Indian-American Physicians Honor Rahn
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UAMS Chancellor Dan Rahn, M.D., (left) accepts an award from Jayesh Shah, M.D., president of AAPI-USA.
Oct. 11, 2013 | UAMS Chancellor Dan Rahn, M.D., was honored at an Oct. 5 ceremony by the state chapter of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) for his service to the health care needs of Arkansas.
Jayesh Shah, M.D., president of AAPI-USA, presented Rahn with a plaque and a hand-crafted Indian sculpture in front of about 150 doctors and 250 guests from across the state at the ceremony celebrating the Arkansas chapter’s fifth anniversary at Little Rock’s Greek Orthodox Church. Rahn used the occasion to speak about the impact of the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion on UAMS and the state.
“It’s an honor to accept this award from the AAPI, an organization that is making a lasting impact on health care at UAMS, the state and the country,” Rahn said. “It is a pleasure to unite the vision of Indian-American physicians and the vision of UAMS to accomplish great things for patients and physicians.”
Sara Tariq, M.D., AAPI Arkansas president and associate professor of internal medicine in the UAMS College of Medicine, and Naveen Patil, M.D., AAPI president-elect and UAMS alumnus also spoke about Rahn’s impact on health care.
“Since joining UAMS, Dr. Rahn has worked tirelessly to build bridges,” Tariq said. “He has championed the expansion of Medicaid in Arkansas and his support and hard work was instrumental in getting it passed. In his short time at UAMS, his progressive world view and inclusive approach has made UAMS and the state a better place for the health of Arkansans.”
Tariq said that Rahn is deserving of the AAPI honor because of his work promoting interprofessional collaboration across campus, his help in building the UAMS Simulation Center, his time and financial contributions to faculty education, and his support for the UAMS Office of Global Health.
AAPI USA is the second-largest medical association after the American Medical Association (AMA), representing 100,000 physicians and physicians-in-training of Indian origin across the country. The Arkansas chapter was established in 2008 and has more than 150 members; there are about 350 Indian American physicians throughout the state.