American College of Chest Physicians Inducts First Woman of Indian Origin As New President

(NORTHBROOK, IL, November 18, 2009)—Kalpalatha K. Guntupalli, MD, FCCP, was inducted as President of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) at CHEST 2009, the 75th annual international scientific assembly of the College, held October 31 to November 5, in San Diego, CA. Born in Hyderabad, India, Dr. Guntupalli is the first woman of Indian origin to take on the role of ACCP President in the College’s 75-year history. She has been a practicing physician for more than 35 years and is currently Professor and Chief, Pulmonary/Critical Care and Sleep Section, at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. As ACCP President, Dr. Guntupalli will focus on strengthening the College’s international presence in membership. She believes in fostering a culture of a “global family” of health caregivers to deliver the best of care to all patients and make meaningful contributions to society.

“Through meaningful engagement of the leaders, members, and sister organizations around the world, the ACCP can indeed be a global family,” said Dr. Guntupalli. “In doing so, we can retain and further strengthen the role of the ACCP as the premier organization representing professionals who promote cardiopulmonary health throughout the world.” Her theme this year is “Caring Locally, Reaching Globally.” This theme coincides with the 2010 “Year of the Lung” declared by the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), an umbrella organization of many professional organizations worldwide.

Dr. Guntupalli has served the ACCP in many capacities, including Regent-at-Large, Chair of the Critical Care Institute, Chair of the Women’s Health NetWork, member of the CHEST Program Committee, and trustee of The CHEST Foundation. She currently serves as The CHEST Foundation’s Second Distinguished Scholar in Critical Care Medicine. Her academic interests include acute respiratory distress disorders and critical care education tools. She has developed many award-winning antitobacco and ICU patient educational materials in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, Hindi and Urdu. The antitobacco educational tools have reached more than 200,000 children worldwide.

She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Parker J Palmer Courage to Teach Award by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence by the Baylor College of Medicine. She also received the World Lung Health Award by the American Thoracic Society and Master of American College of Physicians (MACP) by the American College of Physicians.

Dr. Guntupalli received her medical degree from the Institute of Medical Sciences, Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad, AP, India. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the District of Columbia General Hospital in Washington, DC, as well as a pulmonary fellowship at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and a critical care fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Health Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA. She held previous faculty positions at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, before joining Baylor College of Medicine in 1988.

Dr. Guntupalli and her husband Jayarama Guntupalli, MD, FCCP, reside in Houston, TX. Dr. Jayarama Guntupalli became chair of The CHEST Foundation Ambassadors Group at CHEST 2009. The Ambassadors Group comprises ACCP spouses and other interested individuals who serve as emissaries to help the ACCP and The CHEST Foundation improve patient care and lung health through education.

The ACCP represents 17,400 members who provide patient care in the areas of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine in the United States and throughout the world. The mission of the ACCP is to promote the prevention and treatment of diseases of the chest through leadership, education, research, and communication. For more information about the ACCP, please visit the ACCP Web site at www.chestnet.org. The CHEST Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the ACCP whose mission is to provide resources to advance the prevention and treatment of diseases of the chest. The CHEST Foundation partners with ACCP members, their patients, and community groups to address four distinct areas of humanitarian service: tobacco prevention, clinical research, and critical care. For more information about The CHEST Foundation, please visit www.chestfoundation.org.

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Jennifer Stawarz, (847) 498-8306