Indian-American physician made head of county medical organization in greater Chicago

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Chicago IL: A Chicago-based Indian-American anesthesiologist and resuscitation expert, Dr. Vemuri S. Murthy has been appointed as the 169th president of the prestigious Cook County Medical Organization. In his honor, the Chicago Medical Society held a welcoming ceremony at Maggiano’s Banquets in Chicago on September 12. The Chicago Medical Society (CMS), is one of the largest medical societies in the nation, representing approximately 17,000 physicians.

Hundreds of colleagues and dignitaries attended the event, according to a press release from the CMS. Among them were Dr. Tapas Dasgupta, president of the Indian American Medical Association; Illinois State Medical Society President Dr. Nestor Ramirez, and Board Chair Dr. Adrienne Fregia; Pakistani Descent Physicians Society, represented by Dr. Tariq Butt, the Consul Birbal Anand from the Indian Consulate in Chicago; and educator Paul Vallas, chief administrative officer at Chicago State University, a press release posted on the CMS website said.

The evening’s festivities included music and a powerful rendition of the American National Anthem, sung by a medical resident Dr. Radhika Chimata, the press release added.

Dr. Murthy is an alumnus of Guntur Medical College, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (New Delhi) in India and Rush Medical Center in Chicago and has served CMS in different capacities since 1983.  He is the founder of the CMS community CPR project SMILE (Saving More Illinois Lives through Education) in raising awareness of sudden cardiac arrests with CPR education throughout the greater Chicago communities for several years.

In his first speech as the CMS president, Dr. Murthy explained how important it is to have a more active physician participation in organized medicine through the medical societies in this age of rapidly changing healthcare arena affecting physician practices and patient care, a press release said.  He also encouraged the younger physicians including medical students and residents to become members of a medical society right from them time they start their medical education. He mentioned the advantages of CMS membership such as advocacy, education, informational exchange and networking.

A past Chairman of the anesthesiology department at West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, Illinois and past president of the Indian American Medical Association, Illinois (IAMAIL), Dr. Murthy has been a veteran volunteer of the American Heart Association for many years and is a member of the International Committee.    A “Champion of Global Health” and recipient of several national and international awards for his contributions involving resuscitation and public health education, he is leading a national hands-only community CPR project in India involving the University of Illinois at Chicago, IAMAIL and Share India.