Growing up in Sri Lanka, Dr. Herath Wijerathna knew she wanted to be a doctor even before she started grade school. “Many kids outgrow that feeling, but for me it never changed over time,” she explains. “I just knew that I wanted to work with people and very early on I realized medicine was my way of getting there.”

An internist, Dr. Wijerathna enjoys the challenge of working in adult medicine. “It’s very interesting, very diverse. You get to see the whole picture of the patient’s health. Internal medicine is quite intellectually challenging, and that’s another reason why I like it so much.”

Some of the aspects of adult medicine that Dr. Wijerathna enjoys the most are preventative care and management of chronic diseases. “A lot of the diseases that people would have died from 20 or 30 years ago now have medications that can control them. As a whole, we may not be getting much healthier but there are effective ways to treat, prevent and control disease and help people live longer.”

Dr. Wijerathna is a big believer in treating the patient as a whole. “I think looking at the patient as a whole rather than trying to fix one system at a time is important. Many patients can improve their overall health through better diet, exercise, physical therapy and help with stress management. Medications certainly have their place, but that does not replace a healthy lifestyle. Working closely with the patient can really make a difference.” Dr. Wijerathna enjoys practicing in Reliant’s team care environment, and working closely with Dana Kruas, NP, her partnering provider.

In her spare time Dr. Wijerathna enjoys traveling and reading. She often enjoys the books her children bring home, including author J.K. Rowling and other young adult novelists.