Women in Medicine: Ratna Sanka
Ratna Sanka, MD, Associate Professor
Department of Neurology
Long School of Medicine
Dr. Sanka has proven to be one of the department’s most well-organized and hard-working faculty. She currently has a patient satisfaction rating of 97%. She is recognized nationally as an expert in neuromuscular disease and autonomic disorders as demonstrated by her Board certification in both specialties. She demonstrates tremendous empathy in dealing with patients and families dealing with catastrophic neurological diseases.
In addition to patient care, Dr. Sanka has a passion for teaching, and this is reflected by her recognition of being voted “Best UHS Neurology Faculty” by our residents. Despite her significant clinical and administrative responsibilities, she remains active in providing lectures to our residents (Neurology, Psychiatry, Rehab Medicine), physical therapy students, Pain fellows and Clinical Neurophysiology fellows.
One of Dr. Sanka’s largest contributions has been in her role as Medical Director for the MARC Neurology clinic since February 2015. She actively participates in monthly meetings, works closely with our clinic manager and staff, and clearly communicates all key UT Health initiatives at faculty meetings and with one-on-one meetings. She has been very creative in tackling significant challenges with phone abandonment rates, access, patient satisfaction scores, and clinic staffing. We have seen significant improvements in all our clinical metrics over the past 5 years. In addition, she has been responsible for all our COVID-19 protocols and in ensuring the health and safety of both our patients and clinical staff.
Dr. Sanka has exceptional emotional intelligence and has significant skills in dealing with difficult conversations. Many of her patients have terminal, neurodegenerative conditions or diseases which cannot be cured. It takes a very special person to interact with this population and support both the patient and the caregiving team.