PEOPLE PROFILE: Memorial has new head for stroke unit

By Mark Scheer<br><a href="mailto:scheerm@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Mark</a>

Dr. Nyathappa Anand has a rather simple approach to dealing with patients.

The neurologist and newest member of the staff at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center says he strives to make each patient feel as though they are receiving the sort of care and compassion they would get from a loved one, like a son or grandson perhaps.

“One philosophy I have is to treat every person like a family member,” Anand said. “That’s how I was trained.”

As the newest member of the family at NFMMC, Anand fills a vital need in the hospital’s division of neurology. He also will serve in a dual role as the facility’s new stroke medical director.

“I feel excited,” he said. “It’s challenging and I’m ready for it.”

Anand’s knowledge in the field will be a welcome asset at Memorial where hospital officials said the acting primary neurologist, Dr. Gunseli Sarpel, is contemplating retirement and has cut back her hours both at the hospital and in her private practice. Hospital officials said adding Anand to the staff will allow for greater flexibility in dealing with patients experiencing neurological problems, especially those visiting the emergency room during off hours.

“Dr. Sarpel has been trying very, very hard to slow down, but she can’t slow down because we have patients who need to see her,” said Dr. Vijay Bojedla, Memorial’s chief medical officer.

Memorial’s CEO Joseph Ruffolo said the hospital has been searching for help in its neurology department for several years now and is glad to have someone with Anand’s credentials on board. Ruffolo said, traditionally, Western New York struggles as a region in attracting qualified medical staff members to the area. Adding to the challenge, he said, was the fact that neurologists are in high demand nationwide.

In filling the position of stroke medical director, Ruffolo said the hospital will now be allowed to pursue designation from the state Health Department as the primary stroke care unit in the Niagara Region as part of the hospital’s affiliation with the Stroke Care Center at Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital in Buffalo.

As a result of its current staffing situation, Ruffolo said the hospital has been forced to direct patients seeking acute treatment for neurological disorders to facilities in Buffalo. With Anand on board, Ruffolo said the hospital will be in a better position to provide patients with primary care as well as more intensive rehabilitation services.

“It is going to improve the hospital’s continuity of care,” Ruffolo said.

Anand’s love of medicine started at an early age when he developed a keen interest in biology. He said he chose neurology as his primary field of study primarily due to the challenges faced by two of his uncles who suffered from epileptic seizures. Their conditions, he said, made him want to learn more about such disorders and methods for treating them.

“That is what kind of motivated me,” he said.

Anand is a graduate of National College in India and received his Bachelor’s of Medicine and Surgery from Vijayanagara Institute of Medical Sciences, also in India. Anand performed his residency work in neurology at the University of Toledo Medical Center in Ohio and is currently working on a fellowship in clinical neurophysiology at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Anand visited Niagara Falls this week to get a feel for the area and meet with other members of the staff. He officially starts his new job in August.

“I’m looking to establish a very good stroke program,” he said.

Contact reporter Mark Scheer at 282-2311, ext. 2250.