Dr. Jyoti Patel of AZ Integrative Medicine & Spa has been named by a national organization as one of 20 Top Women in White Coats Heroes.

She is triple boarded in internal medicine, pediatrics and integrative medicine.

All 20 nominees will be honored April 5 for their contributions at a conference and wellness retreat at Chateau Elan near Atlanta.

One will become Hero of the Year, based on online voting. To vote, visit WomenInWhiteCoats.com/heroes through Feb. 28.

In her profile, Patel is described as “passionate about teaching her patients and the local community about food as medicine, mind body practices like mindfulness, meditation and breath work and the importance of movement, community and purpose as it relates to health.”

She provides public education through workshops, health blogs and informational videos on social media platforms.

Her mission, according to the bio, is to empower people to take back control of their health using natural holistic methods and focusing on wellness and prevention.

Spearheading the 2.5-acre community garden is listed as an accomplishment. In three years, the project has grown from an empty lot to 120 raised organic beds, a food donation program to Extended Hands Food Bank, four bee hives, a greenhouse, children’s gardening beds, native seed teaching beds, a medicinal garden, compost program, and soon-to-be-completed demonstration kitchen for “Farm to Table” education programs.

Last year, the Chamber of Commerce chose her as Volunteer of the Year for developing the garden.

Dr. Patel was named one of the Top Docs in Phoenix Magazine in 2009 and 2016; Healthcare Provider of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce in 2017, and Internist of the Year in 2011 by the American College of Physicians Arizona Chapter.

Patel is a graduate from the University of Southern Florida and received her medical degree from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill. She completed two years of study at the University Of Arizona College Of Medicine, Tucson.

She sold her previous pediatrics and internal medical practice at the end of December.