Toms River Doctor Named President of Federation of Indian Associations

On Oct 26, 2023

Dr. Avinash Gupta of Toms River, a long-time Lakewood cardiologist and Chief of Cardiology and president of the medical staff at Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus (MMCSC), has been elected president of the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), a major non-profit organization serving the Indian diaspora in the U.S.

Dr. Gupta, also a member of the Ocean County Board of Health, has been serving his community for more than four decades, working in the fields of social welfare and healthcare in the U.S. and India.

Dr. Gupta said after being elected, “Being involved with community groups and helping others has always been my passion. Community service is very rewarding and fulfilling. It has enriched me as a person.”

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Gupta and a team of 50 doctors and healthcare professionals administered vaccinations to 3,500 Indian Americans residing in Ocean County. He also provided virtual medical assistance to distressed Indians were stranded in the U.S. during the pandemic. He went above and beyond by arranging medications for those individuals who lacked medical insurance coverage. He also serves marginalized and impoverished individuals in the tribal regions of Jharkhand in India by providing free medical healthcare. As a result, NBC TV channel televised a segment “American Doctors helping COVID patients in India,” featuring Drs. Avinash and Geeta Gupta.

Dr. Gupta has served as president of the Monmouth Ocean County Association of Physicians from India (MOCAAPI) and Bihar Jharkhand Association of North America (BJANA). It was his leadership within the Hindu American community that saw the founding of Sidhivinayak Temple and Indian Cultural Center in Toms River in 2012, an organization for which he has personally donated hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless hours.

FIA Chairman Ankur Vaidya expressed his appreciation for the hard work of the 2023 executive team and welcomed the incoming team. Dr. Gupta, reflecting on his experience as the FIA vice president, described it as a valuable learning curve. He expressed his commitment to guiding FIA to new heights during his tenure as president. Collaborating with his new team, Dr. Gupta aims to reinforce India-US relations.

After graduating from medical school in India, Dr. Gupta came to the United States in 1986. He went on to complete his Internal Medicine residency and Cardiology fellowship in New York before he began to practice cardiology in Lakewood in 1994. After working for Lakewood Medical Specialists, he started his own practice with his wife Dr. Geeta Gupta, with Kimball Medical Center as his primary hospital. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Nuclear Medicine, and Lipidology.

Dr. Gupta and his wife Dr. Geeta Gupta share an office in Lakewood, specializing in both Internal Medicine and Cardiology as well as offering all testing associated with Cardiology care, such as Echocardiograms, Carotid Ultrasound, Nuclear and Regular Exercise Stress Testing.

Among his awards, Dr. Gupta received Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, 2020, leadership and Community Service, Consulate General of India, N.Y.; Proclamation, 2021, Lifesaving services during COVID pandemic, State of New Jersey; Extraordinary leadership, 2020, Service to Profession & Community, AAPI; Healthcare Heroes in serving Community during COVID pandemic, 2020, BJANA; Annual India Day parade, 2019, Federation of Indian Associations; Service to Homeland, 2019, BCCI, Patna; and 25 years of dedicated service, 10994-2019, RWJBarnabas Health.

The FIA’s executive team for 2024 includes Saurin Parikh as executive vice president, Smita Miki Patel as vice president, Deepak Goel as 2nd vice president, Priti Patel as general secretary, Mahesh Dubal as joint secretary, Sanjeev Singh as treasurer, and Haresh Shah as joint treasurer.

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