Indian Americans Kiran and Pallavi Patel pledge $200 million to Florida’s NSU

DAVIE, Florida: Physicians, entrepreneurs and philanthropists Kiran and Pallavi Patel have committed more than $200 million to the Nova Southeastern University in Florida—the single largest donation made by an Indian American individual or family in the United States.

Of the money pledged by the Drs. Kiran & Pallavi Foundation, $50 million will be in direct contributions and more than $150 million—and up to $200 million—will be in real estate and facility investment for a medical complex in Clearwater, the hometown of the two.

The gift was announced at a press event at the Nova campus in Davie, Florida.

“This is indeed a lanmark day and the historic day for NSU and the Patel family,” said NSU President Dr. George Hanbury, announcing the gift.

“I feel that it is more important than ever to advance the current state of health care,” said Dr. Kiran C. Patel. “It is rare for someone to have the opportunity to impact the world in this way, and, as an immigrant to the United States, I am particularly honored to be able to make a difference in people’s lives around the world. I believe that NSU is the future of multi-disciplinary medical education. Together, we will be able to capitalize on an opportunity that will be beneficial to millions of human lives, many right here in Florida and many others across the globe.”

“This partnership will benefit thousands of patients, students and doctors,” said Dr. Pallavi Patel. “Over the next 20 years, NSU will train thousands of new doctors and other health care professionals who will directly touch millions of lives, making a real difference.”

The university said the gift, the largest philanthropic gift in its history, will “significantly expand the school’s programs in osteopathic medicine and healthcare sciences.”

“This gift and additional investment will enrich NSU’s ability to educate highly-qualified physicians and health care professionals who understand how the medical disciplines can and must work together,” said Hanbury. “These future leaders will represent the cultural diversity of our region, our nation and our world so that they can better serve their patients and communities.”

The 325-000 square-foot building will house a new site for the school’s osteopathic medicine as well was its current program in Tampa, the university said.

As part of what both the university and the Patels termed as a “transformational gift” that will impact healthcare delivery in the United States and India, Nova will also be involved in medical education in Gujarat, India.

Also part of the donation, Nova’s School of Health Sciences was renamed as Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences. Dr. Pallavi Patel, a pediatrician, was born in Ahmedabad, India. The naming also includes an endowed scholarship fund for students.

Earlier, a white coat ceremony at the university, Nova announced renaming of its College of Osteopathic Medicine after Dr. Kiran Patel.

The school is the largest provider of medical graduates in the state of Florida, according to the university.

Dr. Kiran Patel said the university will produce 250 doctors annually in the short run and the roughly 400 physicians in few years.

The Clearwater campus will be connected to the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine via satellite.

Nova will also partner with the Drs. Kiran and Pallavi Patel University’s medical school, which is being planned at the moment.

Dr. Kiran Patel said medical doctors from India will be brought to the United States for a year-long residency in the United States. “It will be like training the trainers,” he said.

The gift is the seventh-largest to any Florida university in history and largest to the university.

Until now, the single largest gift by an Indian American to a US institution was by a $100 million gift by Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon for New York University.

Kiran Patel was born to Indian parents in Kabwe, Zambia. He went to India in 1967 to do his medical degree. It was there he met Pallavi, who would become his wife later.