Srinivasa R. Chintalapudi M.D., known by his patients as “Dr. Chinta,” is a third-generation physician. As a boy in Vijayawada, India, a young Chinta was inspired by his uncle, a country doctor whose hospital served a rural community. Chinta was not interested in watching tv or movies and many other youthful activities; he preferred spending his summers with his uncle, the country doctor who inspired him. Chinta enjoyed carrying his uncle’s medical bag as he accompanied him on house calls. By age 12, Chinta was assisting his uncle in surgery and by age 14 he was sure that medicine was his career path. At age 16 Chinta entered medical school.

After graduating as valedictorian from Guntur Medical College in Guntur Andhra Pradesh, India, finishing his Internship, Fellowship, and Residency in New York, and practicing for 22 years, now Chinta is inspiring others to follow in his footsteps, namely a nephew, niece, and his daughter. For these and others who are considering the medical profession, Chinta recommends that careful thought is given to why you want to become a doctor. Think about the basic principles and what you like to do, aim for a career that is fulfilling and fun, listen to your heart and you won’t get distracted by the “noise” such as changes to practices or procedures that are inevitable. Don’t just enter the medical profession because you think you’ll make a lot of money; many people build their fortunes in a number of different ways and then use their money to help humanity, which can be deeply satisfying. Physicians get to help humanity from day one. You may save a life on your very first day, thus helping not only the patient but their family as well, it’s deeply gratifying.

Chinta came to the United States to further his education and training and attended New York University. Initially, he came to the U.S. under a J1 visa, as an ambassador from India. After finishing school, he had to work for three years in one of three stipulated areas, the Knox Metro area being his choice. Knoxville reminded him of the town where he grew up in India, at the foothills of a tourist spot where he could walk to the water that he could see from his study window. Settling into this community on the Tennessee River with several lakes close by is a good fit. Chinta initially thought that after fulfilling his three-year obligation he might serve as an NYU faculty member and swim coach, as education is very important to him. However, after forming attachments in this community and seeing what a good fit this was for his family, he and his wife decided to call East Tennessee home.

Dr. Chinta has always had a heart for bringing quality healthcare services to our community, reminiscent of his uncle’s rural practice. When he first came to work in Maynardville 22 years ago, he made house calls and served as the medical director for the nursing home in addition to running his practice. Over a decade ago he worked hard with Baptist Health System (BHS) to try to get an access unit placed here in Union County, which is why he chose the industrial park for his place of business. Initially, BHS owned 5 acres, Dr. Bidia had two acres for a dialysis center with other services and Dr. Chinta had two acres. Between them all, they planned to offer a local medical complex. Unfortunately, as the recession hit BHS experienced financial setbacks and Dr. Bidia’s building experienced construction mishaps, leaving Chinta as the “last man standing.” The development plans still exist and Chinta worked with Covenant to try to get something rolling 5-6 years ago but they decided to invest in the Blaine area instead. Many hospital systems consider us to be in the Knoxville service area because our location is less than 50 miles from a hospital. Believing we need the services here, Chinta’s practice has continued to grow. He’s added three other practitioners and imaging services, but not nearly to the scale he envisioned. Unfortunately, regulatory restrictions prohibit a practitioner such as Dr. Chinta, Summit Medical Group, or Cherokee from opening ancillary services to the community. To do this, a hospital system affiliation or a local governmental body, such as the county, must be involved.

As a local business owner, Chinta’s advice to those considering doing business in Union County is that people in this area are different than your average metro consumer; this is the country and to be successful here you have to be personable. Locals are not impressed with rules and regulations and style, although they know that these issues are important. To earn the business of residents in this community you must be yourself, be real, be relatable. It’s just the way people here choose to do business—they want trusted relationships. What works in Knoxville or Atlanta doesn’t work well here. Baby boomers are ideal for this environment, your first approach to building your business should be customer-based, and the profits will follow. If you let profit margin dictate the business practices you may not last. Chinta added, “Besides, it should be about the customer’s needs first anyway.”

Dr. Chinta’s practice is:
Caring Medical Center
149 Durham Drive
Maynardville, TN 37807
Phone: (865) 992-2221
Hours: Monday – Friday 8:30-5:00,
Saturday by appointment only