October 2017 President’s Message

A Tribute to Dr. Reddy

by Denis Knight, DO

The medical community – and the community at large – was shocked at the news that one of our own in the Medical Society of Sedgwick County, Achutha N. Reddy, MD, was savagely attacked by a former patient and lost his life serving those to whom he dedicated his life.

As the president of our Medical Society this year, I am often contacted by physicians about issues and events that affect our lives and the practice of medicine. No event has been more numbing and astounding than this one, as evidenced by the volume of comments and concern from our membership. I suppose the fact that the attack occurred just a stone’s throw from my own office magnified the degree to which it hit home for me. More importantly, I know and understand how challenging it was for Dr. Reddy to take on the difficult cases of mental illness, substance abuse and chronic pain that commonly confront the patients in the population that he served.

Many people who worked with Dr. Reddy have expressed to me how kind, compassionate and patient he was with those suffering from these diseases and conditions. I have often been asked how we as the medical community can pay tribute to Dr. Reddy’s legacy.

First, we can pray for his wife, Beena M. Reddy, MD, also a member of our Medical Society, and show her our support in this time of grief. Additionally, as his patients are being transferred within our medical community, we will need to provide care to those who no longer have a physician.

Please thoughtfully consider helping in this process, as the patients from his practice will need to find a medical home.