Annual health fair at Islamic Center of Rhode Island bridges wellness with faith

From blood pressure tests to dermatology advice, members of the Islamic Center of Rhode Island benefitted from an annual health fair mixing wellness with faith Friday afternoon, courtesy of the American Muslim Medical Students Association (AMMSA) at Brown.

The fair, now in its fifth year, provides access to a broad swath of specialities like dermatology, ophthalmology, dietary health, and other disciplines, while remaining culturally sensitive to the needs of the local Muslim community. Mariam Khan MD’29 and Adam Dawer MD’29, who lead the AMMSA, say the longstanding community tradition is rooted in altruism while also opening doors for others at The Warren Alpert Medical School.

“Both of us are new to the Providence area and Rhode Island, so this was an exciting way for us to not only be involved in the community but also to network with other like-minded health care professionals, and extend those resources to the community,” Dawer says.

“There are so many barriers to accessing comprehensive medical care—transportation, language issues, and so on—so being able to do something as simple as schedule appointments with specialists is a big benefit,” Khan adds.

With about 10 vendors and more than 25 volunteers, Khan and Dawer offered screenings, advice, demonstrations, and even training opportunities for things like CPR in the lower level of the center. The event was supported by the Brown University Health Community Health Institute, the American Heart Association, and AHOPE, a volunteer-based nonprofit that assists new refugees settling in Rhode Island. Upper-year clinical medical students were paired with local physicians from both the Medical School and Brown University Health to assist with questions and screenings. Even Friday’s sermon was rooted in the importance of health and wellness, Dawer says.

“We’ve had some very generous providers join us, bringing as much as they could that’s mobile,” he says. “We also spoke about the educational side of insurance, like how to enroll relatives and some of the basic do’s and don’ts.”

The intersection of physical health and spiritual health is particularly important in Islam, Dawer says. Practices like fasting during the holy month of Ramadan and observing Islamic dietary laws can open up questions from the community regarding nutrition and conditions like diabetes. Health fairs like those provided by AMMSA also meet community needs in a place of comfort, rather than a sterile doctor’s office or waiting room that could potentially be intimidating.

“In Islam, we put a lot of emphasis on spiritual purity and emphasizing that being well physically is an important part of that. Your body is considered a trust and, as part of that tradition, we can help ensure people are able to get access to the proper care,” Khan says.

There are also sub-communities and different languages within the state’s Muslim population, including Pashto, Dari, and Arabic, and volunteers were on hand as interpreters. Khan and Dawer hope to see the event continue to grow, and potentially include more subspecialities and mobile technology. Khan says incorporating more pediatric and childcare elements is also on the horizon.

“What’s also empowering is knowing that there are so many Muslim providers and physicians alongside so many allies who are truly supportive in promoting health care in these communities,” Khan says.

“We’re not only able to advance and promote a better sense of community; on our end as medical students, this is early in our career pipeline to actually start helping people,” Dawer adds. “There have been so many people who have offered to help, and I think those shared experiences and sense of community come together to make these events special.”