ALLERGY & ASTHMA ASSOCIATES OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA - Key Persons
I pursued a career in medicine for the simple goal of wanting to help people. The allergy and asthma field has been the best way for me to accomplish my goal in the 10 years I have been practicing as a physician assistant. I take great pride in what I do and I truly believe in working with patients to manage their condition together. I want patients to be able to have a voice in their care and to be able to fully understand their medical conditions. My background in education allows me to teach my patients about their diagnoses, the medication they are prescribed, and ways they can better take control of their own health. I am eager and ready to help all children and adults with their allergy and asthma needs.
Professional Affiliations:
Licensures and Certifications:American Board of Allergy and Immunology,American Board of Internal Medicine, Osteopathic Medical Board of California
I was inspired to become a doctor back when I was in high school. It was at that age that I really started to notice that my father had been dealing with sinus problems and itchy skin most of his life. He was constantly sniffling, coughing, blowing his nose. He was buying all kinds of creams and lotions to deal with his itchy rashes. Everyone must have thought it was normal to be this way. Like most people of his generation, he just dealt with this and never saw a doctor for many years. It was very frustrating for him, and it hurt me to see him struggle. It wasn't until I went into medical school that I learned he had what is called "atopy," and that there was a type of doctor who specialized in this: an allergist.
In pursuit of becoming a doctor, I graduated with honors from high school and enrolled as a double major in physiology and neuroscience at UCLA. After completion of my pre-med studies there, I attended the Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific to get my medical degree. I certified in Internal Medicine in 2013 after completing residency at White Memorial Medical Center. Afterwards, I continued my medical training as a fellow at the University of Buffalo in New York, and attained certification in Allergy/Immunology in 2015. Since that time, I have been in private practice as an associate physician in Southern CA. In my spare time, I enjoy watching college sports, playing with my children, and riding my Peloton bike.
What I love the most about my job as an allergist is the variety of ailments that I can see, from minor irritations to severe life-threatening allergic disease. I particularly enjoy managing food allergies, eczema and asthma, as these chronic conditions really impact a person's quality of life. I feel that being honest with my patients and my willingness to listen and try to understand their situation makes me a unique health care provider. Having seen my father suffer in his past, I have deeper compassion for patients with atopic disease. My hope is to continue to improve the quality of life for all my patients and become a most-valuable asset to the field of allergy and immunology.
Professional Affiliations:
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, fellow
Dr. Vinay Mehta is a board-certified allergist/immunologist with Allergy & Asthma Associates of Southern California. He completed a residency in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic and a fellowship in allergy/immunology at Creighton University. His clinical interests include severe asthma, chronic sinusitis, atopic dermatitis, eosinophilic esophagitis and hereditary angioedema. Dr. Mehta is actively involved in clinical research, and has served as a primary investigator on numerous phase III trials.
Besides patient care, Dr. Mehta enjoys teaching. He serves as adjunct faculty member at Christian Medical College (Vellore, India), where he helps train allergists throughout India through distance learning. He is also involved with training courses at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (Delhi), Bose Institute (Kolkata) and PGIMER Chandigarh (Chandigarh).
"As an allergy sufferer myself, I am keenly aware of the significant burden allergies can have on one's quality of life. I take very seriously my responsibility as a physician to accurately diagnose and treat the entire spectrum of allergic and immunologic disorders. I am committed to working with patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers to develop a plan of care specifically tailored to individual needs. For complex cases, I proactively collaborate with relevant specialists such as ENT, dermatology, pulmonary and gastroenterology providers to ensure that my patients receive the best possible care. I am an avid patient advocate, and firmly believe that educating patients and family members on their disease is critical to improving health outcomes. I look forward to partnering with you."