By Joycelyne Fadojutimi

Sudha Yanamandra, MD; is an internal medicine doctor at Longview Regional Medical Center. Her husband N.S. Jatavallabhula, MD, is a neurosurgeon making them a boon to Longview residents.

Yanamandra’s life is steeped in medicine. She attended a Catholic missionary school in India. She was blessed with a father in the medical field-he ran a diagnostic center in India. Hence, she became passionate about medicine. Hanging around her father influenced her journey to medical school. “I chose medicine as I have always been passionate about treating patients and making them better,” she says. “My dad was in the medical field, and he used to run a diagnostic clinic in India, and I have seen many patients with different ailments – that inspired me to become a physician.”

After her graduation from the Catholic missionary school, her passion took her to medical school. Upon graduation, she took her medical studies several notches higher and attended her post graduate program in United Kingdom. Later, she and her family pulled up stakes and headed for united State of America.

“We decided to move to USA for family reasons, and then I wanted to practice medicine, which is one of my passions – to treat all medical problems,” she says. “I decided to do internal medicine, which I really enjoy practicing every day.”

“I chose medicine because I have always been passionate about treating patients and making them better.” Sudha Yanamandra, MD

Dr. Yanamandra is first an OBGYN physician. “I really enjoyed my career in OBGYN,” she said. She has no regrets because she brings her OBGYN expertise to internal medicine which is often times beneficial for her female patients.

She wears many hats. Yanamandra is a physician, a wife, a mother, a volunteer, a runner and much more. Her days are remarkably busy to say the least. According to Yanamandra, her day starts with an early morning prayer, then getting her daughter ready for school. Dr. Yanamandra arrives to work at 8:15am and starts seeing patients at the Regional Clinics till 5pm. When she gets home, she practices what most doctors tell their patients – exercise – after which she prepares a delectable dinner for her family. But that is not all. If there is any time left in the evening, she would watch a movie or two with her family.

Dr. Yanamandra and her husband have 2 daughters. The first daughter, Hyndavi, is a pre-med student at the University of Texas in Austin. Following in her parents footsteps, she wants to become a physician. The second daughter, Samskruti, is a junior at Longview High School. Their family is immensely proud of the Lobos.

“Our family is a Lobo family. We attend games, donate funds to TSA, Lobo band, tennis, volunteer for different activities, and engage in fundraising.” Besides being a strong Lobo supporter, Yanamandra runs and walks for charities including Texas Oncology and the Newgate Turkey fun run.

Nonetheless, her passion is medicine. Yanamandra even takes phone calls from patients with relatively minor health problems, saving some the trouble and expense of going to emergency rooms. She has lately stayed especially busy with this because of COVID. When needed, she directs callers to local health care facilities. Still, she and her family are about more than medicine.

Somehow, despite her hectic, selfless schedule she squeezes time for travelling, haute cuisine, playing the sitar, jogging, and again, movies. She describes her favorite food as, “all Indian desserts!” Still, her passion is the well-being of those around her, most especially women.

“I can screen for cervical cancers, take care of menopausal problems and hormone replacement therapy,” she says. “Most of my female patients can benefit from these treatments.” Hence, women in Longview do not have to travel far and wide for the care they need. As it is, they have it right here with Dr. Yanamandra at Longview Regional Medical Center.

“Our family is a Lobo family. We attend games, donate funds to TSA, Lobo band, tennis, volunteer for different activities, and engage in fundraising.”  Sudha Yanamandra, MD