Dr. Kripa Gautam first became interested in medicine when her mother was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes when she was in middle school. “My mother was only in her 30’s when diagnosed, and had to go on insulin. The family went through a lot of stress at the time. The desire to help people like my mother was what inspired me to become a doctor.”

As a primary care physician, Dr. Gautam has a special interest in preventative health. “I think the most important thing for the patients is to understand the causes, risk factors, management options and complications of a disease,” she explains. “I like to focus on the preventative aspect, so people know the risk factors and the complications of a disease and can work to prevent them.”

Dr. Gautam says that an important step in her practice is building up trust with her patients. “I think that when you are starting out with a patient, gaining their trust is really important,” she explains. “Once we build that trust with each other, it’s a lot easier to work together on solving any health issues.”

One problem that Dr. Gautam has noticed many of her patients are dealing with are mental health issues like anxiety and depression. “Mental health is as important as physical health,” she explains. “Taking care of your stress and learning how to cope with stresses in life is crucial. I often tell my patients that talking to and sharing with your family and friends, and building a routine habit of exercise, yoga and meditation, are often good ways to take care of your mental health. Exercise and yoga improve your physical health as well. I encourage my patients not to neglect their mental health.”

In her practice at Reliant, Dr. Gautam really enjoys helping others. “I am here to help my patients in any way I can,” she explains. “I tell my patients I will be there to help them anytime they need me. Additionally, I like to implement shared decision making with my patients. What that means is I do not unilaterally make decisions for the patients, but I educate them well, so that the patients can be involved in making decisions with me for their health.”

When she is not busy working with patients at Reliant, Dr. Gautam enjoys traveling and hiking, as well as Nepali traditional dancing and cooking.