Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, who will be assuming the leadership role as the president of AAPI  (American Association of Physicians of India) - the largest ethnic medical organization with a powerful presence in the US with a membership of over 80,000 doctors of Indian origin - wants to make AAPI a premium healthcare leader. She will be taking over at the upcoming AAPI Annual Convention on July 4 in Atlanta, Georgia.

 She has been playing a critical role in leading and coordinating AAPI’s numerous efforts to help India, "as our motherland has been impacted by the recent ongoing corona pandemic disaster".  AAPI will organize and facilitate physicians services through telehealth platforms to serve the needy in the rural areas of India. “We dedicate our professional expertise and services to both India (Janmabhoomi) and the United States, (Karmabhoomi),” she stated. 
 
 “AAPI is the one and only strong voice of Indian American Physicians in the United States of America. We are 40 years old and we are growing in membership every year, with currently about 14,000-lifetime members and many members through patron chapters," Dr Gotimukula was quoted as saying in a AAPI media release. 
 
Dr. Gotimukula is the only fourth woman elected to be the president of AAPI in its nearly four decades-long history. 

As the leader of the largest ethnic physician medical organization in the United States, Dr. Gotimukula wants to make AAPI a premium  healthcare leader, primarily focussing to improve and reform the current healthcare system and help towards making a better healthcare model for the patients;  create awareness projects on major chronic diseases burdening our health care system through lifestyle modifications; establish a support system to members going through racial discrimination in the US; support AAPI legislative efforts to make healthcare better and affordable to all and promote charitable activities globally;
Beginning her long association with AAPI as a volunteer in San Antonio in 2009, inspired by the AAPI activities, she became life member of AAPI 2010.  Her passion, dedication, leadership and people skills made her President of Texas Indo-American Physician Society  SW Chapter (2013) , Treasurer/Co-Chair  of AAPI National Convention (2014), IT Chair(2015),  2 years as Regional Director of AAPI, and later elected as AAPI Treasurer (2017), Secretary (2018), Vice President (2019) with a huge majority and currently President-Elect (2020)
 
A resident of San Antonio, Texas, Dr.Gotimukula  is a board-certified pediatric anesthesiologist, practicing since 2007, is affiliated with Christus Santa Rosa, Baptist and Methodist Healthcare systems in San Antonio. After graduating with distinction from Kakatiya Medical College, NTR University of Health Sciences in Vijaywada, India, she did Residency at University of Miami & University of Illinois, and Fellowship in Pediatric Anesthesiology at University of Michigan.
 
Narrating her childhood ambitions “my parents always encouraged and nurtured me the skills to be a leader and this positive culture influenced me throughout my childhood,” recalls Dr. Gotimukula, who grew up in a family of engineers. 
 
Her ambition in childhood was “to become a doctor, both to make her parents happy, and to do good for the community. Joining medical school and later on, practicing medicine was a dream come true and says “I am thankful to my parents and my family who motivated me and mentored me to achieve my goals.”

As the president of AAPI, Dr. Gotimukula says she will work towards “strengthening the organization’s mission, encourage participation of more young physicians, develop the best communications platforms  for Indian American Physicians and keep the members well connected. 

With a vision to make AAPI financially strong : 1. Dr. Gotimukula has been instrumental in creating $250,000 Endowment Fund for operations in 2020 with a goal to reach $2.5 Million in the next five years; 2. Dr. Gotimukula understands that education is at the heart of all that AAPI stands for.  She wants to focus on offering CMEs & Educational & Leadership Seminars for Members; 3. In addition, Dr.Gotimukula wants to provide Educational Projects in India by collaborating with Global Association of Indian Medical Student Council and mentor them to get the best medical education in India and abroad; 4. Working towards Healthcare Reforms by being proactive, AAPI is biggest stakeholder in American Medical healthcare system , will collaborate with AMA and other allied medical organizations; 5. Provide research opportunities to the Premed and Medical students; and, 6. Global Mission work across the globe. 

Stating “Charity and Service are my mission," she says: We, the doctors are fortunate that due to the hard work and support of our family and friends, we were able to get into good schools and started practicing in the United States. I see it now as our duty to help our communities, both in India and the US. It is my duty and pleasure to support charitable causes and serve our communities.”

 
 On the legislative front, Dr. Gotiumukual will initiate efforts as she believes: ”Our voice should be heard at the corridors of power at the federal, state and local levels focus to address IMG issues, Visa/Green card issues, increasing Residency Slots, Medicare Physician payment cuts, malpractice liability, and other healthcare issues that impact the South Asian and the larger American society.”

 
 APPI will continue and strengthen several noble initiatives it has in India, especially the Adopt-a-village program, through which AAPI will help improve rural health in India. AAPI will strengthen initiativs such as: 1. Adopt a Village Project: 1000Free Health screenings per village in 75 villages in 5 states 2. Global Medical Education, working with National Medicine Council, India 3. Continuation of current ongoing projects: Make India an accredited member of the World Federation of Medical Education which is mandatory to be ECFMG certified for the aspiring Medical Students who like to pursue further medical education in the US. (SAM)