There Is No Place Like Home

As the leaves change color and Saturdays become dedicated to football, I know I am back in Georgia. And I could not be more excited. I grew up in Augusta and went to college at the University of Georgia with the help of the HOPE scholarship and UGA's Foundation Fellowship. I graduated UGA with degrees in biochemistry and molecular biology, and economics, and the best friendships a 20-something could ask for. I wanted to make a difference in people's lives and medicine was my calling.

Mandawat while at University of Georgia.

When it came time for medical school, it was a difficult decision, but I left Georgia to attend Yale. I loved my time at Yale and would walk through the picturesque campus, humbled by pictures of notable alumni. My mentors urged me to continue my training at Harvard, and I was fortunate to be selected as a resident at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. After Harvard, I continued my training in heart disease at Duke and specialized in a new multidisciplinary field: Cardio-Oncology.

Heart disease and cancer are the number one and two killers respectively in the United States. Patients who receive cancer treatment have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Heart disease can cause interruptions in cancer treatment, affect long-term quality of life, and impact survival. Cardio-oncology is an important new sub-specialty that takes care of patients with cancer who develop cardiovascular disease. Cardio-oncologists see patients to prevent, monitor, and manage heart disease before, during, and after cancer treatment. Emory University, home to Winship Cancer Institute and Emory Heart & Vascular Center, is an international leader in cancer and cardiac care. It was a natural and meaningful fit for me to come home to Georgia.

The Cardio-Oncology Program at Emory is one of the few multidisciplinary programs in the country dedicated to collaborative cardiac care for patients with cancer. We bring together under one roof an expert team of cardiologists, hematologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and surgeons to deliver comprehensive care to the people of Georgia and beyond. The program's key goals are to address risk factors and manage pre-existing heart disease before starting cancer treatment; monitor the heart and treat acute heart problems during cancer therapy; and follow high-risk cancer patients beyond treatment for heart disease and prevention.

Understanding that the time from cancer diagnosis to treatment is critical, we at Winship provide expedited access to patients with cancer. We employ cutting-edge diagnostics to protect the heart during cancer treatment. We coordinate with cancer specialists to manage heart complications quickly and minimize interruptions in cancer treatment. We utilize a new tool called myocardial strain imaging, an early warning system that can detect heart problems earlier than traditional ultrasounds. We are also actively engaged in research to define heart complications from cancer treatment and interventions to improve care.

I grew up in Georgia and it is a privilege to come back home with a skill that can help my community. I love chatting with my patients about Georgia football, new Atlanta restaurants, or how to make the best peach cobbler.

Dorothy was right. There is no place like home.