April 5, 2023
Vikas Reddy, MD, is a true team leader and epitomizes the type of practitioner the Foundation for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine envisioned when they established the Clinician of the Year Award. Dr. Reddy, medical director with Summit Medical Consultants, is recognized as a strong advocate for his patients and residents and demonstrates compassion and thoughtfulness in his interactions with them and their families. His collaborative approach with other team members has established him as a role model among his peers and associates.
“This is an unexpected honor,” Dr. Reddy said of the award. “It’s wonderful to be recognized for the work I’ve done for my community, but this should be an award for all physicians in the country. We are all in the same boat, and we motivate each other to keep going.”
Dr. Reddy is committed to providing high-quality, evidence-based care to meet patient needs. He is also involved in providing team education to build a knowledge base throughout the organization. “Each facility has its own personality, and it is important to have good communication with nursing staff, CNAs, and other team leaders to collaborate on different options and approaches to ensure the best possible care,” he said. Sometimes, he noted, communities don’t always have a straight answer and you have to think outside the box: “You need to understand the challenges everyone faces and the solutions that meet everyone’s needs.”
Among the things Dr. Reddy has done to promote clinical excellence, he provides continual chart reviews for his advanced practice providers to offer insight and give a better understanding of the pathophysiology and thought processes in evaluations. He also provides updated information on common topics in LTC/SNF settings for all providers. As a medical director, he developed a fall review program to assess for secondary falls and focus on reduction in polypharmacy.
Dr. Reddy’s staff has come to rely on his direction, compassion, and expertise in their care partnership with him, especially during these challenging times. He follows up on the statement “call me anytime” with a positive outlook, education when necessary, and exemplary medical direction when staff contacts him. His direction is then quickly followed up when the staff provides results of requested diagnostics or updates for signs/symptoms he asks for.
The challenges of the pandemic have spotlighted his expertise and compassion for residents and staff. When one of Dr. Reddy’s facilities had an outbreak of COVID-19, he provided his expertise in advocating for the proper compassionate care of residents and was able to succinctly explain the disease processes and treatments to the families.
Dr. Reddy’s enthusiasm for the field is inspiring to those around him. He said, “If people are looking for meaningful work, this is the field to be in. We focus on the quality of someone’s life and bringing respect and dignity to their last years.”
The Clinician of the Year award was introduced in 2022 to recognize interdisciplinary team members who serve in post-acute and long-term care settings. It spotlights a licensed health-care practitioner who is directly involved in treating and caring for people in long-term care settings and who embodies excellence in patient/resident care.
Watch this video of Dr. Reddy discussing his award.
