Trustee Spotlight: A Legacy of Care

By Amy Charles

Rakesh Sachdeva, M.D., FAAP, is a well-known name throughout the Pikeville community and beyond. He has dedicated his career to medicine and caring for Appalachian children. The University of Pikeville is proud to add him as the newest member of its Board of Trustees. This appointment promises to deepen the decades-long relationship Dr. Sachdeva has with the university, as he already serves as the founding chair, clinical professor and course director of the Division of Pediatrics at the University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM).

“The University of Pikeville is pleased to welcome such a long-time and beloved member of our community to the Board of Trustees,” stated UPIKE President Burton J. Webb, Ph.D. “Dr. Sachdeva has cared for children in this community for many years. His love of education in general and higher education, in particular, is well known. We look forward to working with him on many different projects as the years progress.”

For 25 years, Dr. Sachdeva and his wife, Seema Sachdeva, M.D., have served the Pikeville community, caring for countless children. His accomplished career in pediatric medicine includes establishing the Physicians for Children and Adolescents in Pikeville, one of the largest pediatric practices in Eastern Kentucky. He has mentored and precepted more than 100 graduates of KYCOM currently pursuing pediatric residencies or who have become practicing pediatricians.

UPIKE remains committed to preparing students for the future while creating intellectual, cultural and economic opportunities for Appalachia. Dr. Sachdeva is eager to take on this new role with the university and says he is amazed by the progress and advancement the university has made over the years, especially in the area of health sciences.

“I am honored and humbled by my nomination to the Board of Trustees at the University of Pikeville. The university is an educational gem in Central Appalachia,” Dr. Sachdeva stated. “Their impact on healing, alleviating suffering, and improving the quality of life of the folks in Kentucky, Appalachia, and elsewhere are being felt now and will be a blessing for the generations to come.”

Throughout his long career healing the children of Eastern Kentucky, Dr. Sachdeva has accumulated numerous awards and recognitions from KYCOM, University of Kentucky, Pikeville Rotary Club and the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Dr. Sachdeva also has international success including lectures, fundraising and training seminars, working to help eradicate polio on a global scale. He has served as district governor for Rotary International D-6740, which encompasses the eastern half of Kentucky and has facilitated a multitude of global projects, including clean water, sanitation and child health.

The legacy of medicine and dedication to others created by the Sachdevas is continued in the work of their two daughters. Shilpa Sachdeva Larkin, M.D., is finishing her radiation oncology residency at the University of Kentucky and Shikha Sachdeva, M.D., is in her second year of residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of Louisville. Their son-in-law, Spencer Larkin, M.D., recently completed his urology residency at the University of Kentucky and has joined a practice in Danville, Ky. The Sachdevas are very proud of the loves of their lives, their granddaughter Norah Mehr Larkin, who is two years old, and her brother Russell Bodhan Larkin who was born on November 15.

Even with an established practice, professional successes and a full community service calendar, Dr. Sachdeva is finding ways to make contributions to the university using his wisdom and years of experience.

“I am looking forward to serving the university with my experience and insight into health care and supporting our university family in its mission, vision and future endeavors,” he concluded. I am honored and humbled by my nomination to the Board of Trustees at the University of Pikeville. The university is an educational gem in Central Appalachia. Their impact on healing, alleviating suffering, and improving the quality of life of the folks in Kentucky, Appalachia, and elsewhere are being felt now and will be a blessing for the generations to come.