[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 204 (Tuesday, December 12, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1210-E1211]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNIZING DOCTORS MAHENDER AND JAYALAKSHMI PAMPATI

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MORGAN McGARVEY

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 12, 2023

  Mr. McGARVEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor two remarkable 
physicians, a husband and wife, Mahender and Jayalakshmi Pampati, in 
recognition of their retirement from the healthcare field after nearly 
33 years of dedicated service to the people of Eastern Kentucky.
  Drs. Mahender and Jayalakshmi Pampati moved to Hazard, Kentucky in 
1990 with a goal of providing high quality care to the underserved 
communities of Eastern Kentucky. Through their respective careers and 
the life they built together in Hazard, they became part of the fabric 
of the community. They raised three kids, Ashwin, Rudra, and Shivani, 
in Hazard, participating in the local Parent Teacher Association and 
engaging with their patients beyond their medical practices. For 
decades, both doctors centered their careers on providing quality care 
and service to their community.
  Dr. Mahender Pampati, born in Hyderabad, India, son of Dr. Kishen and 
Mrs. Suwarna Pampati, started and grew a radiology practice upon 
arrival to Hazard. With his partner Dr. Ashok Patel, he built a 
radiology practice, Hazard Radiology Associates, that served the entire 
Appalachian Regional Hospital System in addition to Mountain 
Comprehensive Health Care. Mahender was the first specialty trained 
neuroradiologist in Eastern Kentucky and facilitated the installation 
of state-of-the-art CT and MRI equipment for more specialized care.

[[Page E1211]]

Mahender also brought the first mobile mammography and MRI services to 
Eastern Kentucky to ensure all patients had access to adequate imaging 
and screening services.
  Dr. Jayalakshmi Pampati, born in Chennai, India, daughter of Mr. G.C. 
Krishnamoorthy and Mrs. G.Y. Thilakam, led a successful and patient 
forward career as the region's only rheumatologist. As one of few 
female physicians of her generation, she continuously broke barriers 
throughout her career, from medical school to her practice. She started 
her own rheumatology practice in Hazard, Kentucky shortly after moving 
there. Jayalakshmi was the only rheumatologist within a 60-mile radius 
for her entire career, serving a significant portion of Eastern 
Kentucky. Jayalakshmi diagnosed and treated several debilitating 
autoimmune diseases for the first time in the region and treated many 
of these patients for many decades. Jayalakshmi treated all patients, 
both insured and uninsured, guaranteeing all patients would be treated 
and advised on the most cost-effective and quality treatment plan.
  Together they broke many firsts. Most significantly, they opened the 
first after hours clinic in the region in 1996, the Mountain After 
Hours Clinic (MAHC). MAHC provided a range of care, from primary care 
services to pediatrics to mental healthcare services. This 
groundbreaking clinic brought access to healthcare for the many 
patients who were unable to take off work to receive care during the 
workday and accepted patients whether they were insured or not.
  Dr. Mahender Pampati received his medical degree from Magadh Medical 
College in 1979, and completed his radiology residency at Wayne State 
University in Detroit, Michigan in 1987 with a fellowship in 
neuroradiology from Stony Brook University in New York. Dr. Jayalakshmi 
Pampati received her medical degree from Madras Medical College in 
1981, and completed her residency in internal medicine at Coney Island 
Hospital in Brooklyn, New York in 1988 with a fellowship in 
rheumatologv from Stony Brook University in New York.
  Dr. Mahender and Jayalakshmi Pampati have dedicated their lives and 
careers to providing specialized, quality, accessible, and affordable 
healthcare to the people of Eastern Kentucky, and their work has 
critically improved the healthcare landscape in an under-resourced and 
underserved part of our state. Mahender and Jayalakshmi Pampati will 
continue to be stewards of public service through their work with 
community organizations in Kentucky, the Bluegrass Indo American Civic 
Society and the Bharatiya Temple and Cultural Center. What a wonderful 
vocation for a truly special couple. I know their patients, fellow 
healthcare workers, and colleagues in Eastern Kentucky will miss their 
service. I wish them all the best in retirement and hope they enjoy 
time with their children, daughters-in-law, and four grandchildren. I 
ask that my colleagues here in the United States House of 
Representatives join me in thanking Dr. Jayalakshmi and Mahender 
Pampati for their lifelong commitment to serving Kentucky families and 
communities in need and congratulating them on their well-deserved 
retirement.

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