For Reena Bansal, MD, medicine is in her DNA. “Whether to become a physician really wasn’t a question,” recalls Bansal, the daughter of two physicians. “I always knew becoming a doctor was what I wanted to do.” Bansal is a pulmonologist who recently joined the Conway Regional Multispecialty Clinic in July.

Bansal joins her husband, Alok Surana, MD, who is also a pulmonologist. Rachana Yendala, MD, a hematologist/oncologist, and Swetha Boddeda, MD, a rheumatologist, complete the physician team at the clinic. Pulmonology physicians specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases involving the respiratory tract.

While working side-by-side could be challenging for some couples, that is not the case for Bansal and Surana. The two met in medical school and worked together during their residency at Crozer Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pennsylvania. They continued working together during fellowship training at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

“This is probably the only way either one of us knows how to work,” said Bansal. She added that they try to avoid talking about patient care during family time. “We have a great working relationship,” said Surana. “It’s valuable to have someone in the same clinic who knows the same specialty. It gives you a second opinion in diagnosing difficult cases.” Surana joined the clinic in 2019.

“As we continue to grow and meet the needs of the community, the expansion of pulmonology and critical care services has been a priority area for Conway Regional to serve patients both in the inpatient and outpatient setting, and we are excited to welcome Dr. Bansal to our medical staff,” said Rebekah Fincher, Chief Administrative Officer for Conway Regional. “The addition of Dr. Bansal’s practice will allow the Multispecialty Clinic to offer an expanded, integrated, and multidisciplinary approach to specialty care and increase collaboration among providers, all the while providing comprehensive patient care in one location.”

Bansal credited Conway Regional’s emphasis on work-life balance for helping convince her to come to Conway.

When they have the time, Bansal and Surana share a love of outdoor activities such as hiking, kayaking, jet skiing, paragliding, and even sky diving. Surana also went cliff jumping along the Ganges River. Surana said, “It was a great adventure. We checked a few of those things off the bucket list before the baby arrived.”

Doctor’s Advice

COVID-19 has affected Bansal and Surana’s pulmonary medicine practices. Noting that the respiratory system is a main target of the virus, Bansal said, “When patients become sick enough to be in the hospital, they tend to have extensive stays.” Bansal advises her patients to “wear a mask and practice appropriate social distancing. It’s a simple step that you can take to limit the spread of the virus.”

Additionally, she also has concerns about lung conditions caused by smoking and vaping. Bansal notes that vaping is currently

unregulated and targets adolescents and teenagers with marketing. That combination, she says, “makes it dangerous.”

Bansal’s primary focus is improving a patient’s quality of life.  “It’s a good day in clinic when I can help a patient by finding a difficult-to-diagnose condition,” she says. She adds that patients who are experiencing shortness of breath tend to be ‘labeled’ with cardiopulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma when 40 to 50 percent are not officially diagnosed with either condition.

In general, Bansal advises patients to ask their primary care provider about seeing a pulmonologist if they have difficulty breathing or a persistent cough for many weeks. “Don’t wait on serious symptoms before reaching out. It’s important to let your doctor know what is going on,” she said.

For more information about the Conway Regional Multispecialty Clinic or for an appointment with Dr. Bansal, call 501-358-6145.

(Originally published in AY magazine)