St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Renames Children’s Heart Institute to Honor Patel Family

Do whatever good you can possibly do. These are words Dr. Kiran Patel heard often from his father and they have been a guiding principle for him and his brothers ever since they were young boys in Zambia.

“My father didn’t just say the words, he lived them every single day. So, we grew up living them too,” shares Dr. Patel, one of Tampa Bay’s most dedicated philanthropists.

During a special donor recognition ceremony on April 20, 2022, congenital heart defect patients joined their cardiac physicians and leaders from St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital and St. Joseph's Children's Foundation in celebrating Dr. Patel and his wife, Dr. Pallavi Patel, for their generous naming gift and welcoming them to the Patel Children’s Heart Institute. 

As a medical student in India, Kiran met Pallavi, whose own passion for doing good was one of the reasons he knew he’d found his partner in life. Today, halfway across the globe, living a life in service of others is both a personal and professional calling for Kiran, an esteemed cardiologist, and Pallavi, a highly regarded pediatrician. There is no doubt their work as physicians has changed the lives of many for the better, but their contributions go far beyond the doors of their own practice. 

“The Patels hold themselves to the highest of standards in everything they do, and it’s no surprise that their generosity is bestowed upon organizations which do the same,” said St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital President Sarah Naumowich. “We are beyond grateful and proud that our Heart Institute has been recognized by this remarkable couple as a health care facility worthy of not only their investment – but also their name.”

The Patel Children’s Heart Institute at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital is home to the Tampa Bay area’s only comprehensive congenital heart disease program. Its team of cardiac physicians perform hundreds of procedures each year to treat heart defects in patients of any age, including newborns. A partnership between St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh provides families across Florida with unprecedented access to the highest level of pediatric heart care available. Together, they provide highly specialized cardiovascular care for patients ranging from babies in the womb to adults with congenital heart disease.

Making sure patients of any age receive the very best care is at the heart of everything Drs. Pallavi and Kiran Patel do, and the same holds true for BayCare and St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. 

“This extraordinary relationship with two such remarkable visionaries and humanitarians means our community members will continue to have access to the most innovative cardiac care available right here in their own backyard,” said Naumowich. “Because just like Dr. Patel’s dad – and the family he inspired - we are committed to doing whatever good we can possibly do.”