GCC Student's Essay Earns Her Trip to D.C.

Nehal Patel Scores a First for a NY State Student

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GCC student Nehal Patel (center) with AARC executive director Tom Kallstrom (L) and AARC president George Gaebler (R), director of Respiratory Care at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY.

BATAVIA, NY (04/15/2013)(readMedia)-- Genesee Community College student Nehal Patel spent her spring break in Washington, D.C. learning how organizations advocate for passage of legislation. Nehal is a second year student in GCC's Respiratory Care Program. She won the trip to Washington through an essay contest sponsored by the New York State Society of Respiratory Care, Inc. (NYSSRC), an affiliate of the American Association of Respiratory Care (AARC). She will present highlights from her trip at NYSSRC's Western Regional Symposium in Niagara Falls April 25-26, 2013.

More than 120 respiratory therapists from around the country joined AARC leaders in Washington March 12th to push for passage of the Medicare Respiratory Therapist Act. The measure would insert respiratory therapists into Medicare law, allowing them to be reimbursed for providing care to Medicare patients in a hospital, home or clinic setting.

Nehal is the first student from New York State to attend Lobby Week with AARC's Political Advocacy Contact Team. She joined the New York team as they visited with representatives and senators from the Empire State. "We are so proud of Nehal," said Josh Escudero, director of GCC's Respiratory Care program. "This is a prestigious honor for her and our program here at GCC."

Nehal, who is of Indian ethnic background, is from Rochester. She graduates in May and plans to work as a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) in her hometown. She hopes to stay involved in her professional organization.

For more information, contact Marketing Communications Associate Director Donna Rae Sutherland at (585) 343-0055 ext. 6616, or via email: dsutherland@genesee.edu.

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Editor's Note:

Photo Nehal Patel in Washington, D.C. is available here:

http://marketing.genesee.edu/images/NehalPatelinDC.jpg