An Ounce of Prevention

From a young age, Washington Health Medical Group (WHMG) pediatrician Shilpa Jayaramaswamy Sulochana, MD, knew she was destined to take care of people, but one incident during medical school sparked her interest in pediatrics.

“I did my rotations at Victoria Hospital, the second largest hospital in India with 1,000 beds,” she recalled. “We had great attending physicians teaching us and it was a privilege to learn there. We did rotations in every discipline, but it wasn’t until my rotations in pediatrics and labor and delivery that I found my inspiration.

“We were doing a rotation in labor and delivery and the hospital was short-handed for that shift. There were multiple women in labor and we medical students were helping out. When the patient I was with delivered, the baby came out very limp and blue. I immediately began resuscitating the baby and reassuring the mother. The baby fought hard to live and his resilience really touched me. It was a very fulfilling moment for me and I knew then that caring for children, especially newborns, was what I wanted to do.”

Global Training

Dr. Sulochana’s plan was to stay in India for a fellowship at Victoria Hospital after completing medical school at Bangalore Medical College. But friends who had come to the United States for residency the year before, shared their experiences in the American health care system with her. It was a pivotal moment.

“My best friend was doing her residency in pediatrics in New York,” Dr. Sulochana said. “She explained the American system, the special doctor-patient relationship, the availability of care to every person, the level of technology, the emphasis on research and best practices, and the opportunities to make real differences in your patients’ lives. It sounded like just what I was looking for.”

Dr. Sulochana joined her friend at Nassau University Medical Center in New York and completed her residency in 2012. After residency, she worked for pediatric practices in Florida and Texas, where working with children from infancy through adolescence helped shape her practice.

“I was close to getting a fellowship in neonatology, but I learned that I loved supporting new parents as they navigate the challenges of caring for their newborns as well as their older children,” she said. “Educating parents as they learn about each new chapter in their children’s lives is very important and it’s very satisfying to see them all grow together.”

Coming to California

As much as she loved her practice in Texas, Dr. Sulochana missed her own family. Her brother and her parents were established in the Tri-City Area, so when a position became available at Washington Health, she knew it was the perfect fit for her, her husband and children. She already knew of Washington Health’s reputation as a center of excellence and joined the WHMG in June.

“The Tri-City Area is one of the most diverse in California, with representation of people from all over the world,” she noted. “I am able to provide care for patients from many ethnicities. I work with them to understand their cultures, and educate and collaborate with them on what is the best care for their children.”

When Dr. Sulochana came to Washington Health, she brought with her more than a dozen years of experience dealing with children of all ages. In that time, she learned that children are not just little adults. They come with a variety of issues that demand attention in a holistic way. She brings that focus to her new practice in Fremont and explained education is a big part of her integrated approach.

“For a long time, disease management was mostly what physicians consentrated on,” she explained. “But I focus on preventive care first, looking at a better way to live, rather than reactive care.”

Healthy Focus

Dr. Sulochana is passionate about ensuring her patients have the best opportunities for good health.

“I’m an advocate for healthy living, and I try to bring that to my patients and their families,” Dr. Sulochana explained. “Good habits – exercise, a healthy diet, preventive care, vaccines – all help children live their best lives. It’s my privilege to assist parents in achieving that.

“For example, when we discuss vaccinations, there are some parents who are concerned about possible side effects and don’t want to vaccinate their children,” she continued. “I show them that diseases such as measles can be deadly. The reason we don’t see more deaths is because of vaccinations.”

Dr. Sulochana teaches parents ways to improve their health and their children’s health through understanding the world around them,

“I explain to parents that the food we eat, the water we drink, even the grass we walk on outside, contain substances that can be harmful,” she said. “I show them the research on vaccines and other research about our environment, and encourage them to consider all of this when making decisions that will impact their children’s lives. I try to focus on well-care, not just sick care, making the most of the time my patients and their parents share with me, to help them make the most of the time they have with each other.”

For more information on pediatric medical services at Washington Health Medical Group, visit https://www.mywtmf.com/services/pediatrics/.