BY DEVIKA C.MEHTA
SIMI VALLEY, CA - Besides his many achievements, as an acclaimed nephrologist, dialysis center owner and an active participant in the Dharma Civilization Foundation, Dr Ushakant Thakkar is also known for a major accomplishment- his generous gift of one million dollars to Simi Valley Hospital.
SIMI VALLEY, CA - Besides his many achievements, as an acclaimed nephrologist, dialysis center owner and an active participant in the Dharma Civilization Foundation, Dr Ushakant Thakkar is also known for a major accomplishment- his generous gift of one million dollars to Simi Valley Hospital.
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Besides his many achievements, as an acclaimed nephrologist, dialysis center owner and an active participant in the Dharma Civilization Foundation, Dr Ushakant Thakkar is also known for a major accomplishment- his generous gift of one million dollars to Simi Valley Hospital. Setting an example for fellow Indian-Americans, Dr Thakkar along with his wife Dr. Irma Harriman Thakkar has helped construct the new functional Emergency Department at the hospital here, also known as the ‘Thakkar Family Emergency Pavilion.’
On March 2, more than 200 community members attended a special event to help dedicate the new, state- of- the- art Pavilion which boasts of increasing the number of patient rooms from 10 to 18.
At the dedication ceremony, Dr Thakkar called himself blessed, “Today was a dream come true. For the nearly 30 years that we practiced locally, Simi Valley Hospital always provided extraordinary facilities to attract the talent of well-trained specialists and nurses. We are grateful to the governing board and the administration of the hospital for constantly striving to create a medical center of excellence in our beloved Simi Valley. Nothing we give will ever match the generosity the hospital has offered to the Thakkar family. We are honored to have been part of such an important project for the community.”
His wife, Dr Harriman added, “Our family members have experienced outstanding care and services and this moment is a pure blessing.”
Department’s Medical Director Alfred Yu also mentioned, “In 1996, we served approximately 19,000 patients in our Emergency Department. We’re now seeing over 35,000 patients a year. Until this new facility became available, we were handling that significant increase in volume without an increase in space. Thanks to the flexibility of our physicians and staff, we made it work, but having this additional space makes it much better for everyone involved.”
Speaking with India Journal Dr Thakkar said, “Being a doctor has given me an opportunity but also a comfortable time to reflect and further expand my knowledge.”
Thanking his wife for a great partnership, he added, “Irma has been my strength and support system. She is a Catholic, but always stood by me and encouraged me in my decisions.”
On the question, ‘how does a doctor couple take out time for each other in their busy schedules’, Dr Thakkar replied, “I agree it is not easy, we have agreed on a couple of things like we will slow down and retire at the age of 60, then we will travel extensively and look for opportunities for community service that brings us together in a very unique manner.”
“In our past time, we also like to do ballroom dancing,” he added amusingly.
Dr. Thakkar also believes in the positives of a joint family and thinks that open-minded discussions between members help in overall growth and prosperity of a family. “I believe in a joint family structure. You will be surprised to know that besides us, my immediate family has 80 members (all my neighbors here),” he jokes.
Noting that privacy is sometimes a concern, he explained, “The mantra of the balancing act is very important. It is not a very easy thing. All my relatives have their own homes, we enjoy and get along during parties, be it Diwali or Christmas celebrations.”
No wonder, the doctor loves Gujarati home-cooked food. He also talks about his dear sister Vimal with whom he shares a personal bond.
Moving back to the topic of his achievements and struggles, Dr Thakkar described his journey from India to the US with just 108 dollars in pocket and how he worked up the scale, all thanks to the merit based education system in US and hard work, which was rewarded and turned his life around completely.
“Today I am very much dedicated to the cause of India and traditions. I want to bring Indian tradition to American universities (at least 10) so that our youth is able to foresee the requirements of a sound future. It is a known fact that good founding in traditions builds a promising future, it allows you to sustain; people who have good foundation in traditions really do well in life.”
A Democrat at heart, Dr Thakkar believes that the US has a lot of potential and no matter how grievous the current situation is “America will eventually recognize its strength and realize that what the country has is wonderful, and not let it get destroyed.”
On March 2, more than 200 community members attended a special event to help dedicate the new, state- of- the- art Pavilion which boasts of increasing the number of patient rooms from 10 to 18.
At the dedication ceremony, Dr Thakkar called himself blessed, “Today was a dream come true. For the nearly 30 years that we practiced locally, Simi Valley Hospital always provided extraordinary facilities to attract the talent of well-trained specialists and nurses. We are grateful to the governing board and the administration of the hospital for constantly striving to create a medical center of excellence in our beloved Simi Valley. Nothing we give will ever match the generosity the hospital has offered to the Thakkar family. We are honored to have been part of such an important project for the community.”
His wife, Dr Harriman added, “Our family members have experienced outstanding care and services and this moment is a pure blessing.”
Department’s Medical Director Alfred Yu also mentioned, “In 1996, we served approximately 19,000 patients in our Emergency Department. We’re now seeing over 35,000 patients a year. Until this new facility became available, we were handling that significant increase in volume without an increase in space. Thanks to the flexibility of our physicians and staff, we made it work, but having this additional space makes it much better for everyone involved.”
Speaking with India Journal Dr Thakkar said, “Being a doctor has given me an opportunity but also a comfortable time to reflect and further expand my knowledge.”
Thanking his wife for a great partnership, he added, “Irma has been my strength and support system. She is a Catholic, but always stood by me and encouraged me in my decisions.”
On the question, ‘how does a doctor couple take out time for each other in their busy schedules’, Dr Thakkar replied, “I agree it is not easy, we have agreed on a couple of things like we will slow down and retire at the age of 60, then we will travel extensively and look for opportunities for community service that brings us together in a very unique manner.”
“In our past time, we also like to do ballroom dancing,” he added amusingly.
Dr. Thakkar also believes in the positives of a joint family and thinks that open-minded discussions between members help in overall growth and prosperity of a family. “I believe in a joint family structure. You will be surprised to know that besides us, my immediate family has 80 members (all my neighbors here),” he jokes.
Noting that privacy is sometimes a concern, he explained, “The mantra of the balancing act is very important. It is not a very easy thing. All my relatives have their own homes, we enjoy and get along during parties, be it Diwali or Christmas celebrations.”
No wonder, the doctor loves Gujarati home-cooked food. He also talks about his dear sister Vimal with whom he shares a personal bond.
Moving back to the topic of his achievements and struggles, Dr Thakkar described his journey from India to the US with just 108 dollars in pocket and how he worked up the scale, all thanks to the merit based education system in US and hard work, which was rewarded and turned his life around completely.
“Today I am very much dedicated to the cause of India and traditions. I want to bring Indian tradition to American universities (at least 10) so that our youth is able to foresee the requirements of a sound future. It is a known fact that good founding in traditions builds a promising future, it allows you to sustain; people who have good foundation in traditions really do well in life.”
A Democrat at heart, Dr Thakkar believes that the US has a lot of potential and no matter how grievous the current situation is “America will eventually recognize its strength and realize that what the country has is wonderful, and not let it get destroyed.”
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