Rooted in Wellness: Dr. Oscar’ brings integrative well-being to Cass County

A new conversation surrounding health, prevention, and community well-being is beginning to take root in Cass County, and at the center of it is Dr. Asghar Naqvi, known to many simply as “Dr. Oscar.”

Recently introduced to local residents through meetings and presentations connected to the Kildare Community Center and the Cass County Commissioners Court, Naqvi is not arriving merely as a physician visiting the area. Instead, he is stepping into the community with a desire to become part of the solutions surrounding health and well-being in rural East Texas.

His focus is integrative well-being, an approach to health that looks not only at sickness, but also at prevention, lifestyle, nutrition, emotional wellness, community support, and the everyday habits that shape quality of life.

For communities like Kildare and greater Cass County, where residents are increasingly working together tahrough community gardens, wellness initiatives, educational workshops, and local partnerships, the connection feels timely.

“I hope to help bring sincere, humble service to this wonderful community,” Naqvi shared. “Empowerment, as we continue to learn and share what we have learned in the arena of systematically focusing on our most potent motivations, goals and paths toward health.”

Naqvi’s introduction to Cass County came through community relationships, beginning with a devotional hosted by his wife, Stephanie, where he met Niccqueta Varmall, wellness humanitarian and founder of the DuEarth Wellness Market vision.

“She inspired me by her radiant spirit, authenticity and practical experience leveraging the power of community gardening,” Naqvi said.

That connection eventually led him to Larry Allen Jr. and the ongoing wellness-centered work happening through the Kildare Community Center, where local leaders and volunteers have been building momentum around community engagement, wellness education, gardening, and creating healthier spaces for residents. For Naqvi, the mission aligns closely with the work he has dedicated much of his life toward.

Born in Starkville, Mississippi and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Naqvi’s journey into medicine was anything but traditional. Before becoming a physician, he pursued music professionally, performing throughout the South with his band Zaemon, which later became inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. In 1992, the band even opened for Gladys Knight at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Yet even while immersed in music, Naqvi says the influence of his parents quietly shaped his future path. His mother was a biology professor, while his father specialized in toxicology. Their household emphasized both education and natural approaches to healing.

“My parents always seemed to have a natural remedy for the colds, burns, scrapes and other ailments that my brother and I had,” he recalled.

Over time, his appreciation for prevention, nutrition, and whole-person healing continued to grow, eventually leading him into medicine, integrative wellness studies, and advanced training connected to Harvard Medical School, the Harvard School of Public Health, and the University of Arizona Integrative Medicine Program.

Today, Naqvi believes many of America’s greatest health struggles are tied directly to preventable lifestyle-related conditions.

“The top causes of suffering in the U.S. are often tied to lifestyle-related factors such as excess weight, blood sugar, blood pressure, alcohol, drugs, and kidney disease,” he explained.

Rather than focusing solely on treatment after illness develops, Naqvi’s approach centers on helping communities become proactive about their health through education, support systems, healthier food choices, movement, emotional wellness, and strong community connections.

That vision is part of what was discussed during his recent visit before the Commissioners Court, where he stood alongside local leaders including Judge Travis Ransom to discuss opportunities connected to integrative well-being and future wellness initiatives within the county.

From Niccqueta Varmall’s perspective, what makes this connection especially meaningful is seeing a medical doctor intentionally choosing to work within the community itself, not from a distance, but alongside residents, local leaders, community gardens, and wellness-centered programs already taking shape.

“This is someone who truly wants to be part of the community and part of the solutions,” Varmall said. “He’s looking at every available resource and asking how we can work together to help residents receive the well-being they deserve.”

That collaborative approach is one reason community-centered spaces like the Kildare Community Center continue becoming increasingly important. Local leaders believe true wellness extends beyond clinics and hospitals and includes relationships, access to healthy food, supportive environments, education, and opportunities for residents to reconnect with one another.

Naqvi agrees.

“It is important to focus on prevention because it involves much less time and money wasted on medications, doctors appointments, urgent care clinics and hospitals, where we see a tremendous amount of suffering, sickness and pain,” he said.

As conversations continue surrounding integrative well-being, gardening initiatives, wellness workshops, and community collaboration, Naqvi says his goal is not simply to introduce programs, but to build relationships and grow alongside the community.

“I feel like the Cass County community, some of whom are already walking a path to healthy living, are an answer to my prayers to be able to make the biggest impact I can for health and wellbeing,” he said.

For Cass County residents, his presence may represent more than another wellness initiative. It may signal the beginning of a larger movement centered on prevention, connection, education, and communities learning how to heal together.

About the Writer

Niccqueta is a wellness humanitarian, community storyteller, and contributor to the Rooted in Cass column, preserving the voices, histories, and living legacies of Cass County residents and families.