Hotelier donates $10,000 to UC Irvine medical clinic

(L-R) Stephanie Wood, UC Irvine Medical Student, Zachary Smith, UC Irvine Director of Development, Dr. Nitin Shah, Anesthesiologist at Long Beach Veterans Healthcare System, Dr. Ralph V. Clayman, Interim Dean of the School of Medicine, Mr. B. U. Patel, Ow

IRVINE, CA: B. U. Patel, owner of Tarsadia Hotels, recently donated $10,000 to fund a portion of operating costs of UC Irvine's student-run outreach clinic. It is the largest single gift to the clinic since its inception.

Founded in November 2008 by UC Irvine graduate students, the weekly free clinic treats people who fail to qualify for government programs offering primary care, preventive medicine, laboratory testing, medication and referral services. 

Patients with no access to other healthcare services receive thorough, compassionate care from UC Irvine medical, nursing, and other students interested in making a difference. 

When patients arrive, student nurses greet them and take their vital signs.  Medical students then conduct a comprehensive examination and report their findings to a licensed physician. 

Together, the doctor and students re-examine the patient, with the physicians explaining what the students got right, what they missed and the best course of treatment. 

Dr. Nitin Shah, a former employee of UC Irvine and a current anesthesiologist at Long Beach Veterans Healthcare System, helped make the donation possible between Patel and UC Irvine by making him aware of the clinic and its important role. 

During a small ceremony in the School of Medicine's Dean's Office, Patel met with the dean and current medical students as they thanked him for his generous support of the clinic. 

Patel's donation will provide much needed funding to support the clinic's operation, and will allow UC Irvine medical students to continue providing quality healthcare to Orange County residents who would otherwise not have access. 

It will also go a long way to boost the spirits and morale of the medical students who have worked so hard to establish the clinic for the patient population in need of care who visit the clinic. 

India Post News Service