Joan Mariyampillai

Internist Takes Personalized Approach to Adult Primary Care

“Whether it’s counseling on preventive care or treating acute and chronic illness, I get a lot of satisfaction from helping my patients.”

Learning has always been a priority for Dr. Joan Mariyampillai. Having completed higher secondary education in her native Sri Lanka, she went on to study medicine in India at the University of Madras, Stanley Medical College. Her perseverance and hard work earned her a nomination by the Ministry of External Affairs of the Central Government of India to pursue a career in medicine.

Dr. Mariyampillai is an internist, a primary care physician who cares for patients who are 18 years old and older. Internists differ from family physicians in that they do not offer pediatric or gynecology services but are specially trained in adult diseases and disorders. As a primary care physician, Dr. Mariyampillai treats acute and chronic illness and helps her patients stay healthy through preventive care.

She follows guidelines for preventive screenings and recommends tests as age-appropriate. Also, patients who require genetic counseling and oncological workups are referred accordingly. “If patients have a family history, I may recommend an age-appropriate screening earlier,” she noted. “Patients are individuals, and it’s important to offer individualized care.”

Dr. Mariyampillai has lived and practiced medicine in the U.S. since 1995. She brings broad and varied experience to Vanguard, including three years of work in tropical medicine in West Africa and additional experience in occupational medicine in New Jersey. She has treated generations of families in the Verona area. Her patients say they enjoy her compassionate, caring approach and diligent follow-up.

When she’s not working, Dr. Mariyampillai enjoys traveling, reading, gardening and listening to music. She and her husband, Marcarious, have three grown children.