Keerthana Karumbaiah Theethamada (Kalengada) is a cardiologist at Shannon Medical Center in San Angelo, Texas. She grew up in Bangalore and fondly remembers spending her summer holidays in Coorg, where she developed a deep connection to her Kodava roots. After completing medical school at Bangalore Medical College, she moved to the United States for further studies. She completed her internal medicine residency at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, before heading south for her cardiology fellowship at the University of South Alabama in Mobile.

In addition to her medical practice, Keerthana is actively involved in academics, serving as a community adjunct faculty member for Texas A&M’s family practice residency program in San Angelo. She embraces the vibrant life of West Texas with her husband, Theethamada Tarun Poonacha, their two sons—Riaan and Aarya—and their beloved cats.

Keerthana describes herself as a “heartist,” blending her passion for medicine with her love for the arts. When she isn’t busy caring for patients, she enjoys painting, crocheting, quilting, and sewing. Running serves as her personal therapy, and she has successfully completed 10 marathons and an ultramarathon. She also enjoys preparing traditional pandi curry for her friends and family.

Keerthana credits her Kodava cultural influences to her parents, who were deeply involved in the Kodava Samaja in Bangalore and were founding members of their local Kodava Sangha. This strong cultural foundation, filled with Kodava festivals and celebrations, fostered in her a lifelong love and respect for Kodava traditions and language.

She has been actively involved in Kodava Koota’s Giving Tree education initiative (GT). She recognizes the importance of the gift of education and how it helped her realize her dreams and aspirations. She is committed to paying it forward to the next generation of students through this program.

If you would like to donate to or get involved with the Giving Tree initiative, you can contact her through the initiative’s link on this website.