Parag V. Patel, DO

Dr. Parag V. Patel is the Director of Cardiac Fellowship and Cardiac ICU at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois. Motivated by his desire to alleviate poverty and help his birth country, Dr. Parag V. Patel, FICCS founder, began providing charity heart surgeries after graduating from medical school.

FICCS is a Foundation supported by the Patel family in the US and Kenya, begun in the late 1980’s by Dr. Patel’s grandfather who began helping poor children in the slums of Nairobi. FICCS operations in East Africa are supported by the Vanguard Group, the largest supplier of medical equipment and supplies in East Africa. The Vanguard Group, also founded by the Patel family, consists of Nairobi X Ray, Meditec Systems and Fujifilm Kenya.

A testament to his work, since 2010, the FICCS medical team has completed over 50 successful charity cardiac catheterization procedures, including donated pacemakers. In addition, FICCS has trained over 350 young women in health and hygiene, and has provided medical and nutritional support to over 2,500 women and children. According to Ayub Shimaka, Director of Ramah Care Center, “The feeding program has increased the school enrollment and improved the standard of living and the sanitary pads keep the girls from missing days of school.”

While still a medical student at Des Moines University and on a visit to his birth country of Kenya, Dr. Patel noticed that Kenyan medical students did not have basic medical items such as stethoscopes, and simple medical supplies were not available. As a result, Dr. Patel began sending medical supplies and state-of-the-art medical equipment to Kenyan medical students and hospitals. In 2003, Dr. Patel performed the first successful Bi Vent pacemaker procedure in Kenya.

Dr. Patel’s accomplishments, expertise, and dedicated pursuit of world health are only some of the reasons the Save A Life Advisory Board is excited to have him as a member.