Meet Violina Bhattacharyya | Pediatrician/ Founder and CEO of WonderKidz Pediatrics and Child Health Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Violina Bhattacharyya and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Violina, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
There was a turning point in my career as a pediatrician after I became a parent. I experienced the pediatric health care system in this country from the consumers’ point of view. And that changed the whole perspective.

With that came the realization about the need to bring about a change in the current pediatric primary care space. I cannot single handedly change an entire industry. But, I can definitely do my part to bring back the trust and fulfillment for patients when they visit their doctor. To achieve that, I needed to create my own space. And, that is the quick story behind the drive to start of my own Pediatric Practice, WonderKidz Pediatrics. In addition, I realized that there was a dire need for health care literacy from the right people. Which led to my trying to bring in that aspect of health care through different channels like blogging and Facebook videos. A u-tube channel is on the works and will be launched in the new year.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
WonderKidz Pediatrics is a doctor’s office where I take care of children’s health care needs from birth to 21 years. It is like my baby that was born out of a desire to bring about a change in the current health care system. My vision is to create a practice that children love visiting and to look forward to their next appointment. I want parents to feel comfortable and empowered to navigate the current health care system. When I had my own kids, I saw the health care system from the parent’s point of view. I realized how difficult it can be to navigate the current health care system. A bit of hand holding by the someone more experienced can go a long way. More so if you had a child with special needs.

This was the main driving force behind my wanting to start this practice. It is a product of my passion as well as my experience as a pediatrician and a parent. I want every family that walks through my doors to walk away feeling heard, educated, supported, and having built a long-lasting relationship.

However, changing a dream to a reality comes with a price. The health care industry is heavily regulated. So, it definitely has been challenging putting everything together and getting the business to take off. Starting from working with banks for financing to dealing with government agencies for building permits to working with insurance companies for contracts and billing to meeting cold storage requirements for vaccines it has been quite a journey.

What helped me to keep going and not ever quit was the people that were my support. It takes a village to raise a child. My village comprised of my family, my business coach, and the people in the community that I had reached out to for help. I never hesitated to ask for help when I needed it. And you will be surprised how many people will come forward to help when you actually ask for it. You then learn to give back to the community when it is your turn. And that’s how your community thrives. That has been the biggest lesson learnt for me.

Finally, every child is born with different abilities, With the right guidance and support each one can live life to their full potential. We might not be able to change the world, but we can definitely strive to build a better one by empowering our children to bring about that change. And it is that vision that makes me wake up every morning and take on another day with a cheer.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Miami is a very interesting place to be. You could be local and still feel like a tourist every day. From spending a day at the beach to hanging out at the Wynwood or even window shopping at Miami’s design district you are in for quite a trip.
If I had to plan a week for my best friend visiting town, I would begin with a lazy day at the beach. Might throw in parasailing or a speed boat ride. Next day would be a boat ride at the bay, dock at the downtown bayside for a quick lunch and ride around some more before heading home to get ready for dinner at the Ocean Drive in South Beach. Day 3 would be brunch and shopping at the Lincoln road mall and hang out there till we are ready to hit the shack. Day four would be a tour of the Vizkaya grounds and then dinner in the Coconut Grove. Finally, would be a hop on and hop off bus/duck tour and dinner at Calle Ocho or Brickell. Weekend would be Saturday brunch at the Rusty Pelican and the Sunday one at the Setai along with a trip to ‘Robert is here’ at Homestead, the Everglades and then to Keys for more fun in the sand and sun.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My first shout out will be to my business coach Dr Nneka Chineme Unachukwu. She is the founder of EntreMd business school, the business school for physicians. Doctors don’t get training in entrepreneurship at medical school and thus, I was quite unaware of what it takes to start and run a business. My coaching at EntreMd has helped me to grow into a physician entrepreneur and be able to confidently take on the leap to start my own practice. And it has not stopped there. I have learnt to turn challenges into opportunities and keep going because of this training.

Also, a shout out to my husband who has been a great support all along the way, right from when this business was a concept to being the brick-and-mortar space that it is now. And to my two amazing children who have shown great maturity and patience when the focus was diverted from their care to starting up a business.

Website: www.wonderkidz.life

Instagram: @wonderkidzpediatrics

Facebook: wonderkidzpediatrics