Glenview doctor named Outstanding Physician of the Year
"I'm in the business of taking care of people," says Glenview's Paramjit "Romi" Chopra, the recipient of the Outstanding Physician of the Year 2021 award.
Chopra, a Sikh American, was chosen for the honor by U.S. Rep. Danny Davis' Illinois 7th District Multi-Ethnic Advisory Task Force. He will receive the award at the 11th annual Congressional Global Community Oscars Awards Gala on Saturday at The Yellow Box Theater in Naperville.
"I'm humbled and honored," said Chopra, a 60-year-old interventional radiologist and associate professor of radiology at Rush University in Chicago. "It's all God's gift."
The awards honor international and local heroes who have had a major impact on empowering ethnic communities through social, educational, cultural, political, health, economic and youth initiatives.
Chopra is CEO of MIMIT - Midwest Institute for Minimally Invasive Therapies, P.C. - MIMIT Health. He previously was honored with the Distinguished Physician Award and the U.S. Congressional Medal For Outstanding Contributions And Excellence In Patient Care And Teaching in 2018.
Chopra started MIMIT Health with the goal of providing more patient-centered, minimally invasive surgical services. The multi-specialty group has nine clinics throughout the Chicago area, including in Des Plaines, Hinsdale, Glen Ellyn and Wood Dale.
"We want to put the care back in health care," he said. "My main focus is how do I take care of a human being at the physical, intellectual ... and spiritual level. I even teach patients how to meditate. It's about helping (them) live their best life."
Black history and the YMCA
The North Suburban YMCA will celebrate Black History Month with a virtual presentation about "African Americans and the YMCA," at 7 p.m. Thursday.
The event is sponsored by the North Suburban YMCA's diversity, equity and inclusion committee and the YMCA Education Series. It will showcase African American contributions throughout the history of the organization, focusing on how during its inception, the YMCA struggled with racial segregation and how African Americans helped make it more inclusive.
The program is free and open to the public. Register at conta.cc/3LqyGGX.
Muslim action day
This year's Illinois Muslim Action Day, hosted by the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, will be held virtually from 5 to 7 p.m. March 23.
Democratic U.S. Reps. Jan Schakowsky of Evanston and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota will lead a keynote panel discussion on combating intolerance in all its forms, whether racial, religious or ethnic. They also will talk about the House passage of the Combating International Islamaphobia Act, sponsored by Omar.
For details, visit ciogc.org/civic/imad/.
• Share stories, news and happenings from the suburban mosaic at mkrishnamurthy@dailyherald.com.