An Indian American doctor has been inducted as president of a prestigious medical association of physicians and specialists in the field of chest medicine.
Dr Kalpalatha Guntupalli, who was named as President of The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) during its 75th annual international scientific assembly said, "I am very honoured to represent the interests of a large number of my peers and their patients, it gives me a chance to advocate and strive for better patient care in the US and abroad."
Guntupalli plans to lead the College with the theme of "Caring Locally, Reaching Globally." This theme coincides with the 2010 "Year of the Lung" declared by the Forum of International Respiratory Societies.
Originally a native of Hyderabad, Guntapalli has been a practising physician for over 35 years and professor and chief of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.
Guntupalli has served ACCP as regent-at-large, chair of the Critical Care Institute and a women's health network, on the CHEST program committee and trustee of The CHEST Foundation.
She currently serves as the CHEST Foundation's second distinguished scholar in critical care medicine. She has also developed anti-tobacco and ICU patient educational materials in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, Hindi and Urdu.
Guntupalli has received the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence from the Baylor College of Medicine, the World Lung Health Award from the American Thoracic Society, and the Master of American College of Physicians from the American College of Physicians.
Guntupalli held previous faculty posts at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.
ACCP represents 17,400 members providing pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine in the US and worldwide.