For any doctor to practice medicine in the United States, they must be licensed by the state that they work in. However, just because a doctor is licensed does not mean that they are qualified to practice a medical specialty. Examples of medical specialties are surgery, family medicine, or dermatology.

Board-certified doctors voluntarily meet extra standards that go beyond basic licensing. This demonstrates their expertise and requires additional education including the step of passing an exam that tests medical knowledge and clinical judgement. In addition, to remain board-certified physicians must actively stay updated with the latest advances and demonstrate best practices.

That is why we take our hiring process so seriously at Neighbors Emergency Center. We recruit physicians to join our team that we know have the proper medical knowledge and clinical judgment to be a great neighbor. By doing this we can provide nothing less than the high-quality patient care all emergency facilities should maintain. Our purpose is to make lives better every day, and we want you to feel confident knowing that your healthcare rests in the skilled hands of our board-certified physicians.

But for us, that day has arrived. Neighbors Emergency Center is proud to announce that Dr. Setul Patel, MD, MBA is a finalist for the 2015 EY Entrepreneur of the Year for the Gulf Coast region.

On June 25th, we will be excited to attend the gala at the Hilton Americas – Houston Hotel, where the award winner will be announced. I hope they don’t mind if we bring signs and noisemakers to cheer on our accomplished leader.

Regional award winners are eligible for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year national awards, which will be announced on November 14th in Palm Springs, California. The winner of the national award will go on to compete for the World Entrepreneur of the Year Award in June 2016 in Monaco.

EY’s Entrepreneur Of The Year is considered the world’s most prestigious business award. The nominees not only create and build successful businesses, but also revolutionize their industry, perpetuate a standard of excellence, create jobs, and bring a sense of vibrancy to surrounding communities.

Dr. Setul G. Patel, MD, MBA helped found Neighbors Health System in 2008, a regional emergency medicine healthcare delivery model through free-standing emergency facilities. As President and CEO, Setul has helped grow the company with simple philosophies—take care of the patient and take care of the people who deliver their care. In addition to providing exceptional patient care, Neighbors offers physicians equity opportunities to invest in their facilities. This model has helped grow the pool of quality physicians in the Neighbors organization, and lead to high quality patient care in the communities they serve.

Dr. Setul Patel started his career as an emergency room physician, graduating from the University of Virginia Medical School and completing specialty training at Christiana Care Health System in Newark, Delaware, where he was also Chief Resident. After obtaining his MBA from the University of Tennessee and graduating Phi Kappa Phi, Dr. Patel helped found Neighbors and has never looked back. His leadership style is mission driven and vision focused, and believes sound business principles lead to value delivery and organizational success. Through a hectic administrative schedule, Setul still finds time to see patients through clinical shifts in the ER several times a month, exemplifying the philosophies he promotes.

Congratulations to Dr. Patel for being a finalist in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award selections for the Gulf Coast region.

Houston based Neighbors Health System is a leading emergency medicine care delivery system through free-standing emergency centers focused on quality, patient convenience, and a concierge care platform that has become the industry benchmark for emergency healthcare. For more information, please visit www.nec24.com.”