NEW JERSEY (TIP): Gov. Chris Christie has appointed Dr. Sudhir M. Parikh, a reputed allergist in the Tristate area, to the state Board of Medical Examiners. This will be the second time Dr. Parikh will be serving on the board. In 1993, he was the first Indian-American appointed to the board by then Gov. Christie Todd Whitman.

The New Jersey’s Medical Board describes its mission as one of protecting the public’s health and safety by determining qualifications of applicants for licensure, establishing standards for practice, and disciplining licensees who do not adhere to those requirements. In addition to physicians and podiatrists, the board licenses and certifies certain other health care professionals.

The board is constituted of a select number of physicians and medical personnel, all appointed by the governor. Over the past 30 years, the role of the board has been expanded to involve greater licensing responsibility for numerous and varied allied health providers. In addition to its responsibility to license and discipline physicians, the Medical Board is responsible for overseeing podiatrists, certified nurse midwives, acupuncturists, athletic trainers and bioanalytical lab directors, physician assistants, electrologists, hearing aid dispensers, and perfusionists.

Dr. Parikh, who runs 24 allergy and asthma practices in the Tristate area, is also known for his philanthropic work with several nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and India. He is also the recipient of several awards including the Ellis Island Medal of Honor (2005), one of the highest civilian honors for an immigrant in the country; the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman and the Padma Shri from India, and the Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Samman. Dr. Parikh is the chairman and publisher of Parikh Worldwide Media Inc. which publishes five periodicals including Desi Talk in New York. He is married to Dr. Sudha Parikh.