Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Nagaraj Kikkeri.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Dr. Kikkeri. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I remember wanting to be a doctor since I was in 6th grade. Coming from a poor family, I knew that they could not offer any financial assistance so my only way to med school was going to be from a scholarship. This pushed me to study to the best of my ability. Through many struggles, I finally did receive a scholarship that enabled me to go med school and my dream to be a doctor was finally realized. I wanted to pursue further training in the US with the intention of building an American dream with my wife.
I was doing general surgery when my son was born. Long hours made me miss him during his first year and I changed my specialty to anesthesia in order to find a work-life balance that allowed me to be involved much more in my son’s and family’s life.
During my anesthesia residency in Beth Israel med Ctr in New York, I took care of a patient who had terminal cancer. I later came to know that he was a billionaire. I was then struck and realized that pain and suffering are nondiscriminatory and nor could his wealth alleviate his illness. My efforts in treating this patient to reduce his pain and give him a better quality of life led me to further go into pain management. Texas was where I wanted to practice and I started at the VA Hospital.
My hospital experience gave me an outlook that there needed to be a better system to help people with their healthcare. I knew I had to find out a better way when I came across a patient who had put off her colonoscopy for years due to lack of finances and finally when she had one she ended up with cancer that ultimately killed her. I felt a strong conviction after this to build my own surgery center so patients could access affordable care regardless of their income level and whether or not they were insured.
Has it been a smooth road?
It was a bumpy road until I got into med school. Getting my medical degree uplifted me and with that, I could uplift my family.
Being from another country and learning the system here was also quite challenging. I had to learn the medical systems here with English being my second language, it was a bit of a struggle. I did a lot of listening and the nurses helped me to the max. Without our nurses, it would have been difficult.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with NTTC Surgery Center – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
My wife and I co-own a multi-specialty surgery center. We are here because we saw that real access to healthcare was not available. We offer real solutions and we have transparent pricing. We are less expensive and provide better quality healthcare than the hospital systems can. We are proud of the fact that we post our cash rate prices on our website. There are no hidden fees. It is one flat rate cash price. Most places will give you the runaround when you ask for a price. We don’t have surprise billing. I am very proud of the fact that we treat all of the patients with dignity and respect and their right to privacy. Everyone should have access to affordable care.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and the least?
Dallas is a wonderful place to live and the people here are equally amazing. I moved here approximately 21 years ago from New York and I have loved every minute of it. Dallas is growing more and more every day and we are so happy and grateful to live in this beautiful city. I have been assisted so many times on my journey by the people of Dallas – there is no place I would rather live!
Contact Info:
- Address: 3865 Childress Ave. Mesquite, TX 75150
- Website: https://www.nttcsurgerycenter.com/
- Phone: (972) 528-6090
- Email: INFO@NTTCSurgeryCenter.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nttcsurgerycenter/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NTTCSurgeryCenter/
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