Mridula Vinjamuri, MD, joins AdventHealth Gordon as new medical oncologist
Mridula Vinjamuri, MD, is joining AdventHealth Gordon’s Cancer Care program as a medical oncologist in November 2020. With over 13 years of clinical experience, Vinjamuri will provide wholeperson care to patients at AdventHealth Medical Group Hematology Oncology at Calhoun.
A graduate of Guntur Medical College in India, Vinjamuri completed her surgical residency at Cornell University in Manhasset, New York, and her internal medicine residency at Michigan State University in Saginaw. She then completed a fellowship in hematology and oncology at West Virginia University Hospital in Morgantown. Board-certified in hematology and oncology, Vinjamuri is also a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Hematology and American Medical Association.
“I am very excited about joining AdventHealth as we envision the same philosophical values and ethics regarding patient care,” said Vinjamuri. “We believe in high quality of care that heals both body and mind. I look forward to working with a team that believes being in the medical field is not just a job but their calling and commitment to patient care.”
Vinjamuri has received numerous recognitions, honors and awards in academics, research and clinical care during her career. Among those distinctions is her recognition as one of “American’s Top Physicians” by Consumers’ Research Council of America as well as a notable grant awarded by the Health Care Foundation of New Jersey recognizing her excellence in research. Vinjamuri has given multiple case presentations in medical conferences across the United States and has authored dozens of abstracts and publications, including topics on PET scans in small cell lung cancer and chemotherapy of brain tumors.
Vinjamuri will be an integral part of the Cancer Care team as it opens the new AdventHealth Gordon Cancer Center in December 2020. The new center will bring together all cancer services on-campus to create a truly comprehensive cancer program.
“This center is the culmination of a vision to provide a regional location that fosters innovative cancer care,” said Mridula Vinjamuri, MD. “This model of integrating multimodality care complemented with the administration of expert cancer treatment options ensures excellent care for all patients, indistinguishable with a larger or academic cancer center. The multidisciplinary expertise implemented at AdventHealth all target the same problem, each from a diverse perspective, as an effort to commit to the patient’s best personalized treatment plan.”
Whether it’s lending a listening ear or providing words of encouragement, Vinjamuri’s goal is to support her patients in body, mind and spirit.
“Oncology is extremely gratifying and inspiring but yet also humbling and uplifting,” said Vinjamuri. I personally can feel their pain. Whenever I see a patient in pain, it’s my natural instinct to hold their hand and remind them that we are in this together. That is a key aspect of oncology for me. The ability to develop long-term relationships with not only the patient but the whole family is what I love about being an oncologist. It is a very exciting time to be in oncology as every day a new personalized targeted evidenced-based treatment with molecular markers is emerging leading to cure if not long-term remission.”
Vinjamuri’s passion for Cancer Care is evident in her commitment to supporting patients throughout their entire cancer journey.
“Cancer patients are all unique,” said Vinjamuri. “You need to do whatever it takes to make their journey stress-free. It starts by empowering them with knowledge about the cancer from staging to treatment options and side effects. We need to know each person as an individual, provide them with all the options available, and most importantly, respect their decisions. Throughout this journey, they need to always be reminded that we are a team, and we will always be there for them.
Vinjamuri believes in treating the whole patient, not only treating cancer. While it’s important to utilize advanced treatments and world-class technology to fight cancer, it’s also equally important to help fight against a patient’s fears and anxieties.
“Holistic care means treating a patient in every aspect,” said Vinjamuri. “It’s imperative as a doctor to take the time to treat a patient’s psychosocial, emotional, nutritional, occupational, spiritual and existential needs in order to truly facilitate the most comprehensive treatment added to the latest cutting-edge cancer treatments.”