HTML > BODY { background: red; }
Menu
Log in

INDIAN  MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OF NEW ENGLAND

Log in

IMANE News

  • Friday, December 06, 2013 4:16 PM | Deleted user
  • Wednesday, November 27, 2013 7:30 AM | Deleted user
    Nineteen past presidents, four special guests join jam-packed IMANE's 35th annual meeting



    Dr. Salil Midha and Dr. Dinesh Patel, two well-respected physicians in the New England area, were honored for their work and contributions at the Indian Medical Association of New England's 35th Annual Meeting at the Burlington Marriott Hotel in Burlington, Mass. Midha, who recently completed his 25th charitable mission to Africa, was presented with the 2013 Community Service Award at the November 23 event while Patel, who serves as the chief of arthroscopic surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, was honored with the 2013 Distinguished Physician Award. Apart from Midha and Patel, other prominent individuals present at IMANE's November 23 event included distinguished guests Devyani Khobragade, Consul General of India in New York, Vikas Sukhatme, Victor J. Aresty Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Jayesh Shah, president of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, and Ravi Jagirdaar, AAPI's president-elect.
  • Wednesday, November 27, 2013 7:30 AM | Deleted user
    Dr. Vikas Sukhatme's keynote address at IMANE: "Tomorrow's Cures, Yesterday's Medicines"

    By Dr. Vikas Sukhatme   

    I am honored and delighted to be here tonight and to share with you some thoughts about a problem that my wife Vidula, who is in the audience, and I are passionate about. Let's think about a woman who discovers a lump in her breast or is told of a suspicious lesion on a routine mammogram. A biopsy shows cancer. This event occurs about 200,000 times annually in the US, or over 500 times a day. 95% of these women show no evidence that the cancer has spread to other organs. For these women, the goal of therapy is to cure. They typically undergo removal of the tumor or a more extensive operation, a mastectomy, depending on a number of factors. Sometimes they get radiation therapy to prevent local/regional recurrence and even chemotherapy to attempt to wipe out micrometastases that might later give rise to systemic disease. Yet relapses do occur - systemically - and of the 40,000 deaths from breast cancer annually in the US, ¾ of the women had first presented with localized disease.
  • Wednesday, November 20, 2013 7:40 AM | Deleted user
    IMANE Annual Meeting to feature Dr. Sukhatme's keynote on "Tomorrow's Cures, Yesterday's Medicines" 
     
     Sukhatme


    Dr. Vikas P. Sukhatme, Victor J. Aresty Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, will make the keynote address during the 35th Annual Meeting of the Indian Medical Association of New England (IMANE) and discuss "Tomorrow's Cures, Yesterday's Medicines."

    "The idea is rather simple. There exist promising ideas for treating deadly diseases such as cancer that are not being developed because they lack profitability. In other words, they are not reaching mainstream medicine because they have no sponsor," said Dr. Sukhatme, who is also the co-founder of GlobalCures.  "And here is what makes this truly tragic. Many of these ideas are affordable, immediately implementable, novel and could have a very significant impact on outcomes.  I will discuss this problem and possible solutions. That is the problem GlobalCures is addressing with a focus on cancer."

    Dr. Sukhatme said he is looking forward to addressing IMANE members and meeting old friends and making new ones at the event, which is scheduled for Nov. 23 at the Burlington Marriott Hotel in Burlington, Mass. Before the cocktail reception and the gala, IMANE will also hold its annual general body meeting and elect new office bearers, executive committee and a board of trustees.

    "It is going to be a great event. We are very excited that Dr. Sukhatme has agreed to be the keynote speaker in the evening," said IMANE President Dr. Manju Sheth, adding that the honorable guest at the event will be Ambassador Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay, the new Consul General of India in New York. Dr. Jayesh Shah, President of the Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), will also attend the event.
     
    Dr. Sheth said IMANE will also bestow the Distinguished Physician Award to Dr. Dinesh Patel and the Community Service Award to Dr, Salil Midha. The annual gala will also feature a cultural and entertainment program by the talented IMANE family.



     
     Sheth
    Dr. Sheth, whose term will end on Dec. 31, said 2013 has been a great year for IMANE.

    "I feel very fortunate that I was able to fulfill all the promises that I made when I took over as the 35th president of IMANE. This was only possible due to enormous support of my executive committee and board of trustees," said Dr. Sheth. "One of our main goals this year was to focus on community service and we were able to fulfill that." 

    "IMANE also received several awards this year, but it was the unconditional support from our community that has really been our most important and priceless reward," added Dr. Sheth.

    Dr. Nasir Khan, a member of the Board of Trustee of IMANE and its former president, said that IMANE has had an extraordinarily successful year in 2013.

    "I know that a leader sets the tone and sets the direction for an organization and more importantly the leader has the burden of doing most of the work," said Dr. Khan. "Dr. Sheth spelled out her priorities early in her Presidency and worked diligently and very successfully to accomplish her goals.  These included building and strengthening community alliances, raising funds for charitable organizations, including charitable funds for IMANE's own charitable donations, increasing membership in IMANE and giving IMANE a greater presence in the local community. She was aided by her warm and friendly personality and her excellent communication skills, verbally and in her writings."

    Dr. Khan said IMANE accomplished many things this year. "Our annual CME (continuing medical education) program in the spring at the Massachusetts Medical Society headquarters was very well attended on a Saturday morning with excellent speakers on topical subjects. The first mega Health Expo co-sponsored with India New England held at the Newton Marriott was again very well attended and very successful.  This event was a first between the two organizations and is an example of Dr. Sheth using opportunity and hard work to benefit both organizations," said Dr. Khan. "The President, officers and Executive Committee supported by the Trustees have much to be grateful for leading IMANE to a wider audience."

    Dr. Apurv Gupta, chairman of the board of trustees, said Dr. Manju Sheth and the IMANE team had a banner year in 2013.

    "She and the EC team through their focus on partnering with community organizations not only helped to strengthen the collaborative model, but also helped to make IMANE a much more widely recognized entity throughout the region," said Gupta, adding that accomplishments this year included a first-of-its-kind Health Expo, which received rave reviews. Another signature event was the Nirbhaya fundraiser in partnership with Saheli to support women and children affected by violence." 

    Dr. Manorama Mathur, a past president of IMANE who's slated to take over as the chair of the board of trustees in 2014, said Dr. Sheth and her committee did a great job of engaging, educating, and serving New England's Indian community.

    "This past year went extremely well," said Dr. Mathur, who currently serves on the organization's board of trustees.

    Moving forward, Dr. Mathur said IMANE must continue to work together to help improve cost-effectiveness, educate the community, and organize fundraisers and charity events, all areas she said would be critical in 2014.
     
    Dr. Sajani N. Shah, a surgeon and assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine and currently president-elect of IMANE, will replace Dr. Sheth and lead IMANE in 2014.


    Dr. Sajani N. Shah, a surgeon and assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine and currently president-elect of IMANE, will replace Dr. Sheth and lead IMANE in 2014.

     
     Shah
    "My vision is very much in keeping with the charter of the organization that which I will honor and use as my compass. IMANE is a premier ethnic medical organization. With that said I am interested in bringing about a balance of its academic responsibilities without discounting or overlooking its social responsibilities," Shah said. 

    "The founding members espoused a dream of its perpetuity through an involvement of the second generation of Indian physicians. I believe it is of paramount importance to structure the organization to make it inviting for our young physicians in academia to join it," she added. "Financial independence of IMANE is extremely important. With the help of the trustees and members of my executive committee we will explore alternative venues to raise needed funds to make IMANE financially independent."
     
    Shah also said she is looking forward to working with her outstanding team to strengthen IMANE's membership, community awareness and financial outlook.  




  • Wednesday, October 23, 2013 10:03 AM | Deleted user
    In Conversation With Manju Sheth


    10/23/2013

    (This article is sponsored by Emerson Hospital)

    Dr. Manju Sheth is a Board Certified Internist with keen interest in women’s health. She is president of the Indian Medical Association of New England (IMANE) and works at Lahey Health.                      

                                                                                                         

    Dr. Sheth, who has tremendous passion for women’s causes and community service, was voted Woman of the Year in 2011 as well top 50 most influential Indians in 2011 and 2012. Previously, she served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Asian Task Force for Domestic Violence and as a Co-chair for the first and successful fundraiser in 2010 for Saheli, an organization dedicated to supporting South Asian women and families in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. In addition, Dr. Sheth also serves on the Executive Committee of the Indian American forum for Political education, which helps increase political awareness among South Asians. 

    Dr. Sheth has worked tirelessly on educating women in the community by organizing and leading health symposiums, free health screenings and workshops on financial empowerment of women. She also helped organize the first mega health expo with INEN in 2013 .She closely works with local charities to raise awareness about domestic violence and settlement of victims.She has also helped put together numerous  successful fund raisers for great causes locally including Nirbhaya for Saheli in Sep2013

    Dr. Sheth has been recognized for providing exceptional care to her patients and has received numerous awards for her work.She counts writing as one of her biggest passions and her series 'Chai with Manju' is the most well known series at India New England News.

    Dr. Sheth is married to a physician Dr. Dipak Sheth and has a 15 yr old daughter Shaleen.

    Please share with us some of the highlights under your leadership at IMANE?

    When I took over as IMANE President, I said in my speech that every president brings his or her own vision and strength to an organization. My mission was community service and community outreach under my leadership. I have to say that I have been able to achieve these goals with the help of an excellent executive committee and board of trustees of IMANE.

    We collaborated with INDIA New England News for a free mega South Asian Health Expo in April which was extremely successful and attended by nearly 800 people. We  brought some of the best speakers from medical world of New England  to educate our community and were supported by the area’s almost every  South Asian organization in this venture. We also collaborated with Saheli for Nirbhaya fundraiser in September which was also successful in raising over $56,000 for victims of domestic violence in our own community .

    On a personal level, I was also part of many great musical programs like the Burman show to name a few, which donated funds to IMANE charitable funds that we used to support free health clinics locally. We also organized some great medical, networking and social events for our medical community. In addition, we have planned a fabulous annual meeting of our organization coming up on Nov. 23,  featuring great speakers like Dr. Vikas Sukhatme who will speak about “Yesterday's Medicine and Tomorrow’s Cures” and also  our new Consul General of India Ambassador Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay will be our honorable speaker. I must say that it has been a very busy and at the same time a very productive year for IMANE.

    What was your personal philosophy that you brought in when you took over?

    My philosophy is that it is vital to give back to our community. Gift of time is always the most precious. I truly believe in the quote by Mahatma Gandhi that the “Best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.

    What are some of the challenges that you faced and how did you overcome that?

    My challenges were of a very personal nature. This has been the toughest year of my life as I lost my beloved dad who was my rock on May 18th this year and I also lost my wonderful mom a month later on June 18. Losing both of them suddenly within 30 days of each other shattered my world completely. Mt trip to India to visit my family under such circumstances was the worst in my life and it still haunts me every day. It was very tough for me to go on and fulfill my professional and community obligations and responsibilities. My parents always taught me that work and commitment come first in life so it took all my strength, a lot of prayers and love and support of my friends and family for me to pull myself together and take care of all my responsibilities this year. I feel that I have truly done the best that I could. I also feel blessed that my IMANE family supported me during my tough times and together we could achieve the goals that we had set out for the organization this year.

    You brought in a few partnerships with local organizations with IMANE? How was that experience?

    It was best of both worlds. I have been working with many organizations and charities at grass root levels for many years and in leadership roles for the last five years. Women's causes are closest to my heart and I have had  great experience working with both ATASK and Saheli. I was the Cochair of very successful first fund raiser for Saheli and this year I was instrumental in bringing my two favorite organizationsundefinedIMANE and Saheliundefinedtogether for Nirbhaya fund raiser.

    What are the future plans of IMANE moving forward?

    As I said every president brings their own vision. It will depend on the next team. I am sure that the future leaders will bring their own strength to the organization.

    What are some of the critical health issues that South Asians face and must pay attention?

    Diabetes remains a huge concern. Preventive medicine is also something that we lag behind in.I feel it is so important to get physicals , pap smears for women, mammogram, colonoscopy and age appropriate health screenings done. Prevention is always better than cure.

    Finally any message to the younger generation gearing to enter the field of medicine?

    My message is slightly different because I also think like a mom. I have a 15 year old daughter. My husband is also a physician but I have to say that medicine so far does not excite my daughter. It may have  disappointed some people in our family but  I truly believe that it is very important to follow our passions in life, especially in the current times.

    When I was growing up in India then women did not have many career choices. I love medicine but  while growing up, journalism was also a passion of mine. However, I did not get a chance to pursue that. Interestingly, I was able to make some of my dreams come true later in life as I got opportunities to write too but that is another story. So my message is that medicine is a great field to enter especially with all the advances in the area, but one should choose that as a career only if it excites you because it is challenging and requires tremendous dedication. I have to say that it is a very fulfilling career choice. I also feel that In Indian families we still tend to push our kids towards medicine, engineering and other math and science related fields but we should encourage our children to follow their passions, guide them and  also help them to make their dreams a reality.


  • Wednesday, September 11, 2013 10:08 AM | Deleted user
    Join Us At Nirbhaya And Support Saheli’s Mission Of Empowering Women


    Anu Chitrapu 
    09/11/2013

    Join us at Nirbhaya and support Saheli’s mission of empowering women

    Saheli, a local organization that works on empowering women, is getting ready for its annual fund raising gala. This year’s event is named “Nirbhaya”, which means without fear.  The name was chosen to symbolize a life without fear for all women. The event will be held at the Westin, Waltham on Friday, September 20th and will start at 6.30pm.

    Funds raised from Nirbhaya will be used to send several women to vocational training courses that will put them on the path to independence.  Needed mentoring will also be provided to ensure the women are successful in completing these courses and finding employment upon completion.  While a few programs, like paralegal training and medical assistant training have been identified, Saheli wil put together a portfolio of course options that women can pick from based on their skills and interest. Our goal is to raise somewhere north of $40K.


    This year Saheli is collaborating with IMANE (Indian Medical Association of New England). Dr.Manju Sheth, President of IMANE, co-chair of the 2010 Saheli gala and a great believer in Saheli’s cause says, “As physicians, we treat the physical and emotional injuries and scars of domestic violence, but I have always felt that our job was somehow incomplete till the victims became not just survivors but were also empowered to take care of themselves and their families. Saheli helps complete that by providing them support, friendship, guidance and education.”


    Volunteers from all walks of life have come together to support a cause they believe in.  The gala committee consisting of Dr. Sapna Aggarwal, Sumana Bhat, Dr. Deepa Jhaveri,  Dr. Sumi Manwani, Dr. Meera Subramaniam, Rekha Singh, Eshani Shah and Neelam Wali, are working tirelessly to make sure the event is close to perfection.

    In keeping with the theme of the event we have picked short entertainment pieces that elegantly bring out the message of the evening. One of the highlights of the event is having Meghna Chakraborti from WBUR serve as our anchor for the evening. The items include a candlelight dance by Maya Delity, Harshini Joshi, Madhu Nene, Anu Saxena, Rhea Manwani, Sumi Manwani; a soul-stirring dance piece by Mouli Pal; songs by Shraddha Agrawal, Sankar Gangaikondan, Sudha Rao, Uma Sankar, Mohan Subramaniam and Meena Sundaram accompanied by Tarun Bangalore, Pranav Ghatraju & Sahana Srinivasan. A special treat for all is the fact that renowned musician Tara Anand has provided guidance and expertise with the music arrangement!

    Another exciting part of the program is the launch of the Saheli Men’s Initiative, led by Ramesh Advani. Details will be shared at the event.

    We are very lucky to live in a city like Boston, where the vibrant Indian diaspora supports various causes.  So many businesses have stepped forward offering their services complimentary for the event. Shobha Shastry is adding her magic touch with her decorations; Vinod Kapoor of Masala Art is sponsoring the food; DJ Yogz is offering his services to liven up the evening; Neelam Wali is printing flyers, invitations, brochures; Bollywood Delights is bringing delicious Kulfi and a large audience is coming to support this important cause.


    As Chair of Nirbhaya, nothing gives me greater pleasure than to announce that we have sold over 300 seats already with a week to go for the event!

    We all dream of the day when Saheli’s services will no longer be needed. That would be the day when there are no more cases of domestic violence and women are living their lives to the fullest with no fear.  While we wait for that day, we all need to join hands and help Saheli as it helps women build their futures, one step at a time.  


    Please join us and help us achieve this dream.


    Buy your tickets now at www.lokvani.com/l/nirbhaya


    Find us on

  • Monday, September 09, 2013 10:05 AM | Deleted user
    With 300 tickets already sold, Saheli and IMANE gear up to put a super show for next week’s fundraising
    With 300 tickets already sold, Saheli and IMANE are gearing up to put together a super show for the next week’s fundraising for empowering South Asian women and their families in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The event, called Nirbhaya which means fearless, is scheduled on Friday, Sept. 20, at the Westin Hotel in Waltham, Mass.This is the first time that Saheli, an organization dedicated to empowering South Asian women and their families, and Indian Medical Association of New England (IMANE) are coming together for the fund raiser, which starts at 6:30 pm on Sept. 20. This event has been also supported by many local organizations.
     
    Anu Chitrapu, president of Vision Aid who is involved in many local charities, is the chair of the event. Dr. Manju Sheth, president of IMANE, has been instrumental in this Saheli-IMANE collaboration.
     
    “I have been closely involved with Saheli for many years and was the co-chair of their first fund raiser in 2010,” said Dr. Sheth. “As president of IMANE, it was an honor for me to bring these two wonderful organizations together for benefit of our community. As physicians we always feel our job is incomplete if we only treat the physical and emotional injuries related to domestic violence. Saheli helps us complete this picture by empowering these women so they can get trained, get jobs and take care of their families. I cannot think of a better collaboration. It is truly a privilege to be part of this great event.”
     
    Funds raised from Nirbhaya will be used to send several women to vocational training courses that will put them on the path to independence. Needed mentoring will also be provided to ensure the women are successful in completing these courses and finding employment upon completion. While a few programs, like paralegal training and medical assistant training have been identified, Saheli will put together a portfolio of course options that women can pick from based on their skills and interest. The goal is to raise somewhere north of $40,000 during the Sept. 20th event.
     
    This fundraising has been put together by dedicated team of volunteers. The gala committee, which consists of Dr. Sapna Aggarwal, Sumana Bhat, Dr. Deepa Jhaveri, Dr. Sumi Manwani, Dr. Meera Subramaniam, Rekha Singh, Eshani Shah and Neelam Wali and Dr Subha Thiagrajan, has been working for many months  to make sure the event is a super success.
     
    A short, classy and uplifting program has been planned to bring out the message of the evening. Meghna Chakraborti from WBUR, local affiliate of National Public Radio, will serve as anchor for the evening. The program includes a candlelight dance by Maya Delity, Harshini Joshi, Madhu Nene, Anu Saxena, Rhea Manwani, Sumi Manwani; a soul-stirring dance piece by Mouli Pal; songs by Shraddha Agrawal, Sankar Gangaikondan, Sudha Rao, Uma Sankar, Mohan Subramaniam and Meena Sundaram accompanied by Tarun Bangalore, Pranav Ghatraju and Sahana Srinivasan. A special honor for all is the fact that renowned musician Tara Anand has provided guidance and expertise with the music arrangement. Well known community activist Preetesh Srivastva will conduct the pledge drive.
     
    There will also be a launch of the Saheli Men’s Initiative by Ramesh Advani and Manish Patel. Details will be shared at the event.
    So many local businesses have stepped forward offering their services complimentary for the event. Shobha Shastry is once again adding her magic touch with her splendid decorations. Vinod Kapoor of Masala Art is sponsoring the delicious food. DJ Yogz will for the third time have great dance music and add fun to the evening. Neelam Wali is working extremely hard in printing flyers, invitations, brochures. Bollywood Delights is bringing delicious Kulfi. Sudeshna Das has designed the artistic flyers and brochure.
     
    The Nirbhaya team touched at the overwhelming support from community, their faith and belief in the cause. The team has already sold over 300 tickets for the event. The Saheli team and volunteers, who are looking forward to welcoming everyone at the event, all dream of the day when Saheli’s services would no longer be needed. That would be the day when there are no more cases of domestic violence and women are living their lives to the fullest with no fear.


  • Thursday, April 25, 2013 1:24 PM | Deleted user
    Sheth off to fast start as 2013 IMANE president

    By Martin Desmarais
    Dr. Manju Sheth took over as president of IMANE in January 2013. Photo by Rasik Mehta
    2013 IMANE
    Executive Committee
    and Board of Trustees
     
    Executive Committee
    Manju Sheth, M.D.
    President
     
    Sajani Shah, M.D.
    President-Elect
     
    Seema Arora, M.D.
    Secretary
     
    Sapna Agarwal, M.D.
    Treasurer
     
    Members at Large
    Sameer Kapsi, M.D.
    Suresh Reddy, M.D.
    Subha Thiagarajan, M.D.
    Srilatha Kodali, M.D.
    Anita Vanka, M.D.
     
    Board of Trustees
    Apurv Gupta M.D., M.P.H.
    Chairman
    Purnima Sangal, M.D.
    Manorama Mathur, M.D.
    Geeta Trivedi, M.D.
    Nasir Khan, M.D.
     
    Young Physicians Section
    Representative
    Jatin Roper, M.D.
     
    Nominating Committee Chair
    Ammani Dasarai, M.D.
     
    AAPI Regional Director
    Lalit Savla, M.D.
    IMANE
    Past Presidents
     
    1979 Bhagwan Shahani, M.D.
    1980 Dinesh Patel, M.D.
    1981 Yogeshwar Dayal, M.D.
    1982 Narendra Shah, M.D.
    1983 Manorama Saini, M.D.
    1984 K. Ramaswamy, M.D.
    1985 Shankar Garg, M.D.
    1986 Pramod Shoparkar, M.D.
    1987 Sharmishta Patel, M.D.
    1988 Madhukar Pathak, M.D.
    1989 Mohani Malhotra, M.D.
    1990 Chander M. Kapasi, M.D., M.P.H.
    1991 Janine Saldanha, M.D.
    1992 Pankaj Shah, M.D.
    1993 Teju Shah, M.D.
    1994 Mohan Korgaonkar, M.D.
    1995 Ammani Dasari, M.D.
    1996 Neelam Sihag, M.D.
    1997 Babu RaM.D.ev, M.D.
    1998 Santosh Shetty, M.D.
    1999 Shreekant Chopra, M.D.
    2000 Venkata Ravi, M.D.
    2001 Brinda S. Kamat, M.D., M.P.H.
    2002 Anup Singh, M.D.
    2003 Sahdev Passey, M.D.
    2004 Onaly Abdulkarim Kapasi, M.D.
    2005 Lalit Savla, M.D.
    2006 Purnima Sangal, M.D.
    2007 Apurv Gupta, M.D., M.P.H.
    2008 Manorama Mathur, M.D.
    2009 Nasir Khan M.D.
    2010 Geeta Trivedi M.D.
    2011 Arun Chaudhary, M.D.
    2012 Sucheta J. Doshi, M.D., M.P.H.
    Any new president or head of an organization typically takes over with an ambitious agenda in mind, and current Indian Medical Association of New England President Manju Sheth is no different. However, while practicality may win out over ambition in many cases, this does not appear to be the case for Sheth as she gotten off to a very strong start for her term as president of the medical organization, already tackling many of the agenda items she said she would.

    At the start of her tenure as president, Sheth, who is a primary care physician at Beverly Hospital, publicly expressed her opinion that IMANE, despite the great job of prior leadership and the efforts of members, was at a crossroads.

    In a message to IMANE members, she said: "Today, we face twin challenges of dwindling membership and diminishing funds. I believe that one of my biggest strengths is community outreach and I hope to utilize that to help us find a suitable solution to both challenges. We plan to host a collaborative health expo in April, which will bring together various hospitals and health care providers to the community, thereby increasing the visibility as well as the membership of IMANE. We also plan to actively engage our leaders working in various hospitals to develop effective strategies for increasing the number of our members. We will also host/collaborate in some fund raisers. Our Indian-American community is very vibrant and growing rapidly and we do want to work to have a stronger voice in the political arena, especially in the context of health care reforms."

    Sheth also pledged to strengthen and build the organization's ties with the research and academic medical community, as well as with medical organizations such as the Massachusetts Medical Society, the American Medical Association and the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin.

    As most leaders of IMANE have done, Sheth also made a special point to emphasize the necessity to continue the organization's charitable projects, such as its free clinics.

    Sheth also pledged to encourage the participation of new residents and doctors in IMANE with the strengthening and expansion of "observership" and "mentorship" programs. She also announced plans to add an additional Continuing Medical Education meeting in September, on top of the group's annual effort in May.

    "I started my term as IMANE President on January 1 with the promise that I will use my strength of community outreach to bring IMANE and our community together, educate the community about vital health issues and also help with their medical needs. Helping IMANE grow its membership and raising funds for IMANE Charity were also some of my commitments," Sheth said. "I have kept all my promises in the first three months. We are hosting the first free Health Expo for the community in partnership with INDIA New England on April 27. We have a very distinguished panel of speakers and have received tremendous support from various local organizations and hospitals. With over 500 registrations already to attend the expo, we are on our way to fulfilling our mission.

    "I was also an organizer of Shaam-e-Burman, one of the first musical shows that was also supported by IMANE doctors. A donation from the show was given as seed money for starting a new free medical clinic that is coming up soon in Woburn, and to another clinic in Billerica that is already providing great service to community. We also continue to support our two more free clinics from our charitable foundation of IMANE," she added. "Our membership has grown rapidly in last three months and we have been very blessed to be recognized and honored by our community. We have a great education event planned for physicians on May 4 at Mass Medical Society. I am looking forward to a great year with continued service to our vibrant and growing community."

    Since becoming president of IMANE, Sheth has already accomplished some of the goals she set at the start of her tenure.

    The Lynnfield, Mass., resident, who was named INDIA New England Women of the Year in 2011, has widespread involvement with many organizations and has used these ties to broaden IMANE's reach. Sheth is involved with groups such as the Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence, the Massachusetts chapter of the Indian American Forum for Political Education and Saheli. IMANE has already partnered with Saheli for the cause of fighting against domestic violence and has scheduled an event with them in September. IMANE's Charity Fund raised money through its involvement in the Shaam-e-Burman and IMANE was also honored at a concert by Adnan Sami with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

    Sheth said that the efforts to organize IMANE's first public Health Expo are close to her heart and her passion for community service and educating people about overall health care. She said she believes IMANE can make successful efforts to educate the community about the health challenges faced by Indians and South Asians. According to her this is specifically why the Health Expo has such a broad range of topics such as Indian diet practices, unleashing the power of mind, osteoporosis, woman's health and wellbeing, diabetes in Indians, anti-aging therapy, yoga therapy and Ayurveda.

    Sheth is also very excited about the launch of an IMANE mentorship program, which is being spearheaded by Dr. Sanjiv Chopra, an author and professor of medicine and faculty dean for continuing medical education at Harvard Medical School. Chopra's book, "Leadership by Example:  The Ten Key Principles of all Great Leaders" was published in May 2012 and has received widespread praise by many leaders in the United States and abroad.

    "The mentorship program is a great service for young physicians and new comers to the area," Sheth said.

    A native of New Delhi, Sheth earned a medical degree from Kolkata National Medical College and did her training in internal medicine at England's Royal Infirmary in Hull and a hospital affiliated with St. George's in London. In 1997, Sheth finished more training in internal medicine at Salem Hospital in Massachusetts, but eventually chose to practice in general medicine and start a family.

    She has spoken openly about her excitement for having the honor of leading IMANE in 2013 and called it a privilege that she takes very seriously.

    Sheth has also praised the organization's executive committee and asserted her belief that the strength of IMANE leadership is the team as a whole. "I truly believe in what Henry Ford once aptly said: •Coming together is the beginning, staying together is progress, working together is success.' We are a very enthusiastic and committed team with belief in the idea that together everyone achieves more. With the blessings and guidance of our senior members, and supported by innovative ideas from our younger members, we hope to take IMANE to new heights of success," she said in her initial message to members. 
  • Wednesday, April 24, 2013 8:18 AM | Deleted user
    IMANE presidents share memories of group's rise

    By Martin Desmarais
     
    The Indian Medical Association of New England has grown from a handful of doctors gathering together in unity over their profession to one of the most influential organizations in New England with about 400 members. The list of presidents who have led the group is impressive and contains leaders in their respective medical fields. The accomplishments and footprint the group has left can be seen on the medical community and on the Indian American community as a whole. Reflecting back on the start and growth of the group most share a pride in how the group has matured and for the important role it plays in the lives of its members.

    Dr. Bhagwani Shahani was the first president of IMANE in 1979. Photo courtesy of IMANE
    Early leaders speak about IMANE's start
     
    In 2003, the Indian Medical Association of New England celebrated the 25th anniversary of the organization. Under the guidance of then president Dr. Sadhev Passey, the group held a 25th anniversary celebration at the Worcester Centrum Centre on Nov. 15, 2003. In addition, the organization put together a 25th anniversary guide that looked back at all the history of IMANE and include reflections from many of the past presidents and founding members. In addition, the anniversary guide collected quotes from some of the organization's founding members. Below are some of the responses.

    "By and large, I think our objectives have been met, even though we have not done as much or gone as far as we would have hoped! For example the health fairs that were started 25 years ago, still persist today in other venues such as the IAGB India Day at the Hatch Shell. Our dialogue with AMA began in 1978 and resulted in a joint membership package. The AAPI-PAC also started in 1978 as a result of these discussions. As far as our lack of growth in recent years, the impact of managed care and the presence of other competing organizations may not be as severe in other regions of the country. Also, as the older members hand over the reins to the younger members, they tend to focus on issues of family and retirement." undefined Dr. Dinesh Patel, IMANE president in 1980.

    "IMANE was the first Indian doctors association in the United States followed by MAPI and AAPI. The first AAPI convention in Washington D.C. had a large Boston and Gujarati doctor contingent and steadily grew in membership after the second convention hald in Boston, while Dr. K. Ramaswamy was IMANE president." undefined Dr. Narendra Shah, IMANE president in 1982.

    "I think that the early years of IMANE had a lot of continuity in leadership, which served to guide and stabilize the organization. We had a system of rotating positions, so that there was connection between consecutive committees." undefined Dr. Maya Shahani, IMANE founding member.

    "I think IMANE has served many useful purposes. We had lots of great social and educational functions over the years. We created an organization where we could participate on an equal education and intellectual basis. We did not know each other before and now we are all great friends and that is very important in a new country. Manorama Saini was our first woman president and since then we have had so many capable women presidents of IMANE. Trustees were started in her year since we had a little more money and felt we need continuity with more input and participation." undefined Dr. Teju Shah, IMANE founding member.

    "Dinesh Patel was a vision. He felt we needed to speak up or else we would be overlooked. In Narendra Shah and Teju Shah, IMANE received two for the price of one! They did all of the work for the early organization. Some other early members I remember are Drs. K. Ramaswamy, Madhu Pathak, Sharad Chitre, Shankar Garg, Sanjiv Chopra and Niranjan Dudhani." undefined Dr. Yogeshwar Dayal, IMANE president in 1981.

    "My best friends were made in IMANE. I can still close my eyes and drive to Howard Johnson in Burlington for our monthly meetings. The second meeting was in my house since the others were fed up of cooking and that was when the name Eemaan, i.e. imandari (an Urdu world meaning honesty and faith) was suggested. In fact, Virendra and I joined because we were social friends of the Shahani's and they asked us to join. We felt we would be well placed to help each other and introduce our children to their common cultural heritage." undefined Manorama Saini, IMANE president in 1983.
    The first president of IMANE was Dr. Bhagwan Shahani, who led the group in 1979.

    By most accounts, IMANE was started to address the social, cultural, educational and professional needs of physicians of Indian origin settled in New England with the early groundwork for the organization done by a handful of Indian physicians living in Massachusetts.

    The general consensus of most reflecting back on the birth of IMANE, point to a group of five founders of the group undefined Dr. Shahni and Dr. Maya Shahani, Dr. Dinesh Patel, Dr. Narendra Shah and Dr. Teju Shah.

    The genesis of IMANE can be traced back to meetings of the Middlesex South Medical Society in the mid-1970s, during which some of the founding members interacted with physicians of Greek origin and discussed problems that foreign-born physicians in the United States had, namely not having anyone to advance their common goals, a lack of an avenue for networking or others of a common background to socialize with. The Greek doctors had formed their own group, the Hellenic Medical Society, to address some of these problems and it the Indian American doctors thinking about starting a similar group.

    As the story has it, the founders of IMANE spent several years meeting on weekends and reaching out to other doctors of Indian origin to get an organization off the ground. The early mindset was that the group should encompass New England, which is what led to that region's inclusion in the name. It has also been explained that the acronym for the Indian Medical Association of New England, IMANE, was pronounced similar to "Eemaan" such as in "imandari," which is an Urdu word meaning honesty and faith. The founders felt this was a perfect name association behind the organization.

    Bylaws from the Hellenic Medical Society were used to guide the bylaws for IMANE and the group was formally announced in 1977 and 1978 was the first year of the organization's existing with Dr. Shahani as its head. The early years consisted of a lot of outreach to Indian doctors to grow membership and establish the model of the organization going forward. Early meetings had a lot of educational talks, and IMANE also invited political figures to meetings.

    A young IMANE reached out to well-established groups such as the Massachusetts Medical Society and the American Medical Association to open doors to those groups to its members.

    In 1980s, IMANE held talks with the Michigan Association of Physicians of Indian Origin and this led to the formation of a national organization, the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin. Over the years, IMANE has a strong connection to the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin and hosted the national group's annual convention in 1982 and in 1996. Over the years, IMANE members have held leadership roles in AAPI, including Dr. S. Jayasanker as president and Dr. Chander Kapasi as chair of the board of trustees.

    Today, IMANE describes itself as a "dynamic organization for medical professionals of Indian origin in the New England area" that "organizes and supports numerous professional and social activities for the benefit of our members and the communities they serve."

    The organizations stated objectives are:
    • Advance the professions of medicine and dentistry
    • Support medical education
    • Sponsor charitable healthcare projects
    • Recognize the contributions and achievements of physicians of Indian origin
    • Provide opportunities for career building and professional development
    • Provide forums for networking and socializing
    IMANE follows a leadership model that includes a president, executive committee, members at large, a board of trustees, a young physicians section representative, a nominating committee chair and American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin regional director. The organization provides professional resources, such as clinical rotations in internal medicine, pediatrics and anesthesia/surgery, as well as a career center.

    It has alliances with numerous groups, from its main medical industry relation the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin to other medical groups such as the Association of Pakistani Physicians of New England to the Connecticut Association of Physicians of Indian Origin. It has worked with community groups such as the India Association of Greater Boston, the India Association of New Hampshire and the India Association of Rhode Island. IMANE has ties with professional groups such as the Boston chapter of the Indus Entrepreneurs and the Network of South Asian Professionals, as well as industry specific groups such as the South Asian Bar Association of Greater Boston. It now even has connected nonprofits such as Ekal Vidyalaya and the Indian Circle of Caring.

    In addition to the professional and social benefits IMANE offers its members, the organization also offers specific benefits such as long term disability insurance, long term care insurance, auto insurance, home insurance and business insurance, all at discounted rates.

    Also part of IMANE are the Young Physicians Society and the Women's Forum.

    The organization launched a free health clinic in Waltham, Mass. in 2004, which provides free basic medical care to poor, undeserved, or uninsured patients from the surrounding communities. IMANE launched another free health clinic in 2005 in Shrewsbury, Mass. The organization currently has plans for several other clinics, with at least one in Woburn, Mass., set to open shortly.

    The IMANE Charitable Foundation reflects the organization's commitment to service and provides an outlet for the group to promote the mental and physical health of underserved individuals in the United States and India.

    Dr. Dinesh Patel, a founding member of IMANE and president in 1980, said that the early days of the organization provided a way to come together with doctors of Indian origin, which prior to its existence was difficult to do.

    "Those times there were not too many doctors coming from India • and there was always this concern about licensing and the opportunity to get residency and a fellowship," said Patel, who is chief of arthroscopic knee surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. "We thought let's form an organization where we can talk about our common issues.

    "The idea of forming this was to really look at your ability to heal the hurt and you cannot heal the hurt until you have a license to practice," he added.

    According to him, IMANE in those early days was really focused on the simple things like helping doctors find jobs, get credentials and establish relationships with vendors. "In order to accomplish these goals we have to be part and parcel of a society," he said.

    Patel believes that IMANE's early relationship with the Massachusetts Medical Society and the American Medical Association was key in its ability to support its members in their medical professions.

    Reflecting on the maturity of IMANE since those first days, Patel said he is proud of what the group has become.

    "Personally speaking it is sort of fun to see that [IMANE can now] really help people. We got people excited to get into the system so they can become good citizens," he said. "It is quite an impressive thing being done. To promote health care into a larger society it is quite impressive. • We feel pretty good about it.

    "It is a nice idea that we started something 30 to 40 years ago and things are moving in very positive directions. • That kind of thing makes you really happy," he added. "It is like a little baby of yours and you see it grow up and go to college • You feel good about it to see people growing and working together."

    Dr. Pankaj Shah, who joined IMANE in the 1980s and served as president in 1992, admitted to really feeling the community aspect of the organization when he first became involved.

    "For me it was important because it was meeting people from the country that I came from. They had similar issues and similar hardships and I could freely among them. There was definitely a sense of security in it," said Shah, who is a doctor of obstetrics and gynecology at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates in Wellesley and Quincy, Mass.

    After serving as president in 1992, Shah continued to be involved at the leadership level in the group, chairing the committee that helped organize the hosting of the AAPI convention in 1996. "For a small organization I thought we did quite well," he said.

    Shah said he has also always been struck about how IMANE members work together from the older members to the younger members and how the organization provides a lot of opportunity for involvement on the leadership level to all those interested. "I always thought it was a very, very fair organization. If you worked you could come up," he said.

    Looking at IMANE today, Shah said he is very impressed with the younger generation of doctors and the work they are doing to breathe new life to the group by engaging peers. "They are getting these people involved," he said.

    Shah also believes that IMANE's recent involvement with more Indian American groups is a good thing. "You feel better of being in New England when you get involved with other organizations."

    As a senior member of IMANE, Shah said he has reached out informally to younger members of the organization and believes that the group's overall efforts to encourage older doctors, through formal mentorship programs and informally, are very important.

    Dr. Ammani Dasari, who served as IMANE president in 1995, echoes Shah's sentiments that involving the younger generation of doctors is crucial for the organization's future. In fact, it was a message she preached from her early tenure with the group.

    Dasari, who is a retired anesthesiologist and last worked at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton, Mass., said she attended IMANE's annual meetings every year from the group's start, but was not actively involved until 1990, when she became a member at large. She threw her initial focus with the group into increasing the membership, in particular life members. "I felt in 1990s we should do something to improve the organization, increase the membership," she said. "My main interest at that time was also to involve the second generation.

    "I felt it is my duty to help the foreign medical graduates who come from India to help them. • And we involved the medical students and the residents," she added. "That is how we wanted to build it and then we tried to maintain that level."

    Dasari is thrilled to see the emergence of the Young Physicians Society and to see younger doctors step up as leaders of IMANE. "I feel now it is the time for the youngsters to take it over," she said.

    And also like Shah, she believes that the senior doctors should be very actively involved with engaging the younger generation. "We should help them and we should guide them," she said.

    According to Dasari, her favorite IMANE memory is the summer meeting in 1995 that was held at the Mount Washington Hotel in New Hampshire. She said this was a great experience that really emphasized the family nature and close-knit atmosphere of the organization. "It is like a family it is not just like a group of doctors together," she said. 

    Dr. Sahdev Passey, who has a pediatrics practice in Worcester, Mass., and was IMANE president in 2003, joined the group in the mid-1990s. He said his early involvement with the group was focused on overcoming any residual discrimination against foreign medical graduates, which had been a big problem when the group was first formed. Now, though, he admits that problem has been eradicated. "In 2013, I don't see that barrier much any more. I think people have overcome that part of it," he said.

    Passey has also been a long time member of IMANE's bylaws committee, something he said he has enjoyed greatly. "Somehow my clique is the bylaws. I like to conduct the meetings and keep people in line," he said. "That has been my passion." He also works with AAPI on the bylaws aspect.

    When Passey was president in 2003, IMANE was celebrating its 25th anniversary and held an anniversary celebration at the Worcester Centrum Centre on Nov. 15, 2003. In addition, the organization put together a 25th anniversary guide that looked back at all the history of IMANE and include reflections from many of the past presidents and founding members. 

    He is also a key organizer at the group's free medical clinic in Shrewsbury.

    While IMANE was partially born out of a need to connect with other Indian doctors, including socializing, Passey said that is changing now as more and more of its members are born here. For them, he believes the group's efforts to provide continuing medical education may be more valuable.

    "Our platform for medical education has really become a base now for the future generations," he said. "They are not looking for social interaction and support they are more looking for medical education and networking opportunities."

    With many older members still actively involved in IMANE, Passey said that connecting the different generations is crucial and that the older members must help, support and encourage the new generations. "We are working to bring this organization together so there is some voice," he said. 

  • Wednesday, April 24, 2013 8:17 AM | Deleted user
    Young Physicians Society engages new doctors

    By Martin Desmarais
    The Young Physicians Society has been part of the Indian Medical Association of New England, but as more and more second generation Indian Americans graduate from U.S. medical schools and start out into the medical industry and their own practices, the role of these doctors in the growth of the organization is critical and the young physician’s section provides an early indoctrination.

    The young physicians section is target for young doctors, residents, fellows and medical students. Its efforts are currently being headed up by Dr. Jatin Roper and Dr. Anita Vanka. Both Roper and Vanka are part of IMANE’s executive committee. Roper is the Young Physicians Section Representative and Vanka is a member at large.

    Both in their early 30s, Roper is a gastroenterologist at Tufts Medical Center and a graduate of Boston University Medical School, and Vanka is hospitalist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School.

    While IMANE represents all of its doctor members, Roper said he likes the young physicians section because connects directly to the younger generation of Indian American doctors, especially doctors like him who grew up in the United States and went to college, as well as medical school, here.

    “The young physicians section has been more specific in trying to identify the needs of the young physicians,” said Roper, who has been involved with IMANE for three years and the Young Physicians Section Representative for two years.

    According to him, there is small group of volunteers that are helping run the young physicians section.

    Part of this is just making sure the young physicians have a good presence at IMANE events and with IMANE activities, but the section also does some things specifically for young doctors. One example is annual session that has been done for many years that is set up to help young doctors learn about financial planning, insurance.

    A newer activity are happy hours every couple of months. “It is a meet and greet to get to know it other. Since we all work in different hospitals it is an opportunity for us to all meet each other,” Roper said. 

    While not all of the doctors that turn out for the happy hours events are IMANE members, the hope is that such events might get them to join. “It is easy for people to say, ‘Yeah, I will go to a happy hour versus commitment to a more formal event,” Roper said.

    According to Roper, the young doctors are also excited that IMANE has launched a mentorship program, which is being spearheaded by Dr. Sanjiv Chopra, an author and professor of medicine and faculty dean for continuing medical education at Harvard Medical School. Chopra’s book, “Leadership by Example:  The Ten Key Principles of all Great Leaders” was published in May 2012 and has received widespread praise by many leaders in the United States and abroad.

    “He is a very dynamic and personable fellow and he has been gracious enough to work with us,” Roper said.

    Roper believes that most young doctors understand the benefits of getting exposure to more experience doctors, especially ones in their specialties, who could help with research and collaboration and even jobs. “Even if we don’t get direct incredible specific advice just meeting then and seeing what they have done and seeing that they are successful and happy with what they are doing it is really nice to see,” he said.

    With IMANE’s youngest ever president just finishing leading the group last year, Roper said it points to a sign of things to come with more of the younger generation taking leadership roles in the organization.

    “We are in the transition point already and that is another reason why you need a young physicians section,” he said. “You need to pass the torch to someone, otherwise it will get extinguished.”

Home | About IMANE | Professional Resources | Alliances | Membership | News & Events | Forums | Contact Us | Sitemap


© Indian Medical Association of New England (IMANE) | All Rights Reserved.

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software