Venkat Srinivasan, MD

About Dr. Srinivasan

Dr. Venkat Srinivasan is a board-certified internist with over 20 years of clinical experience. He completed his fellowship at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, Arizona. He is a diplomate of American Board of Lifestyle Medicine and underwent training at the renowned Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is the first physician in Texas to be certified by the institute in Stress Management and Resilience Training (SMART)

Dr. Srinivasan has written a textbook Principles of Mind Body Medicine on this subject.

He conducts workshops on stress management and burnout, and is a sought-after speaker on these topics.

Dr. Srinivasan's other books, Run, Leap, Sail, Dunk and A Goalkeeper in Midfield reflect his passion for sports.

Dr. Venkat Srinivasan and Dr. Ajeya Joshi co-founded Hill Country Lifestyle Medicine Center because they believe that every physician needs to practice a whole patient, lifestyle-based approach to medicine. He and his colleagues are working to create a world where integrative care based on lifestyle medicine is the norm.

Dr. Srinivasan's Approach

Here’s a look at Dr. Srinivasan’s approach to patient care:

I studied lifestyle medicine because felt I needed to learn a better way to practice healthcare. I feel that I am now practicing healthcare in the way it’s supposed to be, in a collaborative way with patients, caring for the whole patient, not just a symptom.
Healing is an intrinsic process. Conventional medicine tries to treat and cure someone as though the body does not know what to do, but the innate nature of the body is to heal. Your body wants to be healthy. It is designed to return to equilibrium, which is a state of health.
Physicians and patients have a collective responsibility to enable the body’s healing process. In everything I do, I look not just at how can I get rid of the disease, but how can I enable this to heal? That shifts the whole conversation. For example, if a person comes in with insomnia, they may at first ask for a medicine to help them sleep. Instead, I want to know what is preventing you from sleeping? Sleep is the natural state. Let’s find out what is going on that is keeping you from sleeping.
Apart from pharmaceuticals, there are multiple other modalities that can be used. As I learned more about evidence-backed lifestyle medicine, I began developing a respect for people who approach the healing process from multiple ways.
There many modalities that can contribute to health and healing. For some, faith is a source of healing. Journaling, volunteering, going to church, even taking children or grandchildren to the park can all contribute to healing.
Many physicians are frustrated today that they are being forced to join a numbers game, expected to see 25, 30 patients a day and bill a certain amount of dollars. They are looking for an opportunity to practice medicine the right way. With Hill Country Lifestyle Medicine, we are creating a system that will enable them to do that.
I believe that if good physicians are given an opportunity to practice medicine, good things will come and patients will benefit.

To learn more about Lifestyle Medicine approach, click below:

Find out more

In the Media

Demystifying COVID-19, Virtual Townhall, March 2020

A facebook live event with Dr. Srinivasan conducted by San Antonio Tamil Sangam to address questions and concerns about COVID-19.

TRI-STARR Client Appreciation Event, Feb 2020

Presentation on Stress Management for Corporate Wellness by Dr. Srinivasan to an invited group of audience at Stonewerks Vineyard, SA, sponsored by Tri-Starr group.

Interactive session at the Medical Center Santa Rosa Hospital, San Antonio, Nov 2019

Communication is Key, Talk at Santa Rosa, 2019

Twenty Associates from multiple departments attended an interactive conversation with Dr. Srinivasan on how to communicate effectively with our patients. During the class, Dr. Srinivasan covered communication, care and competency. Using an enhanced version of AIDET, he provided guidance into relieving a patient's anxiety, building trust and ensuring compliance for a better outcome.

Stress & Relaxation Response:
Combat stress through the myriad tools of Relaxation Response.

Stress & Relaxation Response, TPR Silver Solutions 2019

Education presentations:

10:30am – 11:00am “Scams & Cons – Seniors Beware!” – Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar

11:15am – 11:45am “Stress & the Relaxation Response” – Venkat Srinivasan, M.D. - Medical Director of Hill Country Lifestyle Medicine Center

12:00pm – 12:30pm “The Long & Short of Long Term Care Planning” - Angela Menchaca, Ombudsman Outreach Specialist - AACOG/Alamo Service Connection

12:45pm – 1:15pm “How to Keep Your Digestive System Moving” – Dr. Patricia Chung - WellMed Medical Management

1:3pam – 2:00pm “Benefits of Exercise on Aging Slowly” – Timothy Kosmatka, M.D. - Health Texas Medical Group

2:15pm – 2:45pm “Preventing Elders’ Depression from Isolation” - Kristy Dean, LPC-S, LMFT-S - Jewish Family Service

Feature in Texas Public Radio, 2017

A San Antonio physician has written a book that includes the notion that forgiveness can be good medicine...

Venkat Srinivasan, MD, has a way with people. He believes in caring for his patients as a whole: body, mind and spirit. https://www.tpr.org/post/local-doctor-prescribes-forgiveness-medicine

To Listen:

https://cpa.ds.npr.org/kstx/audio/2017/02/NPROneForgiveness_0.mp3

Feature in NEWS4SA, 2016

"You would be surprised to know forgiveness helps people lower their blood pressure,” Dr. Srinivasan says.

It’s also associated with less medication and better sleep...

To view:

https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/local-doctor-prescribes-forgiveness-as-best-medicine?jwsource=cl

Feature in News Radio 1200 WOAI

Feature on Mind Body Medicine, focusing on stress and its relationship to health.

Co-founder & Medical Director

Dr. Venkat Srinivasan