Dr. Shashi Patel Appointed

North Shore University Hospital at Forest Hills announced last week the appointment of Dr. Shashi Patel as medical director and chairman of medicine.
Dr. Patel, a pulmonologist and intensive care doctor, developed the communitys first hospitalist program long before such programs were common.
"The hospital and the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System are thrilled to have someone of Dr. Patels stature join the team," said Robert Hettenbach, executive director of the Forest Hills hospital. "In addition to his medical expertise, Dr. Patel is recognized as a community leader within the hospital and in the borough of Queens. His dedication to patients, staff and physicians make him the ideal person to provide leadership to the medical staff as the hospital pursues its service excellence and community service goals."
After finishing medical school in India, Dr. Patel did his residency and fellowship at Queens HospitalLIJ Medical Center. He has served as medical director and chief of medicine at Parkway Hospital in Forest Hills.
Dr. Patel has also been very active within the community, serving as a board member for the American Lung Association, the Queens Child Guidance Center, and the fund-raising committee for Adults and Children with Learning and Developmental Disabilities (ACLD) in Bethpage.
He received the Citation of Honor from Queens Borough President Helen Marshall and her predecessor, BP Claire Shulman, in recognition for his work and efforts on behalf of the people of Queens and Long Island. Newsday recognized him as an "Every Day Hero." He has also been honored by the Heart and Hand for the Handicapped and received the Mahatma Gandhi Community Service Award from the India Tribune in Chicago.
Dr. Patel said that his main goal is to serve the many diverse populations in Queens. "All of our efforts are [heading] in one direction," he said. "And that is to provide the most excellent care possible to our patients and their families. We must foster the spirit of teamwork between our physicians, our caregivers and the people we serve. All of our work is directed towards meeting this goal."