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  • Sunday, October 11, 2020 8:38 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    AAPI Charitable Foundation

    The AAPI Charitable Foundation was conceived in 1989, by a group of far-thinking and well-meaning AAPI physicians in collaboration with the governing and general body membership. AAPI-CF is an independently registered 501(c) (3) charitable foundation.

    AAPI was established in August of 1982 when Dr. Ujammal Kothari was appointed chair and Drs. Jagan Kakarala, Ratnakar Kini, Bhimsen Rao & Bhanu Shah as its members. Dr. Kakarala & Dr. Rao drafted the first constitution and bylaws.

    The first AAPI meeting was held in Dearborn, Michigan where Dr. Kothari was

    elected as the first president, Dr. Navin Shah, as vice president and Dr. Kakarala as secretary.

    Subsequently, a second AAPI meeting was held in Boston. It was our privilege to host a lunch at our restaurant Raj Mahal in Newton Center.

    In keeping with the goals and objectives of AAPI, AAPI Charitable Foundation was established in 1989, after the AAPI Orlando, Florida convention under the chairmanship of Dr. Vijaynagar. The convention brought in a net income of $35,000.00, which was in a big way a catalyst for establishing the charitable foundation.

    Dr. Gautam Shah of Phoenix, Arizona, an ardent supporter and well-wisher of AAPI’s charitable projects served as the first chair of the foundation. The prime directive of all the subsequent foundation chairs was to raise funds to support the foundation’s charitable projects. By the time Dr. Vijayanagar became chair, the charitable foundation offered support to two clinics, one in Punjab and the other in Ammanpatti village outside Bangalore. Subsequently, AAPI Charitable Foundation opened a third charitable clinic in Bombay on December 02, 1991. Since these early days AAPI-CF is now supporting seventeen clinics across India.

    In 1997, when Dr. Ranga Reddy was the AAPI president and Dr. Indra Pandit the chair of the charitable foundation, a patron trustee membership was proposed for AAPI-CF. A ten thousand dollar ($10,000.00) patron trustee membership fee brought in additional funds for the charitable trust.

    In the early days of the trust assisted with transfer of technology and much needed medical equipment to India. From these small beginnings AAPI-CF expanded its charitable goals. At the present day AAPI-CF is supporting charitable causes and relief activities in the USA and in India. It is also providing much needed medical and preventive care to the indigent community in the USA through its regional associations and in India where it is supporting close to 17 clinics.

    A few AAPI members have visited these AAPI-CF charitable clinics and also run health camps in clinics in India, as well as conducted educational programs on health, hygiene, nutrition and life support training. The experience of these visiting doctors has been most gratifying to both the care giver and the receiver of the medical education and care (please visit our website: www.aapi-cf.com. to explore all the AAPI-CF activities)

    I have served AAPI-CF for many years since 1989 and raised funds for AAPI-CF. As an example on my husband Onaly Kapasi’s 50th birthday we donated $ 25,000.00 to AAPI-CF (Dr. Indra Pandit was the AAPI-CF chair). Also all proceeds from sale of books authored by Dr. Onaly Kapasi are earmarked to AAPI-CF. I am proud to inform you that ALL (5) members of our family are patron trustees of AAPI-CF. When my mom passed away we asked family and friends not to send flowers but instead write a donation to AAPI-CF.

    During my term as AAPI CF Chair from July 2018 I have enjoyed the most distinct privilege and camaraderie with two very distinctive presidents, Drs. Naresh Parikh and Suresh Reddy. Both presidents have been very helpful in making me realize lofty goals I set for AAPI-CF –Thank you.

    Chair, AAPI-CF July 2018 –July 2020

     

    My mission for AAPI-CF during my term in office was as follows:

    1. Keep all AAPI-CF financial dealings, transparent and above board.

    2. Keep an open mind for new innovative ideas.

    3. Consolidate all accounts.

    4. Visit clinics and run health camps.

    5. To keep open communication with all and initiate 5 years audit of AAPI-CF accounts

    I am pleased to report success with achieving all our collective goals- thank you for your help.

    Highlights:

     To commemorate and honor a magnanimous donation made by Dr. Hansa Topiwala, a perpetual calendar on ‘Women’s Health” was published and offered for sale to assist with raising funds for AAPI-CF.

     During my term AAPI-CF added more than a million dollars to charitable foundation, coffers. This was achieved by raising funds, making patron trustees and consolidating all accounts.

     Raised significant funds for AAPI COVID-19 Relief Fund. Funds were distributed in USA and also to India for the Prime Minister’s Fund.

    In Gratitude:

     My deep gratitude to family and friends for donating graciously in time and money

     My deep gratitude to Drs. Naresh Parikh & Suresh Reddy for giving AAPI-CF a platform and for their

    assistance with funding and distribution of funds for meaningful projects such as flood relief in India and

    assisting combating COVID19.

     Special thanks to Girish Thakar, and Sonia Khanna for appropriately managing AAPI-CF funds and to

    Vijaya Kodali for her able and timely assistance

     Honorable mention for Drs. Onaly Kapasi, Raj Bansal, Sudhir & Sudha Parikh, B. K Kishore, Sudhakar

    Jonnalagadda, Anupama Gotimukula, Jayesh Shah, Raj Bhayani, Anjana & Gautam Samadder, Seema Arora, Sajani Shah, Sameer Kapasi, Ravi Kolli, Satheesh Kathula, Lokesh Edara, Suresh C. Gupta, Bhavani Srinivasan, Udaya Shivangi, Shobha Gupta and Kusum Punjabi and so many others for their support, assistance and much valued advice – Thank you

    Progress Report:

    1. Each and every clinic receiving AAPI-CF funds has been advised to obtain and submit FCRA number to remain in compliance with Indian foreign contributions laws.

    2. AAPI-CF donated $25,000.00 to AAPI for COVID-19 funds

    3. Raised additional $50,000.00 from AAPI well-wishers for COVID19 funds

    4. Participated on COVID fund distribution committee

    5. Assisted with arranging “Appreciation Lunches” for nurse/healthcare workers involved with COVID care

    6. Raised a record amount of funds for the AAPI-CF since taking over command

    7. Published an AAPI-CF Women’s Health Calendar* in the memory of a major donor, Dr Hansa Topiwalla.

    * Calendar is available for purchase from AAPI-CF (chanderkapasi@hotmail.com). All proceeds go to

    AAPI-CF

    8. Launched a dedicated APPI-CF website: www.AAPI-CF.com

    9. Inaugurated the calendar at AAPI Governing Body Meeting in Long Island, New York

    10. Made distinctive, one of a kind lapel pins as a thank you for all AAPI-CF Patron Trustees, past AAPI-CF

    chairs and AAPIU-CF supporters

    Respectfully submitted

    Dr Chander Kapasi 


     

  • Friday, June 12, 2020 2:45 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    New England physicians from South Asia rally #WhiteCoats4BlackLives in Boston

    BOSTON: In solidarity with the movement for justice, peace and racial equality growing across the USA and internationally, the Association of Pakistani Physicians of New England (APPNE) and the Indian Medical Association of New England (IMANE) are holding a #WhiteCoats4BlackLives rally in Boston joined by the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA), Massachusetts Peace Action, Alliance for Secular and Democratic South Asia, the Boston Coalition, Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER), the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Revolutionary United Front, Imamia Muslim Foundation, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (ASCME) 1526and others.

    The rally is planned for Sunday, 14 June, 4– 6pm in front of Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston.

    (Facebookevent link: https://bit.ly/wc4bl14)

    “As a physician viewing the situation from the trenches, I have seen the racial disparity brought out by this pandemic,” says infectious disease specialist Dr Asimah Qayyum of Framingham who initiated the event

    “We have to think beyond ‘charity’ and ‘handouts’ to make systemic change,” says co-organizer Dr Salman Malik, an oral surgeon in New Hampshire. 

    Both physicians have lived in the USA for nearly three decades each and are American citizens. “We’re American first, Pakistani second,” says Dr Malik.

    Physicians and health workers around the country have been converging under the White Coats for Black Lives banner at their hospitals and institutions. This may be the first such demonstration in a public place, with allies from human rights and racial justice groups.

    Average of 1000 people annually die in the USA by Police actions, mostly with firearms but sometimes using no weapons, as in the case of George Floyd and Eric GarnerThis year, police have already shot and killed over 450 people even amidst the global coronavirus pandemic. The victims are disproportionately African American or BlackFloyd’s death was “one event in a continuous system of oppression,” to quote the Rev. GraylanHagler

    The perpetrators are rarely, if ever, punished. The legal doctrine of qualified immunity in United States federal law freezes the constitution, shielding police officers and other government officials from being sued.

    Sunday’s #WhiteCoats4BlackLives rally expresses solidarity with allies around the country and around the world to end systemic racism at this pivotal moment.

     

    WHITE COATS FOR BLACK LIVES #WhiteCoats4BlackLives

    WhiteCoats4BlackLives is a medical student-run organization born out of the National White Coat Die-In demonstrations that took place on 10 December 2014

    - www.whitecoats4blacklives.org

    VisionTo safeguard the lives and well-being of our patients through the elimination of racism.

    Mission StatementTo dismantle racism in medicine and promote the health, well-being, and self-determination of people of color.

    Goals:

    1. Foster dialogue on racism as a public health concern.

    • Encourage physicians, physician organizations, and medical institutions to publicly recognize racism as a public health issue.

    • Promote medical students’ involvement in local and national movements to end racism and police brutality.

    • Advocate for the funding and promotion of research on the health effects of racism.

    2. End racial discrimination in medical care.

    • Demand that academic medical centers serve the healthcare needs of their local communities, particularly the needs of patients of color.

    • Promote the allocation of funding for interventions that dismantle racism in the delivery of medical care.

    • Ensure equal access to medical care by advocating for the establishment of a single-payer national health insurance program.

    3. Prepare future physicians to be advocates for racial justice.

    • Improve the recruitment and support of Black, Latinx, and Native American medical students.

    • Promote the recruitment, retention, and hiring of Black, Latinx, and Native American physicians in medical school teaching, research, and leadership positions.

    • Develop national medical school curricular standards that educate current and future medical professionals on the history and current manifestations of racism in medicine, principles of anti-racism, and strategies for dismantling structural racism.  

    #WC4BL 14 June media contacts: Dr Salman Malik

  • Thursday, June 04, 2020 6:49 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    In memory of a very faithful IMANE member who attended most of the meetings & was such a humble soul. RIP. OM SHANTI

    Dr. Dhansukhlal C. Mandalaywala, commonly known as “Dr. Lal,” is an internist from Dudley, Massachusetts.

    He passed away on May 18, 2020 and was cremated on May 21, 2020 at Phaneuf Crematorium in Manchester, New Hampshire. He is survived by his son, Amol Mandalaywala, his daughter-in-law, Thea Ghandy Mandalaywala, and their son Kaian Mandalaywala, as well as his daughter, Anjali Kaul, her husband, Eric Kaul, and their children Arianna and Andrew Kaul. During the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Mandalaywala, aged 81, continued to practice medicine and treat patients. In spite of following all precautions, he contracted Covid-19 from seeing patients. He is a true hero of our community and will always be remembered as the physician who continued to serve the needy in spite of the risks. Due to the restrictions and social distancing practices resulting from COVID-19, his funeral was attended only by his immediate family and was live streamed for family, friends and associates who could not attend.

    Dr. Mandalaywala was born and raised in Mandalay, Burma and attended the Institute of Medicine 1 in Rangoon (Yangon), Burma (Myanmar) and thereafter became a Professor at his alma mater. After immigrating to the US in 1973, he completed his residency at Saint Vincent’s Hospital in Worcester, MA. He later served as an Assistant Professor at UMass Medical School and attending physician for the mentally challenged and physically handicapped for nearly two decades. Since 2005, he volunteered as an attending physician at India Society of Worcester and Indian Medical Association of New England’s Free Health Stop to help provide health care for the underserved and uninsured. At the Free Health Stop, he also served as a clinical instructor for UMass medical school students who volunteered at the free clinic. In addition, he provided diligent medical care for survivors of domestic violence who sought help from India Society of Worcester’s Crisis Group. Moreover, with the emergence of the opioid epidemic, Dr. Mandalaywala focused his attention to Addiction Medicine to help promote the recovery of persons with addiction.

    Dr. Mandalaywala (Dr. Lal) will always be remembered for his volunteerism, and his dedication to his patients and the profession of medicine. He was a clinician who inspired other colleagues to also espouse the highest standards of care for every patient. He will be missed by his patients at the Free Health Stop for his compassionate care and interest in their well-being. His associates and colleagues will not only miss his professionalism and advocacy in promoting the welfare of others but also his smile and stories about his experiences in Burma and medical school. When asked about his ethics or principles and religion, he often replied: “I was born in a Hindu family, went to Catholic school and raised in a Buddhist country.” He exemplified the maxim of his medical school: “upaṭhānaṃ, anukammā, dayā” (in Pali) which translates into “service, sympathy, humanity.” It would have also led him to reject the notion that he is a hero as he believed that patients need to be seen regardless of the risk of coronavirus.

    For his friends and family who knew him well, Dr. Mandalaywala will be missed for his humor, infectious smile and his love of good food ranging from ragda patties to the South Indian idli and sambhar or the Burmese favorites khao swè and mohinga. His family will always remember him for his generous spirit and willingness to help whenever anyone needed it.


  • Saturday, May 23, 2020 7:19 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Message/Report from Dr. Sameer Kapasi - AAPI New England Representative - 2017 IMANE President

    Thank you to all for your generous donations to COVID-19 Fund.

    Thank you, members of the AAPI Funds distribution committee, Drs. Suresh Reddy, Seema Arora, Sudhakar Jonnalagadda, Anupama Gotimukula, Surendra Purohit, and Chair of the Committee Jayesh Shah for your efforts in appropriate and timely distribution of the funds. An especial thank you to Dr. Chander Kapasi, Chairperson of Charitable Foundation for her persistent efforts in raising substantial donations for the COVID funds through the Charitable Foundation.

    I do not want to miss the opportunity to thank Drs. Anil Tibrewal, Raghu Lolabhattu, Raj Bhayani and our AAPI president Dr. Suresh Reddy for providing appreciatory lunches to our hard-working nurses in all 50 States. Healthcare workers have risen up to the highest professional expectation during these trying times.

    I must also recognize Dr. Madhvi Gorusu, President of the Connecticut Association of Physicians from India, for her and her CAPI’s contributions. CAPI is buying food for local health care providers and providing support to food kitchens. CAPI used AAPI COVID funds to buy PPE for distribution to all eight counties of Connecticut.

    Dr. Dhrumil Shah, President of the Indian Medical Association of New England, has been working with his team since day one. Kudos to them during these trying times.

    IMANE distributed PPE to local nursing homes and homeless shelters. They have also ordered 500 N 95 masks which will be distributed by IMANE membership. They have 3D printed face shields parts and surgical mask ear guards for healthcare workers

    Respectfully,
    Sameer O. Kapasi, M.D., F.A.A.P.M.R.
    Regional Director, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin
    2017 President, Indian Medical Association of New England
    Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine

         


  • Saturday, March 28, 2020 2:30 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Coronavirus/COVID- 19 Update

    We are all aware of the pandemic and its current status as it goes on an international rampage in over 59 countries, with USA now leading in the number of cases and getting worse as of right now.

    During these challenging times, we at IMANE would like to support our New England community by providing resources and helping answer any health related questions pertaining to our community that you may have.
    Here is some basic info and credible resource websites.

    We are aware that many of you have other questions regarding Visa status, resources for our elders who had to extend their stay for meds etc. We are working closely with multiple other community organizations to bring you the information and we will keep posting updates.

    INFORMATION-


    CDC website has some basic information about the virus
    https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html

    https://www.who.int/emergen…/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

    TELE MEDICINE

    Please take your medications regularly, as advised by your physician.
    If needed, there are telemedicine providers who can help.

    Stay in and Stay well

    Please follow the guidelines to keep yourself, your loved ones and all health care professionals helping the community safe, despite all odds.
    NO play dates, no corona party, no meeting friends because they also “have been home”.


    How to boost your IMMUNITY during these times

    Be Stress Free. Be cautious and prevention is key but fear is not.
    Regular exercise and fresh air while managing the social distance.
    Include lots of fresh fruit, nuts and vegetables in your diet.
    Meditate! Here is an easy to follow technique.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khVAeWGfRv0
    Listen to good things, think good thoughts, be positive and send positive messages to others while being pragmatic.
    Will and Health care proxy update ICC


    Sincerely,

    IMANE Leadership TEAM


  • Thursday, February 20, 2020 9:50 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Information on 2019-nCoV is rapidly evolving.

    Please check MMS Website regularly for the latest updated guidance and information.
     
    Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MA DPH) 2019- nCoV Resources


  • Saturday, February 15, 2020 9:09 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Large group of IMANE Members and Leadership team representatives recently attended AAPI Governing Body Meeting during the February 7-9 weekend at Long Island, NewYork. We would like to thank AAPI-QLI Chapter for hosting us and organizing great event. We experienced some very informative talks & discussions. Participated in Governing Body updates and voted on some key initiatives and changes to further the growth and value of AAPI. Met many of the IMANE & AAPI friends & community members. Missed many who could not join us.

    Dr. Saraswathi Muppanna addressed AAPI governing body as our IMANE 2019 President on our achievements and community engagement milestones from 2019, in addition to our monumental change implemented in our bylaws regarding inclusion of podiatry specialty. Representing AAPI Charitable Trust, Dr. Chandar Kapasi of IMANE updated the group on the launch of  Women’s Health Calendar & distributed with the hope to raise funds for Charitable Foundation. Our heartiest congratulations to Dr. Sajani Shah of IMANE for getting elected as AAPI BOT Chair starting in July 2020 after Dr. Seema Arora of IMANE finishes her term. 

    Some of the pics attached here 

    Thank you

    Dhrumil Shah

    IMANE President 2020

         

  • Wednesday, January 22, 2020 3:51 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    IMANE launches Facebook mentorship program for members and community stakeholders so that you can get or give support to another member of our community. We are excited to see all of us build stronger relationships with each other and hope you'll join us.

    Here's how the program works:

    You sign up, match yourself with a partner, and get helpful conversation starters each week so you get to know each other better. It's up to you how much time you want to spend together and what goals you want to work towards.

    https://www.facebook.com/fbmentorship/signup/?application_id=277157976514370

  • Friday, January 17, 2020 9:42 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    WALTHAM, MA—In a major move that may force other medical organizations to include podiatrists as their full members with voting rights, the Indian Medical Association of New England (IMANE) has changed its bylaws to accept podiatrists as the full and voting members of the organization. IMANE is one of the nation’s oldest medical organizations of the physicians of Indian origin.

    After IMANE bylaws were changed late last year, Podiatrist Deepa Jhaveri has joined IMANE as a full member. In addition, she has been also elected as treasurer of IMANE. 


    Read more

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