KU School of Medicine-Wichita

in Kansas, and I treated thousands of patients during my 30 years in the area," said Dr. Patel. "When we lived in Independence, there were about 11,000 people and 14 physicians. Now there aren't any physicians and the hospital has closed. My hope is that we can help students get a quality medical education, but that we also can bring physicians back to this region — back to their roots — to stop rural communities from getting left behind. "This endowment is my way of giving back to this community — my home," he continued. "I want medical students in southeast Kansas to see the opportunities rural and community medicine can provide, and know that they can achieve their dreams in smaller communities." Additional support to Independence includes another scholarship endowed by Dr. Patel: the C.M. Patel Scholarship at Independence High School benefiting its graduating seniors. Orthopaedic surgery is a true passion for Dr. Patel, and as part of his practice he was a volunteer faculty member of KUSM-W. Outside of his professional practice, he has made volunteer mission trips to Bhutan and Guyana to perform knee replacements and other life-changing orthopaedic surgeries. He regularly goes back to India to provide care as well. "I chose orthopaedic surgery because of the positive impact on people's lives," he said. "It was rewarding to see my patients go from using wheelchairs to being able to walk. Their lives were changed and I was a part of that." All three of the Patel children graduated from Independence High School and continued their education. Om is following in his father's footsteps and is a fourth-year resident in the KUSM-W Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program after receiving a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from the University of Texas-Austin and his medical doctorate from the University of Texas-San Antonio. Om's wife, Ami, recently completed her MBA at Wichita State University and works at Ascension Via Christi. The Patels' eldest daughter, Archita, graduated from Johns Hopkins University and received a Master of Health Administration and Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan, and now works in health care strategy in Chicago, Illinois. Middle daughter, Neepa, has developmental delays, cerebral palsy and epilepsy, but has benefited throughout her life from excellent medical care in Wichita and in southeast Kansas, and now continues her education at the MyPossibilities School in Plano, Texas. "My father's hope is for this endowment to help fund aspiring physicians in rural Kansas to achieve their dreams," said Om. "Specifically, he is hoping to encourage southeast Kansas residents to pursue a career in medicine and return to practice in deserving rural communities such as Independence, which was his hometown for 30 years." The Patels relocated to Dallas, Texas, in 2012. Virendra currently practices at Comprehensive Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation in Richardson, Texas. 25

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