Season of Giving: How Dr. Kavita Navani Brings Together Her Passion for Healthcare, Philanthropy, and Technology to Empower Communities
“A woman should stand on her own two feet and have a career where she can support herself and find fulfillment. I have focused my work and philanthropy on how we can make that a reality for women.” We are excited to continue the Season of Giving with Dr. Kavita Navani, a doctor who brings together her passions for philanthropy, technology, and medicine, to better the lives of others. A physician, a leader at eClinical Works, and dedicated philanthropist, Kavita discusses how Sankalp is empowering farmers across India through sustainable solar-powered solutions, and her work with Ekal Vidyayala, empowering through education. She shares the details of the exciting upcoming digital concert fundraiser for Sankalp, and how her father inspired her life-long desire to help others!
1) Tell us your story, such as your journey from India to Boston, how you knew you wanted to be a doctor, and your work with E-Clinical, bringing technology and healthcare together.
When my father fell seriously ill in a village in India with limited access to treatment, I was heartbroken. Though he recovered, the feeling of needing help that wasn’t available stayed with me. He taught us the value of education in shaping people’s lives and helping others. So, at a young age, I made up my mind to pursue medicine and provide healthcare to those who could not access it. I pursued my dream in medical school and residency, eventually coming to the US for further education as a resident at UMass Memorial Health Care.
While practicing in Clinton, MA for 20 years as an Internist, I was able to see the struggles many families went through to get medical care and was able to help them. Those first few years of residency and practice were a blur, but were all worth it in the end.
eClinicalWorks Electronic Health Record allowed me to make a larger-scale impact in addition to the daily medical care I provided to my patient population as a physician. As I started to use eClinicalWorks in my own practice, I began to see the power of using technology to solve problems at a larger scale; locally or even nationally. Seeing the company grow and seeing its impact has been one of the most fulfilling parts of my career.
2) You are also passionate about multiple social causes. What causes are closest to your heart?
I am most passionate about being an advocate for the underserved, as well as women’s empowerment. Since childhood, my mother always taught me that a woman should stand on her own two feet and have a career where she can support herself and find fulfillment. I have focused my work and philanthropy on how we can make that a reality for women. With the power of education and a support system, we can truly achieve anything.
3) Tell us about Sankalp and your passion for philanthropy.
At Sankalp, we have a mission to empower rural India. Many farmers struggle with storage for their crops, and as a result, have to sell them at a loss before it’s too late. Sankalp provides solar-powered electricity and cold storage to the farmers so that they can sell their crops at a fair price using an environmentally sustainable solution. This economic support coupled with environmental sustainability has long-term benefits for the health and vitality of this region.
Working with with Ekal, we have had the opportunity to provide funding to rural primary schools as we firmly believe that empowerment starts with education.
Sankalp is back again with aim to support Ekal Vidyalaya on its mission to help rural and tribal communities in India flourish. Our goal this year is to provide literary and combat COVID-19 pandemic.
We are proud to collaborate with Ekal Vidyalaya as they have a strong foundation in promoting literary through schools and mobile digital labs. They are also running various campaigns to educate villagers in taking COVID-19 safety messages.
Last year the Sankalp team had successfully raised funds to support 620+ Ekal schools through its events based in the United States and India. This year coronavirus has taken a toll on everyone’s life, henceforth it is no longer possible to host large scale events. This unprecedented situation did not impact team Sankalp’s spirit.
This year we have introduced a series of online Workshops in the fields of art, dance, fitness, academics, etc. and have used this platform to bring awareness of Ekal Vidyalaya cause.
Along with workshops, team Sankalp has also provided an opportunity to art and music loves to participate in a online Talent Contest.
This year Sankalp’s efforts will be concluded with a Grand Virtual Concert featuring renowned celebrities from the Bollywood Industry Concert will be streamed on Jan 1st 2021 (EST) and Jan 2nd 2021 (IST) through Sankalp’s Facebook channels https://m.facebook.com/SankalpWithEkalVidyala/
We look forward to having your support in the journey towards creating awareness and raising donations for Ekal Vidyalaya’s noble cause https://www.ekal.org/us/event/sankalp2020
4) Who is your biggest role model, and what is a lesson they taught you?
I have always gone with what my heart says to do. Always dealt with myself and the world with my conscience. I learnt this and hard work from my father. I miss him....
5) As #Dreamcatchers, what is your next big dream/passion!
Right now, I am focused on Sankalp’s mission, because there is a lot of work to be done to create a more equitable environment in India. After that, I am planning to focus on the medical, psychological and financial impact of COVID-19, and providing support to those in need. There is so much we still don’t understand about the impact of this virus, but we do know it disproportionately affects those for whom healthcare access was already an issue. I hope to do my part to ensure that the community heals and has a bright future.
Thank you Kavita for sharing your inspiring story with us! We are excited to have you in our global women’s network!
Bio: Dr. Navani practiced medicine in Central Massachusetts as a primary care physician for over 20 years. She also holds an MD in OB GYN from India. She is actively engaged in community services such as the Free health stop organized by India Society of Worcester where her medical expertise helps and other non-medical community services like helping with the Food Bank. As an entrepreneur, she helped with the formation and growth of eClinicalworks, an electronic health record company with headquarters in Westborough, MA. Dr. Navani has provided clinical input to the EHR and is available to help with small and big tasks that require her expertise. Dr. Navani also takes active interest in cancer research and has made charitable contributions to research on improving outcomes due to infant traumatic brain injuries. She is a big supporter of Ekal Vidyalaya.