Anudeep Mukkamala is the Founder of Health Hour Pediatric Center, Anudeep is a thought leader, influencer, visionary, and successful entrepreneur. Anudeep provides the leadership and energy that has inspired the creation of Health Hour Pediatric Center.
Anudeep Mukkamala joins other leading Bestselling Authors, International Speakers & entrepreneurs, CEOs, and Founders taking part in our Leader Roundtable Interview Series. The DotCom Magazine editorial team is delighted to have Anudeep join us for our Leader Roundtable Interview.
Anudeep Mukkamala, Founder of Health Hour Pediatric Center, A DotCom Interview
Dr. Anudeep Mukkamala has been an advocate for children since he was in college. He chose to live a simple life in Rochdale, Manchester with his family but little did he know that his life would be more fulfilling as he played the role of a town pediatrician.
He earned a medical degree from the University of Manchester in 1985. Prior to that, he received his bachelor’s degree in child development from Berkeley University in California. In 1990, he and his wife moved from California to Manchester.
Dr. Anudeep founded Health Hour Pediatric Center in 1991. People were highly supportive of the concept of establishing a clinic where they could bring their sick children because it was one of the first in the region. The center was a two-story structure that could accommodate around twenty patients. Six days a week, his wife, a nurse, assisted him in caring for the sick. Dr. Anudeep would often wave his professional fee for families that couldn’t afford to pay. He thought that helping is more important than earning money. Because of this, he couldn’t generate enough funds to acquire the latest technological equipment and facilities for his center. He and his wife were always on the lookout for potential sponsors and investors for their center.
His good deeds and intention reached a businessman by the name of Michael Burlow. He willingly invested in Health Hour to support Dr. Anudeep’s mission to help more children in need of medical care. Through this investment, health Hour was able to double its bed capacity. In addition, Dr. Anudeep founded a child development center in the same area to educate parents on child development stages. In 1995, Dr. Anudeep conducted a study under the Child Development Society to further their knowledge in child development readiness. In 1997, he sat as the chairman of this non-government organization.
At present, Dr. Anudeep continues to work at his center alongside two other doctors and a dozen staff members. Aside from the lectures he provides at the child center he founded, Dr. Anudeep has consistently received requests to give lectures on child development and pediatric medical treatment in collaboration with child development groups.
Q: What made you decide to open your own pediatric center?
I had been open to the idea of opening a pediatric clinic even before my family relocated to Rochdale, but not that soon. However, when our neighbors learned that I am a doctor, they started coming to our house for consultations. Hospitals are far in the area so parents come to me to save time, money, and energy. Thus, my wife and I decided to open a center so we could treat patients in a more professional setting.
Q: Do you have plans of opening branches for Health Hour?
If I receive enough funding and investment, I may build another outpatient clinic in Manchester. Because of my age, managing two medium-sized facilities would be tough for me. However, if I can find partners to co-manage with me, I’ll have to reconsider.
Q: Throughout your career, what is one of the greatest challenges you had to face and how did you overcome it?
When I was in my first year of residency, I got so scared to diagnose my patients. I had to consult other residents and doctors to be confident with my diagnosis, which was time-consuming. Despite being a good student at med school, I was terrified to make mistakes. Luckily, a senior doctor knocked some sense into me, and with the support of other residents, I was able to perform better and better.
Q: As a pediatrician, what advice can you give to new parents?
Mothers have great instincts but they shouldn’t solely rely on them. Moreover, they shouldn’t read too much on the Internet or self-diagnose their kids. It’s still best to visit your pediatrician to avoid further health issues. Also, they shouldn’t delay or miss their kids’ immunization. It’s also important that they guide their child in every developmental stage.
Q: What do you love most about your job?
I love helping parents, especially mothers, in taking care of their children through medical consultations or counseling at the childcare center. Seeing them relieved after their kid’s checkup or immunizations gives me satisfaction. It’s like they are assuring me that I am doing well with my job.
Q: What do you think helped you succeed?
Passion and hard work are the ingredients to being successful. You have to be passionate about what you do, but your passion will not take you anywhere if you don’t work hard.
Q: What nonprofit organizations do you support and why?
The child development center in Rochdale that I founded provides parents counseling and other activities that teachers parents how to manage their kids and what enjoyable activities they can do with their kids to encourage interaction. In addition, I conduct and support researches at the Child Development Society in Rochdale.
Q: How do you balance being an entrepreneur and a family man?
Well, I work 8-10 hours a day at the center and I get a day off every week. If I’m not at work, I spend most of my time at home with my wife, and my son and his family usually come over to our house on the weekends. We actually live in the same area, so it’s easy to stop by and say hello.
Q: What advice would you give your younger self?
If I had to give myself any advice, it would be to create additional possibilities for growth and learning. Take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way. To get them, you have to make them. Although not all of your ideas will be successful, don’t give up since you’ll learn a lot in the process. I also want to tell my younger self to be a problem solver, not a problem identifier.
Q: How do you define success?
I identify success as long-term and short-term. Long-term success can be identified by how many achievements I had or will have in the future, the profitability of the center and its milestones. As a doctor, I see short-term success every day whenever patients and their parents leave the center feeling better and reassured of their health. Every accurate diagnosis is a success to me.
Anudeep Mukkamala, thank you so much for participating in the DotCom Magazine Leader Roundtable Interview Series. We appreciate you participating in this important roundtable interview series, and helping our readers learn more about what it takes to build a great company and become a great leader. We wish you, your family, and of course Health Hour Pediatric Center, nothing but the best.
