DR. KIRAN C PATEL
Cardiologist, Philanthropist, Community Leader, Entrepreneur, Hotelier
“Imagine the number of lives you’re going to touch…” - Dr. Kiran C Patel/ TBT, 9/25/17
Recently named Floridian of the Year 2018 by Florida Trend Magazine, since the early 1980’s, Dr. Kiran C. Patel has been taking the entire state of Florida by storm. Dr. Patel is a prominent leader among the Indian community; among the Carrollwood community where he has lived for over 30 years; and among the whole Tampa Bay community.
Kiran Patel was born in Zambia, Africa to Asian-Indian parents. He was educated under the British Educational System in Zambia and then got his diplomas from Cambridge University and The University of London. He then went to study medicine at Gujarat University in India and did his Internship in Africa. Dr. Patel did his residency in Internal Medicine in New Jersey in 1980. He completed a fellowship in the cardiology program affiliated with the Columbia University of New York in 1982.
Dr. Kiran moved to Tampa, Florida in 1982 and began his practice in cardiology. He was very successful and became a distinguished cardiologist in that area. He developed a physician practice management company and expanded throughout the Tampa Bay area, diverging into 14 practices including Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Cardiology.
Kiran was also in partnership with many point-of-service locations to form a multi-specialty network. This network helped patients access most medical services conveniently. He has actively engaged himself in managed care contracts and it has expanded considerably, providing care now for more than 80,000 patients. Apart from this, he has developed good associations with several HMOs and hospitals.
His success in managed care contracts led a group of doctors to seek his services to help them with an HMO in New Port Richey, Florida. Dr. Patel took up the project after discussing a pre-determined purchase option of the company. It was called the Well Care HMO, Inc. (Well Care). In 1992, Dr. Kiran Patel, along with Rupesh Shah, CEO, and Pradip Patel, President, started a Medicaid managed care company. This company became the largest Medicaid provider in the state of Florida.
Dr. Patel also helped to bring around the struggling HMO, WellCare of New York and Connecticut.
He worked with more than 95 hospitals and a few hundred physicians in settling past due medical claims.
Between 1995 and 2002, Dr. Kiran Patel built the business into a billion-dollar company, providing services to more than 450,000 members, employing more than 1,200 employees and operating in Florida, New York and Connecticut.
Chronology of Dr. Kiran C. Patel’s managed health care career:
1985: Together with his wife and other family members, Dr. Kiran C. Patel started a physicians’ practice ownership and management company which quickly expanded to 14 practices including family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics and cardiology serving more than 8,000 patients.
1992: Became the Chairman of the Board of Wellcare HMO which under his leadership, grew to become the second largest HMO in Florida and the fifth largest in the U.S., serving more than 200,000 members.
1999: Acquired a struggling New York HMO and together the companies became the WellCare Management Group with annual revenues of over $1 billion, over 1,200 employees and serving over 400,000 members.
2002: Sold majority interest in the Wellcare Management Group for $200 million, becoming an instant multimillionaire in the process.
2007: Following the expiration of a 5 year non-compete, acquired a new HMO holding company called America’s 1st Choice of South Carolina and two Tampa Bay area Medicare HMO’s, Freedom Health and Optimum Healthcare. Dr. Patel grew these companies from a fledgling 12,500 members to over 115,000 members with a combined $1.4 billion in premium. Currently, Optimum Healthcare is the only 5 star rated Medicare Advantage Plan in the state of Florida; Freedom Health rates 4.5 stars.
2018: Sold Americas 1st Choice (which includes Freedom Health and Optimum Healthcare) to Anthem for an undisclosed amount.
Today, his business enterprise encompasses luxury real estate development, medical software, healthcare solutions, commercial property acquisition and management, personal aircraft and charter, restaurants, and more.
Shilen PATEL
Entrepreneur, Investor, Community Leader
Shilen Patel is an executive of the Drs Kiran and Pallavi Patel Family Office, which has deployed over $1 billion of capital into billions of dollars’ worth of deals and assets worldwide including biotechnology, hospitality, manufacturing, technology, and mobility.
From 2011 to 2022, Shilen was the CEO and Owner of HealthAxis, a national provider of Healthcare IT, Analytics, and Tech-Enabled Services now with investment from a $4 billion private equity firm. Shilen previously led Visionary HealthWare through 20x revenue growth before selling it to a public European company. He is an active early stage and private equity investor, as well as founder of multiple other enterprises. His personal investments span technology, sports, healthcare, fintech, media, F&B, real estate, and numerous other sectors. Notably in 2023, Shilen acquired and became Chairman of Fitlife Foods, a Florida-based healthy prepared meal delivery company that sells almost 2 million meals a year.
Shilen has taken inspiration from the prolific philanthropy of his parents and strives to be a positive community force. In early 2021, he was appointed to the University of South Florida Board of Trustees. Since that time, the University has attained prestigious AAU status, built a new $180 million downtown home for the Morsani College of Medicine, and committed to the construction of a new $320 million, 35,000 seat on campus stadium. He chaired the Community Enrichment Lab, a non-profit focused on supporting the Uptown Tampa community. During the pandemic, their “We Nourish” program served 40,000 meals to people in need while also helping save dozens of local restaurants and support hundreds of restaurant workers suffering through lockdown and indoor dining restrictions. In 2022, Shilen and his wife established the Shilen and Parita Patel Family Foundation, which will serve as their platform for local and international giving, with a pledge to distribute at least $1 million to local nonprofits in the coming years.
In 2017, Mr. Patel became a co-founder and Chairman of the TiE Tampa Bay Angel Fund, a $3 million fund established to financially support Florida startups, improve understanding and awareness of angel investing among Tampa Bay investors, and help startups fulfill their potential as value drivers and community assets. Additionally, He is a founding Director of Central Bank, a community bank founded in Tampa with branches in central and north Florida.
In 2013, Mr. Patel graduated from the EMBA-Global Programme at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business and the London Business School with an MBA from both institutions. He received his undergraduate degree in business with a concentration in entrepreneurship at Babson College in 2002.
Most importantly, Shilen is a husband to Parita, his wife of 15 years, and father to Mila, Arjun, and Siddharth ages 11, 10, and 8.
