From Compassionate Care to Personal Healing: A Letter to My Patients

The  Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine is a place known for its compassion, innovation, and truly personalized care. As many of you know, I am no longer practicing at the Kaplan Center. It has been one of the greatest honors of my career to care for such thoughtful, resilient, and inspiring patients.

In past newsletters, I’ve mentioned that I travel each year to Ecuador for a medical mission called Project Nido. Shortly after arriving there in August, I began to experience abdominal pain that required emergency surgery. Unfortunately, my condition became complicated by sepsis, DIC, and liver and kidney failure. I was medically evacuated to Miami, where I spent three weeks in a coma, followed by two more months recovering at hospitals in Miami and Virginia.

I am now home and focused on healing over the next several months with the help of my family and friends. I am thankful for my life, but this experience has been humbling and difficult, as I’ve had to relearn how to do very basic things. Working with therapists, I am learning how to eat, swallow, walk, and even speak— as my vocal cords were damaged while I was intubated.

I continue to reflect on my time with patients in moments when I get frustrated with my own recovery. Whether managing complex medications or relearning simple tasks like using scissors, I often think of my patients’ courage, dedication, and determination to balance their pill boxes, therapies, and daily lives while navigating chronic illness. You all have truly inspired me!

I also wanted to share that Project Nido 2025 was a success! The team treated more than 500 patients in one week, continuing the mission to bring compassionate care to underserved communities.

As I close this chapter of my time with the Kaplan Center in order to focus on recovering my health, I am comforted to know that the patients who I have served during my time with the center will continue to be in good hands in their health and wellness journeys.

Thank you again for allowing me to be part of your care and your healing process.

With warmth and appreciation,
Nidhi Reva, MPH, PA-C