New pediatrician interested in seeing children grow
Saline Pediatric Associates’ newest pediatrician is looking forward to working with the children of Saline County and monitoring how they grow.
“It’s exciting,” said Dr. Ajitha Yeluru, M.D., about joining the new clinic at Saline Memorial Hospital, 5 Medical Park Dr. Ste, GL 2 in Benton.
She joined the practice Sept. 29.
Yeluru is originally from India. She received her undergraduate and medical degrees at Ghandi Medical College, where she also did her first residency. She worked in a private clinic and taught students before deciding to move to the United States to further her education and see what western pediatrics are like.
She did a three-year residency at Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn. In her third year, she started looking for a pediatrician position.
“This hospital seemed a perfect fit,” Yeluru said.
She liked that this role is similar to her position in India. She gets to work in the pediatric clinic and respond to deliveries and follow up with new babies in the clinic. She also likes it is a place where she can live in the community where she is working.
Yeluru feels it is important for her to be able to understand and connect with the families she is serving.
She likes Benton and feels at home in the community.
“It is beautiful, so friendly,” she said.
She likes the schools and what the community has to offer.
Yeluru and her two children, Abhi, 10, and Amoth,9, moved to Benton in July. They attend Benton schools.
She thinks the people of Benton are friendly and approachable. They have been welcoming of her since she came.
She wants to be an active part of the community with the hospital.
Yeluru is interested in seeing the children she serves grow and seeing them reach their milestones.
She especially enjoys developmental and behavioral pediatrics, but she focuses on all the needs of the child.
Currently, she is doing research with a junior from her residency on autism.
Yeluru originally thought her career would be in pharmacology and research. She liked biology and focused on it in high school. She got good scores so she was able to get into medical school.
She was inspired to go into pediatrics by her professor during her first clinical rotation. During that time, there was an outbreak of cholera and the professor was the head of the pediatrics department.
She is the first doctor in her family.
Yeluru said she led his team working on the outbreak. There was not enough hospital resources, but he was able to plan and figure out how to make everything work.
She realized how noble it was to work in pediatrics.
“Children are such precious souls,” she said.
Dr. Jamie Irwin, D.O., the other pediatrician in the practice, was the first person she met when she moved to Benton. Yeluru said Irwin is professional, nice and welcoming. Irwin still helps her with questions as she gets settled into the community and the practice.
“She is very helpful and very patient with me,” Yeluru said.
Yeluru said the practice being new is exciting because of the things they are able to bring in, such as vision and hearing screenings. They are bringing lab work into the clinic.
She believes the practice is getting better and better.
Yeluru enjoys spending time outdoors and taking her children out. She said the area has nice lakes.
As a pediatrician, Yeluru encourages parents to get their children vaccinated to protect their children from infectious diseases. The practice has the COVID-19 vaccine for children of all ages available.
Yeluru said her patients have told her she is good at explaining things, like medical issues, to them without using medical jargon.
She is grateful for all the people who have accepted her in the community.
“I want to thank all of them for that,” she said.
For appointments, Saline Pediatric Associates can be reached at 501-574-7337.