Title: Physician
Company: Southwest Kidney Institute
Location: Chandler, Arizona, United States
Dr. Kariappa Appachu, MD, FASN, physician at the Southwest Kidney Institute, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Doctors for dedication, achievements, and leadership in health care and nephrology.
Trained in his home country of India, Dr. Appachu initially wasn’t interested in the field of nephrology until he had to complete a mandatory rotation in it during his internal medicine residency. Upon discovering just how vast the nephrology specialty was, he chose to focus on it, beginning a career that has now stretched beyond 10 years. Traveling to the United States on a visa in 2014, Dr. Appachu became a nephrologist at the Southwest Kidney Institute. His daily responsibilities include consulting with patients, managing around 80 patients receiving dialysis treatments, and performing dialysis at Casa Grande Hospital.
Being part of the Casa Grande community, located near Phoenix, Arizona, has been an unexpected highlight of Dr. Appachu’s career. While many doctors come to small towns like this to start their professional lives, they often leave for a bigger city. However, Dr. Appachu found himself falling in love with the retirement community and its population, which includes many veterans and people with low socioeconomic status who rely on his care. He considers his commitment to Casa Grande to be the greatest achievement of his career.
It is with that commitment in mind that Dr. Appachu has served as the chair of medicine at Banner Casa Grande Hospital, part of the Banner Health network, since 2024. Taking on this role concurrently with his work at Southwest Kidney Institute, he provides direction for the institution, ensuring that vital health care options are available to the community. In addition to these positions, Dr. Appachu also dedicates significant time to teaching. He has contributed as teaching faculty at Dignity Health’s Chandler Region Medical Center since 2022 and as an assistant professor at Creighton University’s School of Medicine since 2023.
Prior to embarking upon his professional journey, Dr. Appachu set a strong foundation for himself with his education. He earned an MD from Kasturba Medical College of Manipal at the Manipal Academy of Higher Education in 2007. After moving to the United States, Dr. Appachu completed his residency in internal medicine at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center through Dignity Health in 2012. Subsequently, he pursued a fellowship in nephrology at the University of Southern California in 2014. Devoted to lifelong learning, Dr. Appachu has further bolstered his expertise through a number of official licenses. He is certified in nephrology and internal medicine through the American Board of Internal Medicine; as a fellow with the American Society of Nephrology; and as a doctor of medicine through the United States Medical Licensing Examination via the Federation of State Medical Boards.
Outside of his career, Dr. Appachu is a loving husband and father to one child. In his free time, he enjoys traveling and playing golf and considers himself a foodie. Moving forward, Dr. Appachu is focused on continuing to serve the Casa Grande community, with plans to construct a new clinic to accommodate a growing list of local patients. Utilizing his knowledge of nephrology, he aims to include home dialysis options at the new clinic, serving a population that has a high rate of kidney issues. The new clinic is currently planned to open in 2026.
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