Incoming AAPI president wants organization to be responsive to members

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Dr. Gautam Samadder, the incoming president of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin who takes office formally on June 25, is committed to making the leading ethnic organization of physicians in the country, more responsive to its members.

“AAPI must be responsive to its members, supportive of the leadership and a true advocate for our mission,” Dr. Samadder says. “I am committed to unify AAPI by breaking down the barriers of various regions, languages, medical education within the organization and bringing everyone together as a whole organization rather this an separate fragments of the organization,” he is quoted saying in a press release from AAPI. The organization estimates it represents some 100,000 physicians of Indian origin in this country.

At AAPI, Dr. Samadder rose through the ranks over the years. He was a Regional Director for the AAPI NE Central-II Region, and had served as the Editor-in-Chief of AAPI Journal, a quarterly published by the organization.

“My leadership involvement with the AAPI started during my Global Health Summit trip to India in Rajasthan in the year of 2010 although I have been a patron member of AAPI for more than 20 years.  I had the opportunity to know Dr. Ajit Singhvi, who had encouraged me to take on a leadership role at AAPI and here I am seven years later,” Dr. Samadder recalls. According to him, “One thing is clear, if you are a team player, hardworking, and willing to serve in the best interests of the organization.  There is always a leadership opportunity for you in AAPI.”

Dr. Samadder was elected as Secretary of AAPI in 2014.  Prior to this, he served as the Regional Director in Ohio and Michigan for two consecutive years in 2010 and 2011.  “I have been involved in the grass-root level to form all-Ohio AAPI chapter which includes (AIPO) local chapters from Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Youngstown, and Toledo and served as the president in 2012. In addition, I have been the president of the local Chapter of AAPI Central Ohio (Columbus) from 2008-2010.

Working with his dedicated executive committee, Dr. Samadder wants to “establish a strategic plan for AAPI that can sustain change in leadership. “AAPI members should be at the table during planning and implementation stages of the health care reforms,” Dr. Samadder says. “I want to encourage medical students, residents, and fellows and all second-generation Indian American physicians to be actively involved in both local and national level. Efforts go to building a strong association focusing on leader development and strengthening our professional relations,” he said.

“In my capacity as the President of national AAPI, I want to support the growth of global and Indo-US relationship and to support and promote charitable activities through AAPI both in the U.S. and India,” Dr. Samadder says.

He wants to address the issues affecting the physicians at the state and national level and promote health care advocacy and community services, escalating the profitability, productivity and popularity of AAPI, he said.

Dr. Samadder wants to “amplify participation among young physicians and medical students, strengthen AAPI’s financial security through profitable corporate sponsorships and facilitate collegial cooperation between local and state chapters, as this will increase AAPI’s global stature and eminence, which will ultimately make healthcare more efficient and effective in USA and India.”

Dr. Samadder’s presidency will start with AAPI’s family trip to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana from August 4-13, 2017, which will provide twelve hours of CME credits; And the AAPI Global Healthcare Summit (GHS) from December 28-31, 2017 in Kolkata.

Samadder is currently the CEO and managing director of Columbus Sleep Consultants. He founded the Indian Sleep Society, with the objective of promoting sleep research and publications within Asian Indian communities, and has been an advisor to medical technology companies, recently collaborating with Fisher and Paykel to establish diagnostic centers in several major cities in India.

Born and brought up in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Samadder graduated from Rani Durgawati Medical College, Jabalpur. He came to the United States in 1985, completing his Residency in Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai affiliate hospital-North General, New York. He did his Pulmonary Fellowship at SUNY affiliate-Brookdale Hospital, New York and Sleep Fellowship  at Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Subsequently, he moved to Ohio in 1995.

“While doing pulmonary fellowship, I was very intrigued with obstructive sleep apnea – a very dangerous medical condition but an easily treatable condition,” recalls Dr. Gautam Samadder. “Also, this is one of the rare specialties, where patient satisfaction is enormous because of the successful outcome of the treatment.”

He opened an independent practice of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine in 1997. Currently, he serves as the Medical Director at a multi-locational and multispecialty sleep facility, Columbus Sleep Consultants.

He is also actively involved with the Indian community and member-at-large of the Asian Indian Alliance, which actively participates in a bipartisan way to support and fund electoral candidates. He is actively involved with the Bharatiya Hindu Temple and free health clinics. Serving as a core member of the Advisory Board of the Ohio State University Gateway Project, which supports Exchange programs between USA and India including student’s scholarships, Dr. Samadder is also an active member of the Ohio State Medical Association and was the first counselor of the International Medical Graduates for the state of Ohio. Dr. Samadder was a Clinical Assistant Professor at Ohio State University.

His wife is a practicing gastroenterologist in Columbus. The couple have been married for about 25 years now. They have a son who is in medical school and their daughter is in high school.