LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Dr. Uma Mishra upon the occasion of his
designation for special recognition by the American Cancer Society in
recognition of his ceaseless service to his community

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and pay
tribute to those individuals within the medical field who distinguish
themselves through professional excellence and who have made significant
contributions to the quality of life of citizens in the State of New
York; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Dr.
Uma Mishra upon the occasion of his designation for special recognition
by the American Cancer Society at Newburgh's Relay for Life to be held
on Saturday, June 13, 2009, at Cronomer Park, Town of Newburgh, New
York; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Uma Mishra has continually demonstrated extreme compe-
tence, extraordinary intelligence and diligent leadership in his unwav-
ering service to his community and profession; and
WHEREAS, Each year, for many years, Dr. Uma and Dr. Shanti Mishra
sponsor a kickoff dinner at Anthony's Pier 9 for all of the volunteers
of the Newburgh Relay for Life, as well as a kickoff breakfast for
hundreds of people for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
campaign; and
WHEREAS, While Dr. Uma and Dr. Shanti Mishra's generosity is greatly
appreciated what makes them truly shine is their infinite compassion for
his patients and their families; and
WHEREAS, The best barometer of their dedication to his patients and
their community is demonstrated by the outpouring of gratitude and love
that Dr. Uma Mishra receives from his patients, survivors and their
families at the Relay for Life each year; and
WHEREAS, Born in a remote village in India on March 20, 1947, Uma
Ballava Mishra graduated from high school in 1964, as one of the top 25
students in the state of Orissa; this resulted in a National Merit Scho-
larship, which enabled him to become the first member of his family to
attend college; and
WHEREAS, As a child, Uma Mishra witnessed his brother's untimely death
from an injury-related infection and later, when he was a medical
student, his father passed away after a brief illness; these tragedies
left a very strong impression regarding the unavailability of affordable
healthcare for the average person; he overcame these struggles and other
hardships during his student life and ultimately graduated from SCB
Medical College in Cuttack, India in 1971; and
WHEREAS, While interning at a hospital in Orissa, Uma Mishra met his
wife, Shanti; she had been accepted as a graduate student in SUNY
Albany's physics department for fall 1972; they were married in July
1972 and Shanti left for the United States six weeks later; shortly
thereafter, Uma convinced the U.S. consulate to give him a spousal visa
to visit his wife; and
WHEREAS, In 1975, Dr. Uma Mishra was able to change his visa status
and get a job as a fellow in surgical oncology; he completed a pathology
residency in New York, and then a year of residency in internal medicine
in Dayton, Ohio; and
WHEREAS, In July 1978, Dr. Uma Mishra was accepted as a resident in
Radiation Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; he
completed this residency in 1981, and was certified by the American
Board of Radiology in 1982; he then worked as an attending Radiation
Oncologist at New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Uma Mishra has received fellowships from American College
of Radiation Oncology and American College of Radiology; he has served
as the President of the Medical Society of Orange County for two years
and is the past Chairperson of the Radiation Oncology Division of the
Radiological Society of the State of New York; and
WHEREAS, In 1986, a Medical Oncologist colleague invited Dr. Uma Mish-
ra to move to Newburgh as the Medical Director of the local radiation
center; under his able leadership, the Newburgh Radiation Center became
a flourishing cancer treatment facility in the Hudson Valley and a prof-
itable venture for the investors; and
WHEREAS, After the radiation center was sold in 1992, Dr. Uma Mishra
developed a business plan to open a new state-of-the-art facility,
Orange County Radiation Oncology; and
WHEREAS, Over the past 15 years, Orange County Radiation Oncology has
remained at the forefront of cancer care in Orange County; no patient is
ever turned away because of their insurance status and all are treated
with the utmost respect and compassion; and
WHEREAS, In 1997, Dr. Uma Mishra wanted to have a "Celebration of
Life" event at his office for his patients and their families; the event
was very well attended, but the logistics of having 200 people in the
parking lot was fraught with difficulties, so, Uma convinced the Ameri-
can Cancer Society to hold its Relay for Life event in Newburgh, New
York; and
WHEREAS, With a grant from the Kaplan Family Foundation, the first
Relay was held in June 1998 in Cronomer Park; over the last 11 years,
Dr. Uma Mishra has worked tirelessly to make every Relay a success; he
has also been a flagship sponsor of the Making Strides event at Woodbury
Commons; and
WHEREAS, As a naturalized citizen of the United States, Dr. Uma Mishra
has lived the American dream; he has tried to give back to the community
that has sustained him, and at the same time, has worked tirelessly to
establish a modern hospital in his home state of Orissa, India; for the
past 20 years, he has been a member of the executive team of the Kalinga
Hospital in Bhubaneswar, Orissa's capital city; and
WHEREAS, Exemplifying the virtues of sacrifice, excellence and perse-
verance, Dr. Uma Mishra is a strong and pioneering role model to be
emulated by all; and
WHEREAS, As a leader in his profession and community, Dr. Uma Mishra
has proven himself to be an invaluable asset to medicine and to the
health and welfare of the citizens of the State of New York; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Dr. Uma Mishra upon the occasion of his designation for special
recognition by the American Cancer Society in recognition of his cease-
less service to his community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Dr. Uma Mishra.