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottom. These dignitaries would be addressing the Convention.

Sri Dandapani, a Hindu priest, entrepreneur and former monk, will be engaging the audience with his talk and teachings.

According to Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, president-elect of AAPI, the delegates at the convention will have eight hours of Continuing Medical Education (CME) sessions, coordinated by AAPI CME Chair Dr. Krishan Kumar, Advisor & CME Program Director Dr. Vemuri Murthy, and Convention CME Chair Dr. Sudha Tata.

Some of the major themes as part of the CME sessions include: Pursuit of Happiness In Medicine; Burnout Prevention and Wellness in Physicians; Easy Life of a Hospitalist: An Illusion; and Meditation and Mindfulness.

In the Entertainment program, Bollywood Hungama Dhum Dhama Dhum will feature music artists Kosha Pandya, Rex D’Souza, Shilpi Paul, Vidya Vox and Ravi Drums. Participants will also witness a dandiya raas program and a fashion show by designer Ghazala Khan.

‘The Future of Healthcare’ will be discussed at the CEO Forum with expert participants from healthcare, technology and finance industries. Experts will share their knowledge in ways to establish and lead businesses, healthcare practice, and manage investments, the press release said.

The Women’s Forum, led by doctors Anjana Samadhar, Uma Jonnalagadda and Udaya Shivangi, will feature Nikki Haley, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mayor of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms, India’s Consul General in Atlanta Dr. Swati Kulkarni, President of the American Medical Association Dr. Susan Bailey, President & Chancellor of University of Houston Dr. Renu Khator, Founder & President of Murthy Law Firm Sheela Murthy, Professor of Neuroscience at University of Pennsylvania Amita Sehgal, Director of Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy & Reasearch Dr. Nahid Bhadella, and Emmy award winning journalist Dr. Mona Khanna.

The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) represents the interests of more than 100,000 physicians of Indian origin, and is considered the largest ethnic organization of physicians in the United States, for 39 years. The AAPI Convention has provided a venue for medical education programs and symposia with world renowned physicians on the cutting edge of medicine.

More details about the convention are available at www.aapiconvention.org and www.aapiusa.org.