Community Spotlight

At Lady Hardinge Medical College she taught in the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine. In 1972 she migrated to Kenya and joined I.P.P.F. (International Planned Parenthood Federation) in Nairobi, where she was the medical director for 17 Mobile clinics, including one in Kenyatta National Hospital, training health workers from all over Africa in Gynecology and Family Planning. In 1974 she moved to the U.S. to pursue a master’s in public health degree from the Harvard School of Public Health. She later worked as a fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health.

A 1975 alumnus of Harvard University in MPH, she specializes in General Preventive Medicine in Massachusetts. She is CEO of Prevention Pro Medical Center and Partner of the Merrimack Valley Medical Center, Comprehensive Pain Management and Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine Center. She has been a diplomat of the American Board of General Preventative Medicine since 1975.

Dr. Kapasi was the first woman to chair the Board of Trustees of the American Association of Physician of Indian Origin (AAPI) in 1993-94. She has actively participated in AAPI since 1984, the second year of AAPI’s existence, when she and her husband, Dr. Onaly Kapasi hosted an informal AAPI executive committee lunch at their newly opened restaurant Raj Mahal in Newton Center, Massachusetts. While she remembers that only 4 or 5 members attended the meeting, she recognizes that AAPI has come a long way since then, and so has her association with AAPI.

In 1987, when she participated in the annual meeting in Atlantic City, Dr. Sunder Mansukhani, Dr. Roshan Lal and Dr. Navin Shah convinced her of the importance of AAPI. She has been a member of the governing body since 1989 and a loyal patron member since 1990. She believed in the importance of having both male and female leaders and in 1989 she supported the formation of the AAPI charitable foundation that was proposed by Dr. Vijay Nagar, Dr. Gautam Shah and others. She also founded the Lady Hardinge Medical College alumni association of North America – a chapter of AAPI and assisted with increasing the AAPI membership.

In 1990, Dr. Chander Kapasi became the first woman Chair of AAPI Political Action Committee. At Dr. Kapasi’s request, Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts wrote to the secretary of Health and Human Services, Dr. Louis Sullivan, to review alleged discriminatory practices against international medical graduates. She also organized a seminar at the annual meeting with the help of co-chair and AAPI president Dr. Sarjit Singh to discuss the International Medical Graduate consensus of the General Accounting Office report (GAO) report with American Medical Association (AMA) delegates and State Medical Board members.
She made members aware of the GAO report that had favorably addressed certain grievances of the foreign medical graduates.

As president of Indian Medical Association of New England and member of AAPI Governing Body, she hosted a very well attended AAPI governing body meeting at the Boston Marriott hotel and personally hosted the Friday dinner and networking at Haveli Restaurant in Cambridge.

In 1991 she also served on the newly formed AAPI board of trustees. She was invited by Dr. Arvind Shah, President of Indian Medical Association to speak at their annual meeting where she informed them of the achievements of AAPI.

In 1993 -1994 Dr. Kapasi became the first woman to be elected as the Chairperson, Board of Trustees, AAPI and the first woman on the executive committee of AAPI. During her tenure the Board of Trustees overlooked the financial interests of AAPI and advised the executive committee in planning the fiscal budgets. For the first time a brainstorming strategic planning session was held to review short and long term goals of AAPI initiated by President George Thomas.

In India, Dr. Kapasi met Dr. Rugmini of the Indian Medical Council to strengthen the relation with AAPI. Dr. Chander Kapasi was the first chair of the Board of Trustees to administer the oath of office to the incoming President, Dr. Gopal Lalmalani.

As Trustee of AAPI Charitable Foundation, Dr. Kapasi pledged $10,000 and assisted in raising funds. She also was a member of the AIDS and Substance Abuse committee. From 1995 to1996. Dr. Kapasi served as advisor on AAPI Women’s Physicians Committee. Her historic contribution to charitable foundation has exceeded $50,000.

“I felt AAPI was more like a men’s club and wanted to develop and promote career networking among women. I increased participation and promoted women’s health issues, enhanced women’s leadership skills, provided resources on women’s health, incorporated women’s health issues such as osteoporosis and menopause into AAPI CME,” Dr. Kapasi recalls.

1995 was an important year because the AAPI Charitable Clinic in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh (India) was opened thanks to the donation of land by her mother, Sharda Kapoor.

In 1997-1998 Dr. Kapasi served on AAPI Governing Body, AAPI nominating committee and AAPI Charitable Foundation. She was instrumental in transition of AAPI- PAC to AAPI legislative affairs committee to comply with regulations under 501-4©️ and was attendee of the first legislative day on Capitol Hill. This year with the help of Dr. Onaly Kapasi she conducted health fair in AAPI Charitable Clinic in Mandi, serving more than 5,000 patients over 3 days. The Mandi clinic celebrated its 20th anniversary and was honored by the Health Minister of Himachal Pradesh.

From 2001 to 2006 Dr. Kapasi continued to serve on AAPI Charitable Foundation Clinic, visiting the clinic at least once a year, and conducted many health fairs for preventative health. She also served as a member of the Integrated Medicine Committee.

In 2007-2008 Dr. Kapasi was chair of Preventative Health Committee; member, of the Taskforce on Women of AAPI souvenir project; and continued serving on AAPI Charitable Foundation and Integrated Medicine Committee.

“I believe any association gathers its abilities from its own performance as well as the individual efforts of its members who carry an ambassadorial responsibility to the community it serves,” she says.

Dr. Kapasi’s vision for AAPI is for the association to revisit the most basic needs of physicians of Indian origin practicing in the United States. “AAPI must be instrumental in developing CME courses that address insurance audits, negotiating optimal insurance contracts, practice management and ethics and grievance protocols. We must also fund scientific research of Integrated Medical Care. We must design Preventive Health Programs and globally partner with smoking, diabetes, heart disease, cancer screening and trauma prevention,” she says adding that “AAPI must contribute to, and sustain the political and legislative interest of AAPI members by getting involved at the local, state and national level.”

Dr. Kapasi also wants AAPI to persuade executive and governing body members to become patron trustees of the Charitable Foundation by donating $10,000.00 to the trust fund, to promote continued support by executive and governing body members after serving on elected office, understand the multiple roles of the female physicians in changing times and identify, mentor and train future leaders. A past member of the Women Physicians committee, she has participated in several AAPI conventions and Governing Body meetings.

Dr. Kapasi much involved in the fabric of greater Boston Area. She has served on the transition team of several Governors. She has been on the Board Osteoporosis Foundation. At Harvard School of Public Health, she served on the Alumni Council and is member of Alumni committee and Awards committee. She is a cancer survivor and performs free counseling and educates people about cancer and how to survive from adversities of life.

This September marked 50 years of her time in Boston, beginning when she came to study at Harvard, and has been active in the Greater Boston Area for over 5 decades.

Recently, Harvard University School of Public Health adorned her with an award for her services. I am indeed thankful. This award is presented to alumni who have distinguished themselves in their chosen fields, served in local, state or national affairs or provided service to society; and demonstrated outstanding support of the school.

Chander Kapasi’s association of IAGB has been for over 40 years! She was elected to be the first woman President of Indian Association of Greater Boston in 1980. She brought together the Boston Indian community by organizing numerous cultural and educational programs.

IAGB salutes Dr. Kapasi for the legacy she has set for all Presidents of IAGB, especially the female Presidents. “Chander-ji personifies the trending hashtag when we say #WomenForWomen; she has set a tall order for women to follow and sets a shining precedence for the essence of women empowerment by exuding self-confidence, grace, compassion, kindness and dignity, commented IAGB’s current President Tanu Phoenix.
IAGB bows down to this exemplary community achiever – BRAVO & KUDOS, Dr. Chander Kapasi!