CHAIRMAN MESSAGE
CHAIRMAN MESSAGE
SURENDRA PUROHIT, MD
CHAIRMAN
Surendra Purohit, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a General and Vascular Surgeon in private practice in Covington, Louisiana. He has been practicing in the New Orleans, Louisiana area since 1979 and he has established himself as the top surgeon in this area and is very well respected by the local community. He has been in many leadership positions in the local community, among them are Chief of Staff of St. Tammany Parish Hospital, Chief of Staff and Board Trustees of Tulane Lakeview Regional Medical Center, and Medical Director of Gulf South Medical Center. He is also Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Dr. Surendra Purohit has been involved with AAPI organization since 1987. His service to AAPI has been one of true dedication as reflected in the many roles he has and continues to be involved with. Dr. Purohit has served AAPI from the grassroots level and worked his way up to becoming the Chair of the Board of Trustees. Dr. Purohit has held many leadership positions in AAPI and is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Charitable Foundation and Chairman of the Charitable Foundation. In his tenure at AAPI, he was the Regional Director, Chairman of most AAPI committees, including the Political Action Committee, and in 1998 and was elected as Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
As Chairman of the Political Action Committee in the early 1990’s, Dr. Purohit was very instrumental in getting the Anti-discrimination bill against international physicians along with AAPI leaders. He has spearheaded and lobbied in Louisiana to pass the bill for Licensure Board to give temporary license to foreign medical graduates in order to get residency and after three years obtain permanent license. He has been a strong advocate of motivating our next generation of physicians. He has always put others before himself in anything he does which is reflected during his work with AAPI and most notably during Hurricanes Katrina, Laura, Delta, and most recently Ida. He was honored by the local community of Louisiana where he sacrificed so much to help the needs of his community. Dr. Purohit was President of the Surgical Association of Indian-North America. In his role, he has been instrumental in putting together a CME in New Delhi, India by taking a group of U.S. surgeons to India and with the American College of Surgeons-India Chapter conducted a CME in New Delhi. The Vice President of India and Governor of New Delhi were present at the opening ceremony.
Dr. Purohit has and continues to provide the AAPI organization with selfless service and dedication and is truly deserving of this recognition for his many years of
service. Dr Purohit has been awarded America’s Top Surgeons Award in General and Vascular Surgery, the Most Distinguished Service Award from AAPI, the President Award from AAPI (twice), the Dr. Frist Humanitarian Award, and the Health Care Heroes Award of Louisiana.
Dr. Purohit has also formed close ties with former President George W. Bush, in which was selected by George W. Bush to be on his Campaign Finance Committee for Louisiana along with former Governor of Louisiana, Murphy James “Mike” Foster Jr., in which the committee raised $1.5 million for the 2000 election.
Dr. Purohit has been a strong supporter of former Governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, in which Dr. Purohit served as Medical Advisory Board for former Governor Bobby Jindal from 2008-2016.
Dr. Purohit has served as Advisor on the Indo-U.S. Biomedical Research Foundation. Dr. Purohit also spearheaded to eliminate TB from the city of Nagpur, along with AAPI and CETI.
Dr. Purohit is currently serving as President, Chairman, and founder of the American Association of Indian professionals, is on the Board of Trustees for the Hindu Temple Society of New Orleans and helped financially to build the temple in New Orleans. Dr. Purohit is also currently on the Board of Trustees at Lakeview Tulane Medical Center and served as the Chairman of the Ethics and Quality Assurance Committee.