The Sanskrit saying “Krushi tho nasti durbhiksham” — with hard work, there is nothing that is impossible – defines Dr. Madhavi Gorusu’s approach to life and helped position her to win a Hartford Business Journal 2021 Women in Business Award.
A hematologist oncologist with Starling Physicians, an affiliate of the Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute, Dr. Gorusu was nominated for the award by colleagues at her alma mater, the University of Connecticut.
“Women at Hartford HealthCare are helping me spread my wings. There are many examples of how women can lift and support each other,” Dr. Gorusu said of the award, which includes a feature in this month’s issue.
Dr. Madhavi Gorusu
She has never been afraid of hard work. Earning a medical degree in her native India, she completed a residency in internal medicine through the Cleveland Clinic Health System and University of Connecticut, where she also completed a fellowship in hematology/oncology and an executive MBA.
This ethic yielded what she called her greatest accomplishment.
“(My biggest obstacle was) not letting existing norms in my professional, societal environment define my goals and path is a challenge I continue to work to overcome,” she said. “This has been made possible by having belief in myself, great mentors, wonderful friends and a tremendously supportive family.”
“Dr. Gorusu is a skilled physician who is never satisfied with the status quo. She has a tremendous appetite for learning, leading and serving. She is a role model for women everywhere with her dedication to her profession, community service and commitment to her family. We are fortunate to have her on our team,” said Kristi Gafford, senior vice president of the Cancer Institute.
While trained in oncology, Dr. Gorusu focuses on the broader field, both in sharing scientific and healthcare updates with colleagues through the online journal she co-founded and making healthcare accessible and equitable for all.
In the magazine profile, she described her next professional goal as “to succeed as a strong physician leader, making a mark in contributing to the reduction in healthcare costs and bringing cutting-edge research to my patients.”
“I’d like to be remembered as a woman physician who was passionate about patient care, felt strongly about gender equality and lived as an example of her beliefs,” she said.
Healthcare’s move to the virtual realm during the COVID-19 pandemic, she added, only enhanced the ability of people to access quality care and clinical trials.
“The pandemic brought out the best in me. I continued to provide compassionate care to my patients and spearheaded a convalescent plasma donation initiative,” she said.
Besides seeing patients, Dr. Gorusu sits on the Hartford Leukemia Lymphoma Society Board of Trustees; and is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and American Society of Hematology. She served as vice president for the Connecticut Multispecialty Group branch of Starling Physicians and president of the Connecticut Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, where she remains on the board of trustees. She also founded the India-based nonprofit Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi Foundation to serve the underprivileged.