Dr. Vinni Makin is the Director of Endocrinology for the Cleveland Clinic’s Endocrinology and Metabolism Institute in the East region; where she provides overall direction and leadership for endocrinology operations for six distinct facilities. With a career spanning the areas of education, clinical work and administration, Dr. Makin is renowned for her expertise at balancing the theoretical knowledge of endocrinology with actual clinical practice. She has successfully devised scalable processes for making healthcare delivery more efficient, while continually improving institutional standards of patient care.

As a firm believer in improving public health through better education of healthcare providers, Dr. Makin holds a number of academic appointments, including the Director of the 2nd year Endocrinology Curriculum at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Ohio Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine and the past Director of Endocrinology Curriculum at the Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Osteopathic Internal Medicine Residency program. Dr. Makin was the Education Fellow at the Cleveland Clinic Education Institute, a highly competitive Fellowship focused on leadership in original, independent research in the field of medical education. A celebrated educator, Dr. Makin has won a host of awards for developing the next generation of healthcare professionals, including the Scholarship in Teaching Award in both 2014 and 2016.

Active across a variety of professional organizations, Dr. Makin is secretary and board member of the Ohio River Region Society of Endocrinology (ORRSE), and has served on various national committees such as the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE) National Diversity and Inclusion Committee, AACE Public Impact Committee, the Search committee for the editor- in chief for “Endocrine Practice” as well as “AACE Clinical Case Reports”. Recently, as the Director of the EMI grand rounds, Dr. Makin has led the transformation of the Endocrinology Grand Rounds through a nationalization initiative called EMI LIVE, which focuses on broadcasting the grand rounds nationally, increasing the outreach, influence and audience tenfold.

A Fellow of the American College of Endocrinology, Dr. Makin underwent medical training at the Lady Hardinge Medical College, one of India’s top 10 medical colleges. She then pursued an internal medicine residency from John Stroger Hospital of Cook County in Chicago, and completed her endocrinology and metabolism fellowship from the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Makin is an alumnus of the prestigious Case Western Reserve University FLEX Leadership program that focuses on developing female physicians for top-tier leadership opportunities.

Dear AIPNO community,

I am honored to serve as the President of AIPNO for 2022, and to have this wonderful platform to contribute to worthy causes and organizations, foster and showcase excellence in medical research, and shape the delivery of excellent medical care – particularly to underserved populations in our community and India.

Over the past nearly four decades, AIPNO has developed a legacy of selfless service, continually enhancing community involvement, improving the standards of medicine and enhancing access to medical care across communities – ideals that are foundational to my own personal and professional journey. As the health care landscape continues to evolve, I am committed to partnering with each of you in the coming year to living AIPNO’s values and furthering its mission. Many foundational efforts are being launched and continued to this end, including the AIPNO Medical quiz contest to increase medical trainee engagement and AIPNO’s partnership with the Cleveland chapter of the South Asian Medical Student Association for which I serve as faculty advisor. Strengthening our public profile and increasing participation from the wider community – including practicing clinicians, medical students and residents, healthcare administrators, researchers, philanthropists and others – will be a key focus for the AIPNO team in 2022.

If the past two years of living with the pandemic have taught us something, it is that there is nothing we cannot overcome when we work together, trust each other, act with compassion and empathy, and remain resilient in the face of seemingly insurmountable adversity. After all, as the old adage goes – if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far; go together.

I look forward to furthering the causes of education and philanthropy, and helping our communities get closer to the ultimate goal of health for all with your support in 2022 and beyond.

Vinni Makin, MD
President