Inspired by her own pediatrician, Dr. Shivani Upadhyay knew at an early age that she wanted to work with children. Then during her medical residency in Chicago, a mentor inspired her to specialize in pediatric hematology (blood disorders) and oncology (cancers).
“I love working with children,” she said. “They’re resilient, positive and see the good in everything.”
Her patients see her for treatment of complex conditions including leukemia, lymphoma, solid types of tumors in bone and kidneys, as well as blood disorders, hemophilia, iron deficiencies and platelet disorders.
Facing a health issue can be stressful for children, and Upadhyay notes that families play an important part of the care team.
“It takes more than the physician; it’s a team effort for each child,” she said. “That team includes nurses, nutritionists, social workers, the child life specialist and the family.”
Children look to parents for reassurance and confidence in their treatment. Parents and family members are also the primary source for the child’s comfort and understanding about what they’re going through.
Upadhyay enjoys building a relationship with the whole family, getting to know them and seeing their child grow.
Having recently moved to Santa Barbara from Los Angeles, Upadhyay previously served as a physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and also at UCLA as a professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine. The move was a good decision, and she’s happy being part of Cottage Children’s Medical Center.
Upadhyay’s office is in the Grotenhuis Pediatric Clinics — an outpatient division of Cottage Children’s Medical Center — next to Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital. With numerous specialties usually only found in large city medical centers, Grotenhuis Pediatric Clinics are designated Special Care Centers by the California Department of Health Care Services, which means children with acute and chronic diseases specific to these specialties can receive comprehensive care locally without having to travel outside the region.
These days, Upadhyay has achieved her goal of working with children. And as a doctor, she’s now inspired by her patients.
“Kids rally,” she said. “They come back strong on the other side.”