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8 CITY VIEWS May 27, 2022 www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know I ndian-American physician Dr. Parag Mehta, was elected President of the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) on May 21, 2021. The MSSNY is the State’s primary profes- sional organization for physicians. Dr. Mehta is the Senior Vice Chairman of the Department of Medicine and the Chief Medical Information Officer at New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital (NYPBMH). In addition, he is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine atWeill Cornell Medicine, the May 23 press release fromMSSNY said. A graduate of NHL Medical College in Ahmedabad, Dr. Mehta completed his residency in OB/GYN at NHL Medi- cal College and his residency in Internal Medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, NewYork. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Hospice and Palliative Care and Integrative and Holistic Medicine. He has taken courses in Health Informa- tion Technology from Cornell University and Artificial Intelligence fromMIT Sloan School of Management. An active member of organized medi- cine, Dr. Mehta is the Governor for the NewYork Chapter of the American Col- lege of Physicians (NYACP) for Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. In addition to MSSNY and NYACP, he is a member of AMA, Kings County Medical Society, American Association of Physi- cians of Indian Origin and Indian Medical Association. In 2011, NYACP awarded him its high- est honor, the Laureate Award, in recogni- tion of his extraordinary contributions in the areas of governance, quality, public policy and education. As a PhysicianWellbeing Champion, he promotes wellness and engages discus- sion through grand rounds. Dr. Mehta’s many contributions to MSSNY include service as Councilor, As- sistant Treasurer, Vice President, Commis- sioner of the Membership Division, Chair of the Future Task Force for Infrastruc- ture/Organization, Chair of the Interna- tional Medical Graduate Committee, and Young Physician Councilor. He presently serves as Councilor for Kings and Richmond County and as a NewYork Alternate Delegate to the Ameri- can Medical Association. Dr. Mehta has been involved with the implementation of EHR at NewYork- Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital for the last 16 years and has helped the in- stitution to reach HIMSS Level 7, the press release . In this role, he brings IT and clinicians together to improve the user’s experience based on the user’s input. Dr. Mehta lives in Manhasset Hills with his wife, Isha Mehta, MD, who is Chief of Gynecology at Elmhurst Hospital and is a founder of “A Stitch in Time,” an organiza- tion that treats gynecological conditions at no cost to women around the world. They have two daughters, Ruju, an envi- ronmental engineer, and Setu, a pre-med student at Harvard College. Founded in 1807, the mission of the Medical Society of the State of New York is to represent the interests of patients and physicians to assure quality healthcare services for all. By aStaffWriter Dr. Parag Mehta Elected President Of Medical Society Of New York Dr. Parag Mehta Photo:Riz Shah,courtesyMSSNY New York Community Activist Suhag Mehta Among Top 20 Global Women of Excellence Photos:courtesySuhag Mehta Suhag Mehta, founder and president of Shreenath Enterprise Inc, South Asian Women’s Activities Organization, and Ganesh Utsav of New York organization, was recognized among Top 20 Global Women of Excellence 2022 in recognition of her outstanding contributions to society. This was at the 10th Annual Congressional International Women’s Day Gala 2022, in March. The organizations involved in the selection of awardees included the American Multi Ethnic Coalition, Inc., and the Multi Ethnic Advisory Task Force of the 7th Congressional District of Illinois, represented by Congressman Danny Davis. The honor is given “to a woman who has excelled in her field and who has made a significant difference in people’s li v es.” Seen in photos are Mehta with Congressman Danny Davis, D-Illinois, and Mehta posing at Capitol Hill. N ewYork City’s subway system is carrying fewer riders than expected this year as crime has spiked, including a fatal shooting on Sunday and a violent subway attack last month that shook the city. There were 414.5 million subway and bus trips taken from January through April, about 99 million less than bud- geted, or 19% short of projec- tions, according to data from the Metropolitan Transporta- tion Authority, which operates the city’s subways, buses and commuter rails. That means less revenue for the MTA, the largest mass-tran- sit operator in the US. Farebox collections on subway, buses and commuter lines totaled $1.17 billion through April 30, $237 million below budget, ac- cording to MTA data. The MTA is able to make up for that loss, so far this year. The agency is spending nearly $300 million less than it antici- pated in the first four months of 2022 -- which will help offset the weaker farebox collections -- and revenue from taxes on real estate transactions are coming in better than expect- ed, according to MTA data. MTA officials have said boosting ridership is the cen- tral issue for the transit agency as it faces budget deficits once federal coronavirus aid money runs out. Still, many people have embraced a hybrid work schedule that keeps them at home part of the week while others avoid the subway system because of crime. A man died Sunday after being shot on a Q train heading into Manhattan from Brooklyn. More than two dozen people were injured last month after a man opened fire on a subway train in Brooklyn. A woman in January was pushed to her death at the Times Square sub- way station. There were 200 reported assaults on the subway from January through April, the most for that time period since at least 1997, according to MTA data. Yet weekday subway rider- ship has been increasing, reaching a pandemic record of 3.6 million onWednesday. That represents 61% of 2019 levels. - Bloomberg By Michelle Kaske N.Y. MTA Ridership Falls 19% Short Of Projections Amid Shootings