By Michelle Cannon Epting
Brevard Indo-American Medical and Dental Association
BIMDA, the Brevard Indo-American Medical and Dental Association, is Florida’s Leading Indian Medical Association. BIMDA hosts several medical and community events each year. It will hold its annual medical conference Saturday, November 22 at the Hilton Melbourne Rialto Place. The conference will celebrate the great culture of Greece, as BIMDA partners with the Greek American Association of Brevard. The conference will feature medical education, professional exhibits, speakers, a grand reception and a gala banquet.
BIMDA has had a tremendous positive impact in Brevard County since its inception in 1995. The three founders were Dr. Mahesh Soni, Dr. Subhash Rege, and Glad Kurian. Dr. Soni was the pediatrician for Christian Kurian, son of Glad and Patricia Kurian. Dr. Rege was the family’s dentist. Dr. Soni possessed a vision to create an organization that would blossom as an open platform membership-based group serving the goals of continued professional medical education, diversity, cultural enrichment, professional development and community support.
GLAD KURIAN
Born into an Air Force family in India, Glad Kurian traveled the country with his parents and siblings. He studied mechanical engineering and worked at a major automobile plant in India before he continued his studies in Melbourne at Florida Tech in 1985. In 1989 Glad married his wife Patricia, and the couple has one son, Christian. After earning an MBA and teaching for several years, Glad is a vice president at Morgan Stanley in Melbourne.
Glad is the honorary executive director and event chair for BIMDA. He is the volunteer organizer, overseeing the areas of conference management, strategy for growth, leadership development, creative direction, and networking. “We all love BIMDA because it is a platform for all medical and dental professionals, hospitals and hospital leadership, medical institutions, academia and non-profit groups, community leaders and volunteers to network and help the community grow,” said Glad.
DR. SUBHASH REGE
Also born in India, Dr. Rege attended school there, became a dentist, and practiced for 10 years while teaching at Government Dental College in Bombay until 1977. That year he married Dr. Aruna Marfatia. He came to the U.S. and attended Howard University Dental College from 1980 to 1982 for a post-graduate certificate in the specialty of pediatric dentistry. Dr. Rege moved to Brevard County in 1989, started his practice in 1994, and met the other founders.
In 1995 Dr. Rege helped found BIMDA. In 1999, the year BIMDA became incorporated, Dr. Rege became the organization’s first Life Member, and he is the current treasurer. He is proud about BIMDA’s growth into a strong organization to support the medical and dental professions. “BIMDA is a great platform so that all dentists can have a voice within a larger medical environment,” he said.
DR. MAHESH SONI
Born in India, Dr. Soni attended high school and medical school and completed a one-year surgical residency before moving to the United States in 1975. He had a four-year residency in pediatrics at Brooklyn Jewish Hospital in New York. During his residency, he married Rita Chokshi, currently a local real estate agent. Dr. Soni opened a private practice in Tulsa, Oklahoma from 1980 to 1985. In 1985 he relocated to Melbourne, where he has been a pediatrician in private practice for the last 30 years. Dr. Soni loves taking care of children, and he currently is with Medical Associates of Brevard, P.A. Dr. Soni is a board member and director/chair for BIMDA’s CME (continuing medical education) committee. He has also contributed significantly to local health care in Brevard County, serving as HRMC’s Chief of Pediatrics from 1997-1999.
For more information on BIMDA or its annual conference, please visit Bimda.com or call (321) 952-0853.
