Dr. Jayaram B. Naidu turns 80 Sunday and the internal medicine physician shows no signs of slowing down.
“I love working. Therefore, I can’t retire. This is my passion,” Naidu said.
Interviewed at about noon Dec. 21 at the Naidu Clinic, he said he would see about 15 patients from then until 4:30 p.m. Naidu added that he has the best staff.
“Without them, I can’t work,” he said.
Some have been with him for an average of 20 years.
“They became a part of the family with the patients,” Naidu said.
Office Manager Mary West has worked with Naidu for 32 years.
“He is the most giving and caring physician I have ever worked with. He has a heart of gold and he really cares about his patients and his staff. He is a humanitarian and he cares a great deal about our community,” West said in an email.
Odessa Regional Medical Center President/CEO Stacey Brown lauded Naidu for his service to patients, the community and hospital.
“Dr. Jayaram Naidu has practiced in Odessa for 47 years. Not only has he taken stellar care of our community during this time, but he also recruited many other physicians to the Odessa community. He has consistently served in various leadership roles within our hospital and has been on our Governing Board for many years. Dr. Naidu has been a wonderful mentor to me, personally, as well as many others in healthcare. I am so grateful for his many contributions to Odessa Regional Medical Center and our community,” Brown said.
Naidu, who has treated generations of patients, said they have built relationships and trust his staff. He has done house calls for cancer patients.
Naidu also used to go to the hospitals to see patients, but he stopped with COVID.
“I know that when I see a patient, I don’t need to go to the computer,” he said, because he knows them so well.
“That gives me satisfaction when I go home,” Naidu added.
He gives patients his phone number a lot of times, but they don’t call much. It gives them security to know they have his number and can call if they need him.
In practice here since 1976, Naidu has seen the medical community, the level of care and technology grow in Odessa. He saw the first MRIs, CAT scans, angiograms and introduced echocardiograms to Odessa. He started the cardiac rehabilitation center that is now part of Medical Center Hospital off State Highway 191 and Faudree Road.
He has recruited dozens of doctors and families to a city that he says has the best people ever. Naidu added that the doctors are very well qualified.
There was some resistance to him and his colleagues at the beginning, but Naidu eventually won them over.
Naidu provides internal medicine, but has a special interest in cardiovascular disease.
“I brought many physicians to this area, maybe about 20-22; I don’t know. The majority of them worked with me and then they went on their own after working five, six years. … When I first came in there were only three Indians. Now we have I don’t know how many, maybe 200 families. Among that about 60 or 100 physicians … It has grown exponentially. … I also brought my son (Dr. Raja Naidu) to practice with me. … He’s a very busy cardiologist,” Naidu said.
Over the years, Naidu has been associated with many of the current and former hospitals in Odessa and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, where he was also an assistant clinical professor. He was part of Alliance Hospital where they introduced robotic heart surgery.
Naidu served on the Texas Medical Review Board, and in 2017, Gov. Greg Abbott appointed him a member of the Texas Medical Board.
Abbott reappointed him until 2027.
He also was on the Chronic Kidney Disease Task Force, which was a gubernatorial appointment.
Born in India, Naidu attended Guntur Medical College in Andhra, India. His residency was at Logan Memorial Hospital in New York City.
Naidu has worked in England, Scotland, and Logan Memorial, where he was chief resident, and Odessa.
“Then from there, there was such a shortage of physicians here they sponsored me. …,” Naidu said.
“At that time I came here, they gave me the green card shortly after,” Naidu said.
He became a citizen many years ago.
“There was such a need in the Permian Basin. It was a boom town. … There were no physicians. There were only four internists. It was a 100-bed hospital, a small hospital there. … I became so busy; overnight, I was busy. There was such a need,” Naidu recalled.
He was told he could get his first partner in three months. As each doctor arrived, they were booked.
“At one time, I had 13 doctors in my group. … Then slowly, we brought more doctors (in). Now they’re all here. Now I work for the Steward (Healthcare System),” Naidu said.
He said bringing doctors to Odessa was one of the best things to happen.
Naidu’s wife, Sujani, managed the clinic for many years before her retirement. They have two children, a son, Raja, a cardiologist, and a daughter, Sulekha, and four grandchildren.
