FEATURED MEMBER

When he is not working, Dr. Pandipati enjoys spending time with his wife and children, date night, speaking to professional audiences on climate change impacts to human health, writing (he has a number of pieces published in Medium), iPhone photography, hiking, watching Star Trek, working out, mindfulness meditation, reading non-fiction and the occasional novel, trying out new restaurants, and spending time with his pooch.

Maternal-Fetal Medicine is a specialty that allows Dr. Pandipati to practice medicine in different ways. The ability to be a medical doctor, a surgical doctor, and a radiologic doctor all at the same time makes the specialty particularly appealing to him. This field allows him to interact with many physicians and surgical colleagues in a variety of specialties to coordinate care for complex patient problems that results in continuous learning and intellectual stimulation.

Dr. Pandipati has been a member of the Santa Clara County Medical Association for four years and participates in the Environmental Health Committee. Dr. Pandipati also serves as a Delegate to the CMA on behalf of SCCMA. He has previously written articles on climate change and women’s health for The Bulletin, and has been involved in co-authoring articles with Valley Water highlighting advanced water purification for water reuse — technology that will be essential for adapting to anticipated clean water shortages from droughts and flooding due to climate change. The Special Issue of The Bulletin featuring articles on water and health was published in 2022. He has worked for Obstetrix of San Jose since 2012 and was Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at O’Connor Hospital from 2012 to 2022. He is currently on staff with Good Samaritan Hospital (San Jose), El Camino Hospital (Los Gatos and Mountain View), and Doctors Medical Center (Modesto).

In his spare time, Dr. Pandipati seeks better understanding of the anticipated critical impacts of anthropogenic climate change on human health. For the past 20 years he has been educating healthcare professionals on health harms posed by the ongoing climate crisis. He recently spoke on this topic when he was featured on ABC News’ Daily Podcast (12/8/22) and Good Morning America 3. He has also been quoted in The Washington Post and other podcasts on this topic. His published articles can be found in peer-reviewed journals as well as in Medium, a digital publishing platform that supports complexity and vital storytelling without giving incentives of advertising, where he provides a “Doctor’s Perspective” on climate change.

What is the best advice you have been given throughout your career so far?

Remain calm. Be patient. Work through a problem without fear and with diligence. Solutions are often accessible with a clear mind and concentration of effort. I am not sure anyone actually told me any of that, but it is what I have observed amongst the best clinicians I have worked with. It is a pattern of behavior and thought I have endeavored to incorporate into my own practice of medicine. It is not easy to do, as we are all human and subject to varying levels of emotion and ego and fear. But I remind myself that we can be more than these feelings, especially in times of challenging patient care.

If you weren’t a physician, what profession would you like to try?

I always loved space, cosmology, and time. Had I not been a physician I would have become an astrophysicist or cosmologist. Better understanding of the universe means better understanding of humanity, of who we are and how we came to be. Nothing could be more profound of an investigation for me.

What is the most important thing you learned in medical school or residency?

Factual knowledge changes, and while it’s absolutely critical to keep up-to-date, it’s even more important to be open to the human condition - to understand that suffering is universal, that the most important thing we as clinicians can offer to our patients in accompaniment to the medicine or surgery we provide is our compassion and humility.

What do you think will be some of the lasting impacts of the COVID pandemic on the health care system?

COVID fundamentally altered the way clinicians interact with patients. Patients were already significantly ahead of many clinicians in their acceptance of mobile platforms for communication with family and work, but it took a crisis of immense proportions to move the healthcare industry to where patients have been. Telehealth is here to stay, largely because of COVID. We have seen a blossoming of telehealth services and startups as well as internet-based resources, and combined with remote wearable technologies, many of us have realized that much of the care we provide does not have to be in the immediate physical presence of patients. Please don’t misunderstand - a lot of care has to be in physical contact with patients, but we now have the ability to learn deep clinical insights from big data so as to hybridize and personalize care for each patient, and not just use a “one-size-fits-all” approach. This is a turning point in medicine, and one that will be extolled by future historians.

Walk with a Doc

Second Saturday of the month | 9:30-11:00am

Free registration; visit www.sccma.org/programs/walk-witha-doc.aspx

The Santa Clara County Medical Association is now a proud chapter of Walk with a Doc to bring walk events to a park near you! Walk with a Doc is a walking program for everyone interested in taking steps for a healthier lifestyle. A physician gives a brief presentation on a health topic and then leads participants on a walk at their own pace. It’s a great way to get out, get active, and enjoy all the benefits that come from walking while connecting with others in the community.

SCCMA is looking for physician members to volunteer to lead a walk – please contact Angelica Cereno at angelica@sccma.org if you are interested!

Saving Private Practice Webinar Series

Third Wednesday of the month | 12:15-1:15pm

July 19 – PPO Contracts

Register at https://bit.ly/44iI4VS

August 16 – Avoid Practice Management Hypertension

Register at https://bit.ly/43Wk7E2

The Saving Private Practice (SPP) Webinar Series offers free educational presentations designed for solo, small, and medium private practices. SCCMA physicians members and their office staff are welcome to attend. CME is available.

Wellness Retreat

August 11-13 | 1440 Multiversity in Scotts Valley, CA

Register at https://bit.ly/3Py07De

Join us for an all-inclusive three-day, two-night Wellness Retreat for SCCMA members and their guests. Attendees will be immersed in a beautiful backdrop of nature as they unplug over the course of the weekend and participate in sessions aimed at delivering healing and supportive care. All guests are served fresh, organic, plant-based food. Retreat facilitators include Christophe Gimmler, MD, LMFT, Kristine Burkman, PhD, Alistair Shanks, and John Chuck, MD.

Guests can select a private room with single or double occupancy. As an important pillar of support in life and in the home, physician spouses or someone who is a primary source of support are encouraged to join registered members for this retreat. The SCCMA-subsidized cost is $350 per person in a private single occupancy room or $500 per pair ($250 per person) for private double occupancy room. Space is limited.

SCCMA Book Club: Doctors and Friends by Kimmery Martin, MD

Wednesday, September 6 | 6:30 PM | SCCMA Office – 700 Empey Way, San Jose, CA 95128 Register at https://bit.ly/3XA4X5d

SCCMA is excited to announce our very first book club! Whether you are an avid reader, (re)starting, or simply read in your free time, you are invited to join. An in-person book club meeting will be hosted at the SCCMA office where the author will join us via Zoom to answer questions and talk about the process of writing.

Kimmery Martin, MD is an emergency medicine doctor-turned. Written prior to Covid-19, Doctors and Friends incorporates unexpected wit, razor-edged poignancy, and a deeply relatable cast of characters who provoke both laughter and tears. Martin provides a unique insider’s perspective into the world of medical professionals working to save lives during the most difficult situations of their careers. SCCMA will provide you with a copy of the book, Doctors and Friends upon registration.

Health Equity Leadership Summit

September 14-15 | San Jose Marriott Register at https://bit.ly/3JBuIfw

Hosted by Physicians for a Healthy California (PHC), the Health Equity Leadership Summit provides an opportunity for physicians, executives, advocates and allies to find community, engage in hands-on trainings and workshops, and hold indepth conversations about how they are addressing the issue of health equity in California through their care of underserved communities throughout the state.

CMA House of Delegates Meeting

October 21-22 | LA Live, Los Angeles

Information available at www.cmadocs.org/hod-2023

This year’s California Medical Association (CMA) House of Delegates (HOD) meeting will take place on October 21-22, 2023 at JW Marriott LA Live. Major issues selected for this year’s agenda include Consumer Health Technology/Artificial Intelligence, Office of Health Care Affordability, and Climate Change. We look forward to this year’s lively debate as physicians continue to advocate to improve the practice of medicine.

SCCMA Annual Meeting

Tuesday, November 14 | 6:30-8:00pm

Save the date for the SCCMA Virtual Annual Meeting & Ratification of 2024 Council Slate of Candidates. More details to come!