May 2004 The Journal of Indian American Physicians AAPI DAY • Crossing the Borders • How HIPAA Electronic Data Interchange • A Few Major Health Care Issues Can Help Physicians • AAPI Leadership visits Johnson & • AAPI Spring Governing Body Meeting Johnson: “Exploring New Opportunities” • Our Legislative Day at the Capitol • Is it time to change our CME format? • Special Series: • When We Need a Godfather • Complementary and Alternative Medicine ASSOC CAN IAT RI IO E N M O A F • P • H N Y I S G IC I I R AN O S OF INDIAN AAPI (American Association ➢ President’s Report of Physicians of Indian Origin) AAPI Day By: Sharad Lakhanpal, M.D. .................. 5 ➢ New Patron Members List .............................................................................. 6 President: Sharad Lakhanpal, M.D. ➢ From the Editor’s Desk Crossing the Borders By: M. P. Ravindra Nathan, M.D. ................ 7 17W300 22nd Street ➢ Suite 300A Convention Chair’s Report By: Ajeet R. Singhvi, M.D. ........................ 8 Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181-4490 ➢ Vice President's Report Phone: 630-530-2277 A Few Major Health Care Issues By: Akshay M. Desai, M.D. .......................... 9 Fax: 630-530-2475 ➢ Secretary's Report AAPI Spring Governing Body Meeting By: Sampat S. Shivangi, M.D. .................. 16 FEATURES AAPI Journal Editor ➢ AAPI Leadership visits Johnson & Johnson By: Hemant Patel, M.D. “Exploring New Opportunities” & Jayesh Kanuga, M.D. .............................. 10 M. P. Ravindra Nathan MD, FACC ➢ Is It Time to Change our CME Format? By: Sudhir Ken Mehta, M.D. .................. 11 Hernando Heart Clinic ➢ 14555 Cortez Blvd. When We Need a Godfather By: S. Jay Jayasankar, M.D. .................... 12 Brooksville, FL 34613 ➢ How HIPAA Electronic Data Phone (352) 796-6000 Interchange Can Help Physicians By: A. Hassan Mohaideen, M.D. .......... 15 Fax (352) 796-8157 ➢ Saving Medical Practice By: Vijay Koli, M.D. ................................ 21 [email protected] AAPI AT THE CAPITOL ➢ Honoring AAPI .................................................................... 23 ➢ Our Legislative Day at the Capitol By: Rakesh Shreedhar, M.D. & Anurag Varma, J.D. ................................ 24 The AAPI Journal is published quarterly by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI). This publi- Special Series cation may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE express written permission of the AAPI. ➢ Introduction By: Hari Sharma, M.D. ............................ 26 All articles published including editorials, letters and ➢ book reviews represent the opinions of the authors and do The Need to Support Ayurveda By: Dr. David Frawley ............................ 26 not reflect the official policy of AAPI. ➢ Ayurvedic Skin Care By: Suhas Kshirsagar, M.D. .................... 28 ➢ Ayurvedic Concept of AMA (Toxin Accumulation) By: Hari Sharma, M.D. ............................ 29 Copyright © 2003 AAPI. All rights reserved. ➢ Marma Therapy and Acupuncture By: Anisha Tambay, Dipl.Ac, M.S.O.M. 31 ➢ Probiotics, Biotechnology, and Ayurvedic Herbs By: M.S. Reddy, Ph.D. & D.R.K. Reddy 32 ➢ Integrated Medicine: Herbs and Drugs By: Ranvir Pahwa, PhD. .......................... 34 ➢ Self-Ecology with Yoga By: Veena S. Gandhi, M.D....................... 36 Designed & Printed by: ➢ First AAPI Ayurveda Conference By: Hari Sharma, M.D. ............................ 38 GR GRAPHICS, INC. Tampa, Florida DEPARTMENTS (813) 886-4500 ➢ Book Review CT & MRI Pathology - A Procket Atlas By: Michael L. Grey, M.D. & Jagan Ailinani, M.D. ............................ 39 ➢ The Best of AAPI Humor ABOUT THE COVER Did You Have Your Colonoscopy? By: P. K. Paul, M.D................................... 40 Sea Gulls in Flight, Puerto Rico ➢ Members in the News .................................................................... 42 Photo by Sanku Rao MD AAPI Journal May/June 2004 3 PRESIDENT’S REPORT AAPI DAY Sharad Lakhanpal, M.D. President, AAPI fter the busy sojourn to India in The enactment of “AAPI DAY” by the winter, the AAPI has kept a the U.S. Congress will be a significant fairly active schedule back home. achievement for the Indian-American A community in general and the Indian The Annual AAPI CME was held American medical fraternity in partic- in Puerto Rico at the beautiful ular. This will symbolize the acknowl- Intercontinental Hotel and Resort edgement and recognition of the con- from Feb. 13 to 16, 2004. This hap- tributions of the Indian American pened to be over Valentine’s Day and physicians to the healthcare of the the theme, aptly, was ‘Bring Your people of America. I urge each and Valentine to CME’. Dr. Sudhir Mehta, every one of you to please call or write Chair AAPI CME, did a superb job to your congressperson(s) to become a organizing the program as he always sponsor of H.Res.579. does. The CME was of very high cal- iber (please see report on p. 11). The AAPI-DIA project has been successfully completed. I met with The AAPI Spring Governing Body Pfizer officials in New York and the meeting was an astounding success. It AAPI-DIA report has been satisfacto- was held in New Orleans from March 5 rily submitted. The AAPI and Pfizer to 7, 2004. Dr. Surendra Purohit, Past ed to the APPNA Executive Council look forward to a mutually beneficial Chair, AAPI BOT, coordinated the Meeting in New York on March 20. relationship moving into the future. event, which was hosted by the The message from AAPI was received Louisiana Chapter of AAPI under the The AAPI Annual election season enthusiastically by the APPNA mem- is here. The Patron and annual dues leadership of their President, Dr. Tilak bers. We look forward to working Mallik. The entire event, from the wel- paid members of AAPI shall be getting together on issues affecting our mem- ballots in the mail towards the end of come Mardi Gras style party to the bers. Dr. Omar Atiq, President of AAPI Business Meeting, from the April 2004. I encourage all of you to APPNA was very effusive and warm in participate in this very important dem- CME to the Saturday night Gala, was his response. beautifully orchestrated and had the ocratic electoral process. Your choice flair and the style of Southern hospital- The Annual AAPI Legislative Day of responsible leaders will ensure the ity that is classic Dr. Purohit. The AAPI was held on March 30, 2004, in future of AAPI. Every vote is impor- is thankful to the Louisiana Chapter of Washington, D.C. It was extremely tant. Please return your ballot before AAPI for hosting such a lovely func- well received. Dr. Rakesh Shreedhar, the deadline. tion. (Please see report on p. 16). Chair AAPI Legislative Committee, The AAPI Pacific Leadership and Mr. Anurag Varma, AAPI The first AAPI Ayurveda Seminar Retreat will be held in Asilomar, Legislative Director, put in a lot of California, from May 7 to 9, 2004. Dr. was held in Orlando, Fl, from March effort to ensure its success. The Senate 19 to 21, 2004. This was very ably Subroto Kundu, Pacific Regional Majority Leader Senator Bill Frist (R- Director of AAPI, is working tirelessly organized by Dr. Hari Sharma, Chair TN) addressed health care issues. AAPI Integrated Medicine to put together an exciting program. Senator John Corvyn (R-TX) Please plan to attend. Committee, with an outstanding facul- announced the formation of Friends of ty of speakers. (Please see report on p. India Caucus in the U.S. Senate. The 22nd Annual AAPI 38). Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) Convention will be held at the Dr. Hussain Malik, President- and 26 other congresspersons in a Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San elect of APPNA, came to the AAPI bipartisan move introduced H.Res.579 Diego, CA, from June 23 to 27, 2004. Governing Body Meeting in New in the U.S. Congress to honor AAPI We hope to see you all there. It will be Orleans. His message of friendship and have requested declaration of an a memorable event! and AAPI and APPNA working “AAPI DAY.” (Please see report on p. together was well received. I was invit- 24). ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ AAPI Journal May/June 2004 5 NEW PATRON (LIFE) MEMBERS Manju Agarwal Amal Guha Urmila Mistry Swarajya Perni Boca Raton, FL Apple Valley, CA Tequesta, FL Hubbard, OH Aparna Sharma Shanti, Agarwal Lakshmi, Gullapalli Arvind Modawal Veeraiah Perni Victorville, CA Boca Raton, FL Fort Wayne, IN Cincinnati, OH Hubbard, OH Archana Sheth Sreenivas Amara Rakesh Gupta Swapna Mukherjea Lovsho Phen Riverside, CA Edison, NJ Centerville, OH Tampa, FL Boardman, OH Kalyanam Shivkumar Lalitha Ananth Rajini Iyer Manjula Muniyappa Kiran Prabhu Los Angeles, CA Fountain Valley, CA Anaheim, CA San Diego, CA Oklahoma City, OK Digvijay Singh Madhu Arora Lucky Jain Ashok Naik Santosh Prabhu Canfield, OH Jackson, MI Atlanta, GA Batavia, NY Oklahoma City, OK Parduman Singh Rajendra Bansal Shabnam Jain Jagat Narula Vijaya Prabhu Boardman, OH Jupiter, FL Atlanta, GA Penn Valley, PA San Diego, CA Archana Sood Ramji Baraiya Vijaya Jujjavarapu Mina Narula Geetha Puri Apple Valley, CA San Jacinto, CA Dunlap, IL Rancho Mirage, CA Victorville, CA Om Sood Bipinchandra Bhagat Nirmala Kamnani Mohender Narula Rajiv Puri Apple Valley, CA Victorville, CA Pampa, TX Rancho Mirage, CA Victorville, CA Preethi Srikanthan Ashvinchandra, Bhutwala Rajan Karnani Navneet Narula Manikanda Raja Los Angeles, CA Hesperia, CA Apple Valley, CA Penn Valley, PA Hemet, CA Chivukula Subbarao Nanda Biswas Ajai Khanna Narinder Nat Savita Rajgiri Wichita, KS Apple Valley, CA San Diego, CA Canyon Country, CA Suwanee, GA Yash Subherwal