I encountered Dr. Vallabhaneni during my recent hospitalization at St. Francis Hospital, part of…read morethe Franciscan Health System. Dr. Vallabhaneni, who often goes by the abbreviated "Dr. V," was part of my inpatient team of doctors treating a variety of concerns and served as my internal medicine doctor during the majority of my stay until it changed in the last 3-4 days - I believe she was headed on vacation and, as such, my last few days were actually under a different physician.
Dr. V is part of the practice of Indiana Internal Medicine Consultants, a Greenwood-based practice that seems to primarily work through Franciscan. I have not dealt with them in terms of outpatient and my entire experience with Dr. V was during my inpatient stay.
You could tell that Dr. V has the respect of the staff of the unit where I was treated, which was 4 South in the Cardiac Center. Staff members were quick to compliment both her knowledge and bedside manner. They correctly predicted that I would appreciate her as I am big on customer service and communication, both areas in which Dr. V would prove to excel.
Dr. V visited my unit daily - most often in the mid-to-late morning hours. She was serious, yet always smiled and I was constantly impressed with her willingness to take the time to explain concerns, test results, diagnostic concerns, and any new or unresolved issues. She didn't just tell you things, but she ensured that you actually understood what she was telling you and what it meant for you and your care. She was, by far, the most communicative of the physicians who worked on my case and she had a way of communicating that made me feel like she was listening to me and that I was in good hands with her. I also appreciated that she had a very even-keeled demeanor. She would talk about serious issues, but she didn't do so in a way that panicked you. You took her seriously, but she made you feel safe in her care.
I was also impressed that she was aware of my financial concerns. While I'm insured, as a person with a disability I have in the past experienced severe financial distress because of my health and she understood this and made sure to always let me know that the team was making sure that anything ordered was actually approved by insurance. I didn't have to ask her about these concerns - she understood they were there and addressed them upfront.
Again, she worked very naturally to keep me calm and engaged in my recovery from a serious illness.
I was disappointed when Dr. V left my case as it felt like the quality of my internal medicine care did drop and I didn't get the quality level of communication from the replacement physician.
Dr. V is simply an absolute gem - she's incredibly knowledgeable and knows how to communicate that knowledge in a way that is simple, user-friendly, and accessible. She's compassionate, personable, and very interactive. She takes the time needed to listen, understand concerns, and explain her own concerns. While I don't live near Greenwood, she's definitely a doctor I would return to again and I really appreciated her compassionate, knowledgeable care as I dealt with serious health issues. She provided quality care in a way that made me feel safer and less anxious about the entire ordeal.