Welcome Dr. Smitha Mellacheruvu
We are pleased to welcome an outstanding doctor to our team. Dr. Smitha Mellacheruvu is a highly regarded hematologist/oncologist who joins us from New York. She completed her Internal Medicine internship and residency at UCONN School of Medicine. After residency, she completed a fellowship in Hematology-Oncology from the Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. She then went on to serve as a fellow/ clinical lecturer at the University of Michigan in their division of bone marrow transplantation.
After her training, Dr. Mellacheruvu served as an attending physician in the Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Bone Marrow Transplantation at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. In 2011 she joined a private hematology/ oncology practice in New York where she spent 7 years. Since 2018, she has served as an attending physician in oncology and hematology at Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care, St. Johns Riverside Hospital in Yonkers, and most recently at Northern Westchester Hospital.
Throughout her career, Dr. Mellacheruvu has been highly regarded for excellence. Since 2014, she has been a Castle Connolly “Top Doctor” which recognizes the top 7% of all U.S. practicing physicians. She has been featured in New York Magazine and Westchester Magazine as one of the top doctors in the New York area. She has also been recognized nationally on the Exceptional Women in Medicine list since 2020. In addition, she received pandemic service awards for her outstanding commitment during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Dr. Mellacheruvu has published on topics related to blood-related cancers and stem cell transplantation. She also has lectured on topics including breast cancer risk factors and prevention strategies.
Dr. Mellacheruvu looks forward to sharing her expertise with patients throughout Connecticut. She is now seeing patients in our office.
What her patients share about her…
- Dr. Smitha was very hardworking and caring throughout my treatment. She made the process a lot easier for me and was thorough in answering any questions and concerns I had. I’m very glad to have had her as my oncologist.
- Dr. Smitha is a caring, conscientious oncologist who is highly knowledgeable and always aware of recent updates in the field. I am very blessed to have her as my doctor through both breast and pancreatic cancer.
- Dr. Smitha is a compassionate and knowledgeable oncologist. I am very grateful for the care I received from her. She communicated regularly with the other doctors involved in my care and checked in on me frequently. I felt like I was her only patient and received such personalized care.
Click here to learn more about her education and background.
Q/A with Dr. Mellacheruvu
What made you decide to be a doctor?
My mother is a physician and I grew up on a medical school campus. This inspired me to pursue medicine from a very young age.
How did you choose the field of hematology/oncology?
While in my internal medicine residency, I was inspired by the Hematology-Oncology physicians I worked under. Also, around that time, Gleevec was approved for management of Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Gleevec is an oral targeted therapy medication used to treat cancer and was a major breakthrough in precision medicine. This advancement is cancer care also inspired me to pursue Hematology-Oncology.
What do you like most about being a doctor?
My favorite part of being a physician is being able to alleviate the suffering of patients and providing patients and their families with comfort and peace of mind.
What is your approach to care?
I try to approach patient care by studying the details pertaining to each case, understanding the current knowledge in the field pertaining to that case, and communicating this in an effective manner to the patient to enable shared decision making. I try to make management plans that will provide the best outcomes for the patient, while at the same time honoring their values and preferences.
Why did you decide to join ECHO?
I am drawn to the ability to provide advances in the field of hematology-oncology, in a community setting, where patients are close to home. I am honored to work with an experienced team of physicians and a wonderful staff.
What do you do outside of work?
I enjoy spending time with my 2 daughters, reading, music, and taking care of our pet hamster.