Cheryl Martin (Host): Today, we're getting acquainted with Dr. Swapna Thota. She's a medical oncologist and hematology-oncologist with Regional One Health Cancer Care. She specializes in treating leukemia, bone marrow failure, as well as other conditions.

Host: This is One on One with Regional One Health, your inside look at how we're building healthier tomorrows for our patients and our community. Join us as we get to know some of the individuals who help provide life-saving, life-changing care for our community. I'm Cheryl Martin. Dr. Thota, welcome.

Swapna Thota, MD: Hey, Ms. Martin, thank you so much for having me. It's my honor to join you all today.

Host: Doctor, tell us more about those serious conditions that you treat and what inspired you to specialize in caring for patients with these diagnoses?

Swapna Thota, MD: I've always been like fascinated about really cool stories. So, I went with an open mind into medical school, trying to learn different disorders. It is really having an opportunity to work with some of the world-renowned experts in the space of bone marrow failure that made me interested to learn more about this conditions where patients present with like really low blood counts, not feeling well. They start to require a lot of transfusions, can't make their own blood. And with treatments, they fortunately do really well. And you see that the blood counts, they start to make their own blood and they feel much better. So, I've seen that spectrum of illness turning into a normal life early on in my training. And that's what inspired me to understand it more. And the more I understood it, it continues to fascinate. And this rare group of disorders really need a special expertise to help out this subgroup of patients. And I continue some of that work just continuing building on, you know, giants that have found treatments for these conditions.

Host: That's great. Now, what have you found most rewarding in providing care to patients at Regional One Health Cancer Care?

Swapna Thota, MD: Regional One Health, it's a special place. It cares for a lot of of underserved patients, a lower literacy level in part of my population that I see unaware of suffering from what they actually have. So, it takes time to understand what they've been suffering from. And once they reach to their primary care with certain illness, we have now provided education about what a patient coming with low blood counts look like for our primary care providers. They know to call us right away. And it's that ease of being able to reach out to these underserved patients, these rare disease patients to provide that expertise in this geographic area. I think it has been really a game changer for this specific location to have such expertise and such rare disorders come together. I think it's really helped out the patients in Memphis and the surrounding areas. So, I have grown to love my patient population here. They're so full of love for all the team members that take care of them. So, it's been an amazing journey getting to know Memphis through my patients.

Host: Well, this leads perfectly into my next question. What has it been like establishing a new oncology service at Regional One Health?

Swapna Thota, MD: Nerve-wracking in the beginning. I've not done anything like this before. But I have learned a lot. I think it was much needed in this community. I think we upgraded a lot of health and for our patient population and things that they have been suffering from. So, you know, it was a team effect, it's no single person, leadership recognized it. They trusted physicians, nurses, administration, they all came together, continued to work. It's work in progress. We've come a long way in the last two to three years now. The services are broadening. The expertise is improving. The workflow is smoothening. You know, it's a work in progress. But I think it takes a daredevil and I think Regional One administration did that. And it's a group effort and I'm really glad to be part of it.

Host: Now, as you know, patients with cancer can often be scared and overwhelmed. So, how do you approach patients and their families to provide the support and compassion that they need?

Swapna Thota, MD: That's true. The first visit tends to be longer. Usually, I simplify my language so they understand what they have. And that's the basic backbone on which you then build. What does that mean to me? What needs to happen next? I think these are really complex disorders. So, simplifying things, providing clean calendars, instructions when to come back, things like that makes their life a little bit easier in understanding and comprehending and establishing that relationship. It's divide and conquer.

In the initial few meetings, we just try and get them to understand what they have. And as the meeting ends, I ask them to repeat what have they understood from what I told. And if they're struggling, I know that there's a huge fear factor involved in comprehending what's going on, and that gives me a good segue into letting them express a little bit more about that. Providing access to us on a continuous basis is how, because it's not a one-time meeting, you address all the fears that they have. So by improving their access to their physicians, to their nurses, they go to bed at night, they wake up with a question, worried about something. Even though they're not seeing me that day, they should be able to find a way to reach out to me to have that conversation to let go of that fear or to face that fear together. So, I think being available and talking about it and trying to understand things that they're expressing and not expressing. It takes a little bit of time to get to the bottom of that fear factor.

Host: That's good. So now, let's switch gears. How about your life outside of work? What are some of the things you enjoy during your free time?

Swapna Thota, MD: Many people call me a busy doctor. I think my time beyond the busy doctor time is actually my busiest because I am part of a large community here. I moved to Memphis because of family and my brothers have lived and graduated from University of Memphis like 25 years ago, married into Memphis, so I have a large community here. So, my weekends are always more booked than my weekdays. We have a lot of parties, a lot of music and family. I love reading. I have two young children. We do a lot of activities with them. Taking long walks with my spouse is another thing I really enjoy, working out with him. So really, evenings and weekends are the busiest for me and the most important thing too, besides my patients, you know?

Host: That's wonderful. Anything else you want to add, Dr. Thota?

Swapna Thota, MD: I think getting the public to know what an amazing Cancer Center Regional One Health is building with specialists in each specific disorder, that they are able to reach us for whatever problem they have. It may be just a second opinion, it may be some confusion about what they're facing, knowing that the service is available in the community is key because some of the disorders that I see besides leukemia are extremely rare. And a lot of people suffer in silence. We want to address that for this community. We want to be there through Regional One Health to let them know, if you're suffering from a rare disorder, something serious, come talk to us. You know, I may not be the right person, but I'll lead you to the right person. I think that's what I'm trying to get at in this community to improve health literacy, improve patient's ability to navigate our complex medical structure, is what I am trying to improve. So, I take every opportunity to spread that information.

Cheryl Martin (Host): Well, Dr. Swapna Thota, it's been great learning more about you and to hear about your passionate commitment to what you do and also to your patients there. For an appointment with Dr. Thota, call 901-515-HOPE, that's 901-515-4673. You can learn more about Regional One Health Cancer Care at regionalonehealth.org/cancer-care, that's regionalonehealth.org/cancer-care. If you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out the full podcast library for other topics of interest to you. Thank you for making One on One with Regional One Health part of your journey to better health. Join us next time as we introduce you to another member of the Regional One Health family.