Be a part of our story! $13/hr minimum wage for entry-level • Sign-On bonuses for some positions • Great Benefits
Welcome to the White River Health (WRH) Internal Medicine (IM) Residency Program. We are in Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited program taking ten (10) residents per year. The WRH IM Residency Program is located at White River Medical Center in Batesville, Arkansas just 90 miles north of Little Rock, Arkansas and 120 miles west of Memphis, Tennessee.
Our program offers traditional three-year Categorical Internal Medicine Residency Training. WRH offers a community-based residency program partnered with the College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Residents have the unique opportunity to train in a community and hospital that are vibrant and relational with the advantages of training with a recognized academic medical center.
Graduate highly qualified internists ready to practice in any clinical setting and/or pursue further subspecialty training. The Internal Medicine program seeks to provide quality healthcare to medically underserved counties.
Provide high-quality and holistic competency-based medical education to the residents of our program. Training them to provide evidence-based and compassionate care. Inspiring residents to desire to practice in medically underserved communities.
Designated Institutional Official
Internal Medicine Program Director
Graduate Medical Education
Internal Medicine Program Coordinator
| Title | Time | Days | Description | Supervision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning Report | 8:00 am | Monday-Friday (exception Thursday) | The night team Interns will present an overnight admission. The supervising Resident would also participate in the presentation. | PD, APD or at least one core faculty |
| Core Lecture | 12 Noon to 1:00 pm | Monthly | Conducted in each of the following specialties: Primary Care, Nephrology, Neurology, Cardiology, GI, Pulmonology, Endocrinology, Rheumatology, Hematology, Oncology and Infectious Disease | |
| Grand Rounds | 12 Noon to 1:00 pm | Thursday | Via broadcast from UAMS. Provides 1 hour CME sessions for the Department of Medicine. House staff attendance mandatory. | |
| Tumor Board | Tuesday | Two cases will be presented. The initial admitting Intern will be responsible for presenting the history and physical during Tumor Board. The current Resident on Hem/Onc will be responsible for IM discussion of the case with support from Oncology, Radiology, Pathology and Primary Care. | ||
| Mortality and Morbidity | Monthly | Attended by PD and the respective Attending involved in the case that is presented. House Staff participation is mandatory. | ||
| Research Lecture | Introductory lecture at beginning of year, then quarterly sessions. | Each house staff has an opportunity to briefly present their protocol/project. | ||
| Journal Club | 12 Noon to 1:00 pm | Monthly | Residents choose 2-3 articles and then discuss them with the Attending. One article is chosen and presented as per the AMA journal club presentation guidelines. | Attending |
| Introductory Lecture Series | 12 Noon to 1:00 pm | First five weeks | Conducted instead of the traditional morning reports on key call-coverage topics including fluid management, electrolyte management, vent management, blood sugar management etc. | |
| Geriatrics, Ethics, and Palliative Care | Four weeks | Supervised rotation which includes 4.5 hours of didactics each week. | Board Certified Geriatricians | |
| Quality Improvement | Monthly | A Resident presents a case which is a near miss or in which an adverse event happened/could have happened, and there is a discussion involving root cause analysis and steps to prevent similar morbidity/mortality in the future. | ||
| Board Review | 12 Noon to 1:00 pm | Thursday | Medstudy and MKSAP are used as the teaching tools for the board review sessions. | At least one Attending |
Chief Resident
The Internal Medicine Residency Curriculum includes community outreach. Resident articles are intended to help patient understand the importance of communication with their healthcare provider.
Positions are offered through the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). All applications must be submitted through the Electronic Residency Application Service®.
White River Health (WRH) does not have minimum requirements for graduation year or USMLE scores.
The goal of the WRH Internal Medicine Residency Program is to provide residents with quality education through access to a professional learning environment, as well as provide them with an engaging community experience. WRH Residents will train in a community and hospital that are vibrant and relational while still enjoying the benefits of training with a recognized academic medical center and its vast resources. WRH worked diligently to develop a high quality, innovative, and unique Graduate Medical Education program. Residents at WRH, under the daily supervision of an outstanding faculty, develop the skills to provide excellent medical care to patients from diverse backgrounds.
We wish our residents the best in their professional careers. Our graduates and their last known professional career locations are listed below.
Salem Al Rabadi, MD
Hospitalist, Abrazo West Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ
Surya Boopathy, MD
Sleep Medicine Fellowship, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY
Christiana Jeukeng-Wang, MD
Hospitalist Mobile Infirmary, Mobile, AL
Mitchell Keel, MD
Hospitalist/Outpatient Care Provider, GME Faculty, White River Health, Batesville, Arkansas
Isaac Dodd, MD
Hospitalist, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
Khalid Sawalha, MD
Cardio-Metabolic Fellowship, Kansas City, MO
Parth Shah, MD
Barnes Jewish Alton Memorial Hospital, St. Louis, MO
Philip Sobash, MD
Hematology and Oncology Fellowship, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA
Edwin Suarez, MD
Hospitalist/ GME Faculty, White River Health, Batesville, Arkansas
Shiyu Wang, MD
Rheumatology Fellowship, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, NJ
Michael Andryka, MD
Hospitalist/GME Faculty, White River Health, Batesville, Arkansas
Ankitha Antony, MD
Faculty/Primary Care Physician, University of Connecticut Internal Medicine Residency, Farmington, Connecticut
Sai Desikan, MD
Leukemia Fellowship, MD Anderson, Houston, Texas
Ebonee Dikas, MD
Palliative Care Fellowship, UAMS, Little Rock, Arkansas
Igor Dykan, MD
Nocturnist, Reid Health System, Richmond, Indiana
Shoaib Khan, MD
Nocturnist, GME Faculty, White River Health, Batesville, Arkansas
Eddie Liu, MD
Internal Medicine Primary Care, Tennova Healthcare System, Cleveland, Tennessee
Wyatt Lydolph, MD
Hospitalist/GME Faculty, White River Health, Batesville, Arkansas
Krishna Vedala, MD
Internal Medicine Primary Care, Norman Regional Health System, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Shifang David Wang, MD
Hospitalist, Mobile Infirmary, Mobile, AL
Machel Germain, MD
Internal Medicine Primary Care Provider, Family Care Partners, Jacksonville, Florida
Lili Hanefeld-Fox, MD
Hospitalist, St. Francis Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
Rebecca Heflin, MD
Critical Care Hospitalist, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, Baton Rogue, Louisiana
Bryan Huang, MD
Nephrology Fellowship, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
Lissette Jimenez, MD
Hospitalist & Faculty, Sparrow Health Systems Internal Medicine Residency Program, Lansing, Michigan
Doreen Kamoga, MD
Faculty & Outpatient Clinic Preceptor, Primary Care Provider, White River Health, Batesville, Arkansas
Anthony Kunnumpurath, MBBS
Hospitalist
Neal Mehta, MD
Hospitalist, Ballard Health, Kingsport, Tennessee
Ron Thomas Varghese, MD
Endocrinology Fellowship, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
Writing informative healthcare articles for area residents is a very fruitful and rewarding aspect of the White River Health Internal Medicine Residency program. One of the key components of our residency curriculum is community outreach. We believe in prioritizing resident physicians developing competent clinical skills, and in helping them understand the importance of talking to their patients and reaching out to their community. A significant issue in our society today is the rise in a mistrust of science. While the reasoning is multifactorial, a lack of evident outreach from the medical community may contribute to the uncertainty between providers and patients. Our hope with this project is to play our part in alleviating the spread of misinformation and allow our residents to earn the trust of our community.
All of our residents are accepting patients at White River Health Internal Medicine.
This article will discuss the importance of routine checkups from a Primary Care Physician.
Read MoreSilpa Kumar, MD is a second-year internal medicine resident at White River Health. Dr. Kumar is accepting adult patients for primary medical care at White River Health Family Medicine in Batesville. Follow the link for more information.
This article will discuss the origins of caffeine and help us decide whether it's good or bad for us.
Read MoreDheeraj Kumar Posa, MD is a second-year internal medicine resident at White River Health. Dr. Posa is accepting adult patients for primary medical care at White River Health Family Medicine in Batesville. Follow the link for more information.
This paper will be discussing the ill effects of smoking and how to screen for smoking-related diseases and how to quit smoking.
Neelima Gonugunta, MD is a second-year internal medicine resident at White River Health. Dr. Gonugunta is accepting adult patients for primary medical care at White River Health Family Medicine in Batesville. Follow the link for more information.
Is sleep apnea really that big of a deal? I’m here to explain that yes, it is! Obstructive sleep apnea is a medical condition where the throat muscles partially collapse while you sleep.
Read MoreDeanna Cochran, MD, is a second year Internal Medicine Resident accepting patients at White River Health Internal Medicine. Internal Medicine physicians serve adults patients as their primary care provider. To schedule an appointment, call 870-262-1530.
Hypertension is a condition in which an individual’s blood pressure is higher than 120 mmHg and the diastolic is above 80 mmHg averaged over time. Blood pressure is the force that a person’s blood exerts against the wall of their blood vessels. This pressure depends on the resistance of the blood vessels, in particular, how hard the heart has to work.
Read MoreDimple Barolia, MD, is a second year Internal Medicine Resident accepting patients at White River Health Internal Medicine. Internal Medicine physicians serve adults patients as their primary care provider. To schedule an appointment, call 870-262-1530.
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is a disorder in which your body does process glucose (sugar) the way that it should, largely due to insensitivity to a hormone called Insulin. All cells in your body require glucose to function normally, and insulin is the hormone that tells your cells to absorb the glucose that is floating in your bloodstream. In individuals with Type 2 diabetes, cells have lost their sensitivity to insulin, and therefore, require greater amounts of insulin hormone in order to absorb glucose from their blood. Initially, this is a small favor to ask of the body. However, over time, the body will lose the ability to accommodate this favor, and the excess glucose circulating in the blood will begin to cause significant and irreversible damage to nearly every organ in the body.
Tyeler Barker, MD, is accepting patients at White River Health Internal Medicine. To schedule an appointment, call 870-262-1530.
High cholesterol is a rampant problem in the America, especially in the southern states. According to the CDC, the prevalence of high cholesterol in people older than 20 is around 12%. However, in Arkansas that number increases to 31%. What exactly is cholesterol? When is it high? And what can be done to prevent it? Keep reading to find out.
Read MoreDr. Deji Adedokun is a 2nd year Internal Medicine Resident. Dr. Adedokun is accepting patients at the WRMC Internal Medicine Clinic 870-262-1530.
It goes without saying, your lungs and stomach are very important to your overall health. Unfortunately, cancers can develop in these organ systems due to repetitive exposure to irritants including alcohol, tobacco, and hot beverages.
Read MoreDr. Sean Salonga is a first-year Internal Medicine Resident Physician at White River Medical Center. He is from Nashville, TN, where he earned his BS/MS from Lipscomb University and MD from Meharry Medical College. His hobbies include playing the saxophone, running, and spending time with family and friends.
Denise Schaeffer is the University of Tennessee Family & Consumer Sciences Extension Agent for Humphreys County, TN. She earned her BS in Dietetics from the University of Kentucky. Her hobbies include cooking, running with her dog Harley, and spending time with family and friends.
Sleep is a complex, dynamic physiological process which facilitates critical bodily functions including memory formation, cognitive function, immune function, cardiovascular health, major restorative functions (protein synthesis, tissue repair, muscle growth), endocrine function, mood, etc. Until the 1930s, scientists had poorly understood sleep; however, since then further studies have revealed that sleep is a dynamic period when the brain actively regulates critical bodily functions. Sleep is essential for survival just like oxygen, water, and food.
Read MoreDr. Surya Boopathy is a 2nd-Year Internal Medicine resident physician. He's from Miami, Florida and attended Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University. His hobbies include reading health/science articles, working out, healthy foods, and traveling.
During this COVID-19 Pandemic, families of healthcare workers have faced major changes in their physical, psychological, and social wellbeing. While healthcare workers were on frontlines treating COVID patients, their spouses single-handedly dealt with household chores, running errands, helping with online schooling, keeping the kids entertained, and trying to maintain a sense of normalcy and stability when in the back of your mind there’s a constant fear of losing loved ones to this horrible virus.
Dr. Neelima Gonugunta is an incoming First-Year Resident Physician at White River Medical Center. She is from Hyderabad, India and graduated from Gandhi Medical College. She has been living in Batesville over the past year. Her hobbies include reading, listening to different genres of music and cooking different types of cuisines.
Smoking is a common pastime many enjoy. Most individuals encountered cigarettes during adolescents due to familial and peer influences. A couple cigarettes a day can easily progress to a couple packs per day as a result of the addictive nature of nicotine. This powerful neurochemical offers anecdotal benefits to everyday life such as stress relief, improved concentration, and appetite suppression. However, rarely does one encounter anyone who can list the numerous health benefits of tobacco cigarettes.
Read MoreDr. Kemuel Telemaque is a first-year Internal Medicine Resident Physician at White River Medical Center. He is based in South Florida and obtained his MD and MPH from Loma Linda University in Southern California. His hobbies include running, hiking, cooking, soccer, and spending time with friends.
Have you ever heard of polypharmacy? Polypharmacy is defined simply as the use of multiple medications by a patient. Although the precise number varies, more than 5-10 medications being taken by one patient (including prescriptions/over-the-counter drugs/herbal supplements) qualifies for polypharmacy.
Read MoreDr. Mitchell Keel is a Second-Year Internal Medicine Resident Physician at White River Medical Center. He is from Indianapolis, Indiana and graduated from Meharry Medical College. His hobbies include spending time with friends/family, basketball and traveling.
Resident physicians are physicians-in-training who have undergone a rigorous medical curriculum and obtained a medical degree from an accredited institution. A residency is essentially a stage of medical training that can range from three to seven years depending on the specialty.
Read MoreDr. Krishna Vedala is a third-year resident physician at White River Medical Center. He is from Oklahoma and received his MD and Masters in Public Health from the University of Oklahoma. His hobbies include writing, watching football and basketball, and traveling.
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, 117 million Americans today (about ½ of all American adults) have one or more preventable chronic diseases, and regular exercise favorably influences most common chronic diseases.
Read MoreDr. Surya Boopathy is a 2nd-Year Internal Medicine resident physician. He's from Miami, Florida and attended Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University. His hobbies include reading health/science articles, working out, healthy foods, and traveling.
Over the past century, we have made tremendous strides that have allowed us to nearly double human life expectancy. Of course, medical knowledge and rapid changes in new technology did certainly help. But do you know what else helped lead to this achievement? Vaccinations.
Read MoreDr. Soubhi Alhayek is a first-year resident physician at White River Medical Center. He went to medical school at the American University of Caribbean School of Medicine. He is an aspiring Infectious Disease doctor. His hobbies include cooking, playing board games and hanging out with friends.
Dr. Krishna Vedala is a third-year resident physician at White River Medical Center. He is from Oklahoma and received his MD and Masters in Public Health from the University of Oklahoma. His hobbies include writing, watching football and basketball, and traveling.
Screening allows physicians to detect cancers early on. Treating these cancers at earlier stages increase the chance to cure and eradicate the cancer.
Read MoreDr. Sai Desikan is a 3rd-year Internal Medicine Resident at White River Medical Center. He is from Batesville, Arkansas and went to Ross Medical School. His hobbies include tennis, basketball and listening to heavy metal music.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends all adults receive at least seven hours of sleep per night. Insomnia is common sleep disorder with difficulty either falling or maintaining sleep.
Read MoreDr. Philip T. Sobash is a second-year resident physician at the White River Medical Center. He completed his medical training at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC.
Dr. Krishna Vedala is a third-year resident physician at the White River Medical Center, specializing in Internal Medicine. He is from Oklahoma and received his MD and Masters in Public Health from the University of Oklahoma.
What was responsible for nearly a quarter of all deaths in America last year? The answer is cancer, and of those deaths, lung cancer represents a quarter of that number.
Read MoreDr. Shiyu Wang is from Southampton, Pennsylvania and graduated from Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine.
Snoring is funny right? You see it portrayed in the movies with the fun uncle sitting in a recliner after a big Thanksgiving dinner, snoring so loud you can’t hear the TV. It has become the butt of jokes in the family how no one can sleep because someone is snoring. While it can be comical, in reality this could be the sign of a major underlying problem.
Read MoreDr. Philip T. Sobash completed his medical training at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC.
As we all enjoy going outside in good weather, we need to be aware of these small, round, eight-legged bugs called ticks and the diseases they spread. Ticks are sneaky, hiding in places you cannot find, like tiny ninjas. They bury their head into your skin and can look like a mole.
Read MoreDr. Sara Whyte is a first-year Internal Medicine Resident at WRHS. She completed her medical training at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.
Colon cancer is the 3rd most common type of cancer in the United States and generally takes around 10 years to develop from a precancerous polyp. Patients diagnosed with stage 1 colon cancer have an average 5-year survival rate of 90% which drops to 14% in widespread stage 4 cancer.
Read MoreDr. Eddie Liu is a 3rd-year Internal Medicine resident at White River Medical Center. He was born and raised in Tennessee and received his MD from East Tennessee State University.
Mental Health, a broad term that includes a series of diseases such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, and many more. While many of these diseases can co-exist, depression tends to be the most prevalent of all of them.
Read MoreDr. Krishna Vedala is a third-year resident physician at the White River Medical Center, specializing in Internal Medicine. He is from Oklahoma and received his MD and Masters in Public Health from the University of Oklahoma.
Over the past century, we have made tremendous strides that have allowed us to nearly double human life expectancy. Of course, medical knowledge and rapid changes in new technology did certainly help. But do you know what else helped lead to this achievement? Vaccinations.
Read MoreDr. Soubhi Alhayek is a first-year resident physician at White River Medical Center. He went to medical school at the American University of Caribbean School of Medicine.
Dr. Krishna Vedala is a third-year resident physician at the White River Medical Center, specializing in Internal Medicine. He is from Oklahoma and received his MD and Masters in Public Health from the University of Oklahoma.
Rotations are on a 4+1 block schedule with a four week rotation followed by a one week continuity clinic.
| Rotation Name | Participating Site | Length of Rotation | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal Medicine Wards | White River Medical Center | 20 weeks | Inpatient |
| Continuity Clinic | White River Medical Center | 10 weeks | Outpatient |
| Elective | White River Medical Center | 2 weeks | Elective (Holiday Rotation) |
| Neurology | White River Medical Center | 4 weeks | Inpatient/Outpatient |
| Rheumatology | White River Medical Center | 4 weeks | Inpatient/Outpatient |
| Pulmonary Disease | White River Medical Center | 4 weeks | Inpatient/Outpatient |
| Hematology/Oncology | White River Medical Center | 4 weeks | Inpatient/Outpatient |
| Cardiology | White River Medical Center | 4 weeks | Inpatient/Outpatient |
| Rotation Name | Participating Site | Length of Rotation | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal Medicine Wards | White River Medical Center | 12 weeks | Inpatient |
| Continuity Clinic | White River Medical Center | 10 weeks | Outpatient |
| Elective | White River Medical Center | 10 weeks | Elective (2 week Holiday Rotation) |
| Critical Care | UAMS Medical Center* | 8 weeks | Critical Care |
| Geriatrics | UAMS Medical Center* | 4 weeks | Inpatient/Outpatient |
| Gastroenterology | UAMS Medical Center* | 4 weeks | Inpatient/Outpatient |
| Night Float | White River Medical Center | 4 weeks | Inpatient |
| Rotation Name | Participating Site | Length of Rotation | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal Medicine Wards | White River Medical Center | 8 weeks | Inpatient |
| Continuity Clinic | White River Medical Center | 10 weeks | Outpatient |
| Elective | White River Medical Center | 10 weeks | Elective (2 week Holiday Rotation) |
| Critical Care | White River Medical Center | 4 weeks | Critical Care |
| Endocrinology | UAMS Medical Center* | 2 weeks | Inpatient/Outpatient |
| Infectious Diseases | UAMS Medical Center* | 4 weeks | Inpatient/Outpatient |
| Night Float | White River Medical Center | 6 weeks | Inpatient |
| Nephrology | UAMS Medical Center* | 4 weeks | Inpatient/Outpatient |
| Emergency Medicine | White River Medical Center | 4 weeks | Emergency Medicine |
*Housing will be provided at no cost to the Resident during rotations performed at UAMS Medical Center.
| PGY Level | Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Program Year 1 (PGY-1) | $ 52,000.00 |
| Program Year 2 (PGY-2) | $ 53,000.00 |
| Program Year 3 (PGY-3) | $ 55,000.00 |
White River Health offers a variety of benefit programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees. Many of these programs are provided and funded, all or in part, by WRH, while others are voluntary programs intended to meet the specific needs of individual employees and paid for by those employees.
