First Person: Bridging Healthcare Gaps: The JSH Diabetes 360 Camp
First person is an occasional series, providing firsthand accounts of outreach programs involving our McGovern Medical School community. This issue features first-year McGovern Medical School Student Pranav Mehta.
Jainism. It’s one of the rarest religions in the world. The Jain philosophy holds principles deeply rooted in self-control, non-violence, and detachment from worldly possessions. Specifically, its major practices promote strict vegetarianism (excluding root vegetables), intermittent fasting (between sunset to sunrise), and devout meditation.
As a practicing Jain and aspiring medical professional, I was curious to understand how Jain values could influence health outcomes. However, I was surprised by the lack of Jain-focused initiatives and available data. Recognizing this disparity, I became inspired to advocate for Jain health.
I started by collaborating with Jain physicians to create international studies analyzing the health status and determinants within the Jain population. Despite the presence of several healthy practices within the Jain faith, we were surprised to find that several Jain communities still faced disproportionately high rates of diabetes. Through 1-on-1 interviews, we learned that these gaps often stemmed from traditional diets high in fat and oil, unregulated stress in professional settings, stigma when seeking medical care, and limited health literacy overall. My community had an incomplete understanding of how to practice and sustain a healthy Jain lifestyle.
I kept wondering how this issue had gone unaddressed for so long. I wanted to fix that.
Entering McGovern Medical School, I teamed up with Jain UTHealth Houston physicians, religious scholars, and community leaders to design a personalized diabetes program for the largest Jain community in Texas, comprising over 1,300 members. At the Jain Society of Houston (JSH) Community Center, we launched the “JSH Diabetes 360 Camp”. Our mission was three-fold:
- To deliver a comprehensive (360), culturally sensitive program teaching Jains how to prevent, manage, and potentially reverse diabetes
- To help Jains become more confident in their daily health decisions while practicing their existing Jain lifestyle
- To create a community network for Jain diabetes patients to support each other through their shared diagnosis
Our camp aimed to address key diabetes-related challenges through customized workshops infused with Jain philosophies and values. These workshops included essential topics such as Diabetes 101 Education, Jain Dietary Modifications, and Yoga/Meditative Stress Management. To ensure the attendees’ comfort, we conducted each segment in their native languages – Hindi and Gujarati. Afterward, everyone was provided a complimentary, diabetes-friendly lunch and JSH Diabetes 360 Take-Home Bags with personalized resources to help attendees navigate their Jain lifestyle at home.
Beyond delivering practical Jain diabetes education, our team was proud to help nurture a strong sense of community and mutual support on this sensitive topic. It was heartening to see attendees gradually open up about their diabetes status and share their health stories to provide each other with comfort, compassion, and camaraderie. Kamlesh Shah, chief trustee of the JSH, noted, “This was the start of something greatly needed at our temple. It brought us closer together.”
Moving forward, our main focus is sustainability. Our JSH Diabetes 360 Team, in collaboration with Shah and the JSH Leadership, has designed a Jain Diabetes Support Group, Temple-Wide Fitness Challenge, free online yoga and meditation classes, and will continue innovating health initiatives to support the wellness of our community.
Reflecting on this experience, I am deeply humbled and grateful for the positive impact we were able to make within our Houston Jain community. Through the JSH Diabetes 360 Camp, I learned that medicine is not just about treating the textbook patient condition, but also the diverse lifestyles that influence each patient’s health. By focusing on the values that shape people, we can customize care to help others lead healthier lives on their own terms. I am energized to use this insight to further personalize health initiatives with the Jain community, while learning how to lead similar efforts for the diverse religious and cultural backgrounds across Houston.
As a first-year medical student at McGovern Medical School, this camp showed me the value of continually pursuing my curiosities and collaborating within my UTHealth Houston community to improve health outcomes in Houston. I encourage UTHealth Houston faculty and students to continue finding ways to personalize support for the diverse populations in our city. Our academic knowledge, curiosity, and passion-based leadership can help us bridge healthcare gaps and transform lives beyond the clinic.