The Tampa Bay Regional Campus is home to Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine and Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences.
CLEARWATER, F.L.: Two Septembers ago, Indian American physician, entrepreneur and philanthropist Dr. Kiran Patel created history when he committed a whopping $200 million to the Nova Southeastern University in Florida.
It was the largest gift ever received by the five-decade-old school, and the seventh largest in the history of Florida. The gift from the Drs. Kiran and Pallavi Patel Family Foundation was also by far the largest philanthropic commitment by an Indian American individual or organization in the United States and abroad.
On September 14 — a year, 11 months and 20 days after the mega donation was announced — Patel was once again standing behind an NSU podium — this time to inaugurate the university’s Tampa Bay Regional Campus in Clearwater, FL, 250 miles to the northwest, which was constructed with his generous support.
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The campus, on the shore of Old Tampa Bay, includes a three-story 311,000 square feet academic facility, spread across 27 acres. It offers five programs ranging from anesthesiology to psychology. Once fully operational, the campus will have 2,000 students and 600 staff, contributing more than half a billion dollars to the local economy annually.
The construction of the campus was completed in a record 17 months. Speaking at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, both Patel and NSU President George L. Hanbury spoke about the challenges they faced in completing the campus in time for the fall 2019 classes.
Among other hurdles, they also had to ensure that the campus won’t be submerged in water during hurricanes. The location where it stands is just two feet above the sea level and it had to be elevated to 10 feet above sea level.
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“For me, it has always been true that when I believe I could achieve something, I could see it completed even before I began,†said Patel, who has built three billion-dollar companies in healthcare and hospitality sectors. “I truly believe that a positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible.â€
The philanthropist added: “Impossible is not a word in my dictionary. Do not forget impossible is the word used by those who are too comfortable in their existing environment. They are not willing to explore their god given power to change the environment and reach greater height.”
Hanbury described the regional campus as “the best thing that has happened to NSU in general†and him in particular. “I want to express my utmost thanks to Dr. Kiran C. Patel and Dr. Pallavi Patel,†he said.
NSU becomes a leader in healthcare
The Tampa Bay Regional Campus is home to Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine and Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences.
The philanthropist hoped that these colleges will become world class institutions that will attract to academics, clinicians, and students, both domestic and international. “We truly want to make it an institution to reckon with. We want to be the number one in the country,†he said.
RELATED: Dr. Kiran Patel’s next philanthropic mission: getting bang for his $200 million (January 12, 2018)
With the opening of the Tamp Bay campus, NSU has established itself as a major healthcare player in Florida and the country.
The Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine increases the number of NSU’s graduating D.O. physicians from 230 to approximately 380 per year. Already the largest medical school in Florida, the college will now become the third-largest medical school in the United States.
The Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences offers 29 programs, including programs on physician assistant, anesthesiologist assistant; occupational therapy; physical therapy; speech-language pathology, audiology, respiratory therapy, medical and cardiovascular sonography, athletic training, exercise and sport science, and health science.
“Now is the time to put our best visions to work; to think morally about what our community can become; as my father suggested, settle for nothing less than our greatest dreams for the kind of place we want to build,†Patel said.
The philanthropist also spoke about his ties to the Tampa area. “I assure you that my family and I are very much invested in the Tampa Bay area,†he said. “This is our home, the home of our children and the home of our grandchildren. Come what may, our vision, our futures, our dreams are irrevocably linked with each and every one of you here. What happens in this community certainly matters to me, my wife Pallavi and my children. We know that how things look on the outside of a community depends on what’s going on the inside of the community. Your vision matters to our dreams.”
Medical college in India
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Patel also spoke about his plans to set up a state-of-the-art medical college in India, in partnership with NSU.
Besides India, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine will have exchange programs with medical schools in Zambia, the birthplace of Patel.
The Patels have already purchased nearly 125 acres of land in Gujarat to construct a medical college. They plan to connect the Indian school with NSU via satellite and grant US degrees to Indian students. Currently, the proposal is awaiting approval of the Medical Council of India.
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