Dr. Gutti J. Rao says he has gotten a good reception from the community since his Greenwood office opened, and he is looking forward to expanding the services there.
Dr. Rao, who lives in Winona, divides his time between Internal Medicine Physicians Inc. on Leflore Avenue and the associated clinic in Winona. He also is medical director at Pemberton Manor and works some shifts in the emergency room at Grenada Lake Medical Center.
For the time being, he is the only physician in the Greenwood office, which opened in May. His wife, Kumari V. Gutti, works in Winona now, but he said she will be working in Greenwood soon, probably in the next couple of months.
He also hopes to add to his staff as the practice builds its business. Plans include adding a nurse practitioner, who will work mostly in Winona, he said.
Rao said he became interested in medicine at a young age because several members of his family have been doctors.
"Since the time I was a child, I've been with them and seen patients - of course, not as a doctor, but looking on at what is happening," he said. "That's what made me go for medicine."
He graduated from Stanley Medical College in India and did postgraduate work at Madras Medical College, also in India. His medical experience includes work in India and Iran as well as a residency at New York Methodist Hospital. Both he and his wife are board-certified in internal medicine and also are accomplished in research.
Rao said the advances in the American medical system made it easy for him to adjust to practicing in this country. He was able to learn quickly how the system works, and so he "fell into the groove right away," he said.
"I did not have difficulties adjusting here at all," he said.
After serving as chief resident in the Department of Internal Medicaine at New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, Rao and his wife moved to Florida in 1997. He worked in Haines City, Lake Wales, Orlando and Apopka before moving to Mississippi in 2000.
Then, he and his wife set up their practice, and he also worked some emergency-room shifts at Grenada Lake Medical Center.
He said they decided to open the Greenwood office because Tyler Holmes Memorial Hospital in Winona lacks facilities for the critically ill and some other types of specialty care.
"We decided to come to Greenwood so that we can serve the population better," he said.
Rao said the Greenwood Leflore Hospital staff has been "very cordial" since his arrival. Because the clinic is so near the hospital, he hasn't had to buy equipment for his office. He now can perform some minor surgery and other services such as EKGs there, and he said he plans to expand the services later.
Rao said the hospital has an important role because of Greenwood's distance from other hospital sites such as Jackson, Memphis, Greenville and Tupelo.
Greenwood Leflore has vacancies in some key specialties, but "the administration is doing a wonderful job of getting people in and trying to do the best possible under the circumstances," he said.
