Dr. Sowmya Suraj Kurtakoti of Hartford HealthCare Medical Group has been chosen for the 2019–20 Tideswell at UCSF/AGS/ADGAP Emerging Leaders in Aging program.
She joins only five other health professionals chosen nationally who will be working in a clinical setting. A total of 18 professionals were selected to work in clinical, research, education settings as they seek to transform care for older adults and lead the next generation of health professionals.
The Emerging Leaders in Aging program lasts one year, with the anticipation that the leaders will remain colleagues throughout their careers. Scholars work in small groups throughout the program, each led by a prominent academic adviser with expertise in geriatrics and leadership, and who reflect their area of primary interest in research, education or clinical programs.
“I am very excited to be part of this program,” Dr. Kurtakoti said. “My vision of creating a geriatric continuum of care for all our older patients within the system seems more achievable through this program. I’m hoping that this will help me scale it to bigger, system-wide care and help with growth and expansion of this much-needed specialty.”
Dr. Kurtakoti joined Hartford HealthCare in 2014. She currently serves as the medical director of Hartford HealthCare Medical Group Geriatrics, overseeing outpatient geriatrics consults, advanced practice provider driven home visits and their skilled nursing facility program. Additionally, she serves as chief of geriatrics at Hartford Hospital, where she is collaborating with such specialties as cardiology, oncology and kidney transplant to provide assessments for patients.
“I feel very fortunate to be part of a growing, forward-thinking healthcare system,” Dr. Kurtakoti said. “I feel supported by the system and also blessed to have so many resources for our seniors under one roof. I have always believed in team work and team effort, and this organization clearly helps move this concept forward.”
Dr. Kurtakoti earned her medical degree at ShriB.M.Patil Medical College in Bijapur, India. She did her residency at Smiley’s Clinic at University of Minnesota and her fellowship at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
For more information on the Hartford HealthCare Medical Group’s geriatrics program, click here.