Uma K. Pisharody, MD

"Dr. Pisharody is a 2021 Seattle Met Top Doctor Award winner. Inspired by her own pediatrician, Dr. Pisharody always knew she wanted to become an advocate for children’s health. Experiences with malnutrition and diarrheal diseases during medical training in India, led to her choose a career in pediatric gastroenterology. Dr. Pisharody is passionate about helping children and families understand the connection between diet, nutrition, digestive health and well-being. She participates in the medical advisory committee for the Northwest Chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (CCF), and is the co-medical director for Camp Oasis, the annual camp for kids with Crohn's and Colitis. She also serves as a medical advisor for The Hypoglycemia Support Foundation and was proud to serve as an inaugural Scientific Advisory Board member for EatReal.org. In 2014, she was proud to have helped convince the WA state legislature to pass a bill that mandated state-wide insurance coverage for children requiring elemental formulas to treat their EGIDs (Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases). In 2015, she led the charge to remove juice from being routinely offered to pediatric patients at Swedish Medical Center. Additionally, Dr. Pisharody’s advocacy endeavors include lobbying efforts in Olympia, WA, on behalf of the CCF and the WA chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and visiting schools to educate kids about the dangers of sugar and ultra-processed food. In clinical practice, Dr. Pisharody’s philosophy of care is to try her best to approach each patient and family she meets with the sincere intent to listen carefully and empathetically. She strives to ensure kids feel listened to, seen, and heard. She hopes her patients feel that she works with them, advocates for them, and that together, they can come to shared solutions to help children feel better. Dr. Pisharody's efforts have been recognized - her peers have voted her a "Top Doc" several years in a row, selected by both Seattle Met Magazine and Seattle Magazine. She has also been awarded Castle Connolly's Exceptional Women In Medicine award since 2018. In 2022, she was proud to be honored as the "Healthcare Hero" by the Northwest Chapter of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation."