Dr. Satyalakshmi Chilukuri, MD

Awful. She shouldn’t be a doctor if it was just based on this experience; she lacks basic human compassion, the number one trait a doctor should have. Chilukuri doesn’t seem to care at all about the well being of her patients or the family's (valid) concerns. She seems lazy and as if she just cares about discharging patients quickly for her own benefits. Without ever meeting, let alone assessing my grandmother, she wrote extremely inaccurate notes that thus led to my grandmother not getting the care she needed covered by insurance. We wasted more precious time that could have been spent with my grandma, fighting to get that decision reversed and her notes corrected with a proper evaluation from a different doctor, whom we are very thankful for. My grandmother shouldn’t have to suffer due to a doctor’s lack of care for something so simple, preventable and obvious. In a nutshell, Chilukuri noted that my grandmother’s need for a feeding tube was 50-50, which was wrong and kept the doctor… on neutral ground and safe it seems. My grandmother’s need for a feeding tube was so obvious as she was admitted due to low intake and dehydration. Why would we have her go through a surgery for a feeding tube unless it wasn’t necessary for survival? Also, Chilukuri was going to discharge her with a urinary tract infection, claiming it was chronic when it wasn’t, as this was the first time grandma had one in years. Before calling insurance, I tried to talk to the doctor over the phone to better understand, and she already had decided to not listen or help it seemed. She did not answer questions well and was extremely rude. She would cut me off, insisting basically that grandma is old and to let her go. Over a UTI and temporary low intake? That wasn’t my grandmother’s wish. We were very realistic about my grandmother’s mortality, but it is scary to think she could be writing so many seniors off like this, and over simple, preventable diagnoses, and especially if they don’t have advocates like my grandmother did. We should be able to instinctively trust a doctor and know they are doing their duty. In a sense, though, I’m glad this happened and that it was so obviously inaccurate that we had to question the doctor because it showed Chilukuri’s true side to you all. I understand doctors are humans too and have off days, but this behavior was excessive and inexcusable and my grandmother had to face the consequences as Chilukuri went on about her day. I hope she gets monitored while practicing for some time so this doesn’t happen to anyone else.

This doctor has atrocious bedside manner. Not only is she very rude, she also has a language barrier and doesn't understand English very well. We first met her in the hospital when my father was admitted for terminal cancer. In weighing the options of palliative care versus hospice she was incredible insensitive, dismissive and greatly upset our family. Perhaps she might be better if she was seeing patients in her office, but In a hospital setting, I would recommend patients and their families to steer clear of her.

Awesome service and doctor was verkind and spent as much time as I needed and awnsered my questions.