Sooji Rugh, MD: SFMS November 2012 Member of the Month November 7, 2012 SFMS Member Greenlite Medicine, Sooji Rugh 0 Sooji Rugh, MD is a bariatric physician with board certification in Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine. She is the founder and medical director of Greenlite Medicine, a medically supervised weight loss practice with locations in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Dr. Rugh received her undergraduate degree from MIT, medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh, and completed her residency training at Harbor-UCLA. She currently serves on the board for National Association of Women Business Owners-Silicon Valley (NAWBO-SV), and is a founding committee member of the Northern California MIT Life Science Forum, dedicated to the promotion of life sciences and health related endeavors. A SFMS member since 2011, Dr. Rugh also retains membership with the Obesity Society and American Society of Bariatric Physicians. To view Dr. Rugh’s practice information, please click here. I am a SFMS member because SFMS offers great opportunities for networking with other physicians. As a relative newcomer to San Francisco and as a practitioner in a private practice, not affiliated with a larger organization, I found it to be a challenge to meet fellow physicians. SFMS offers the opportunity to expand my professional network and hopefully develop new friendships. Which SFMS member resource is most helpful to you? In addition to the numerous ways to network with other physicians, I see so many resources offered to members such as the ICD-10 training seminar and webinar series. As I attend more meetings, I’ve also become increasingly aware of the passion and commitment that many of the physician leaders in SFMS and CMA have to public policy and health initiatives. It’s great to be part of an organization with a commitment to the local community they serve. My greatest achievement outside of practicing medicine is my family. I feel lucky to have literally run into my husband, Nick, while training for the D.C. marathon. We have two children, Meena (14) and Tae (11) who are developing into lovely young adults. Although I state they are my greatest achievement, I can’t honestly take the credit. They, however, can certainly take credit for bringing out the best in me and reminding me of my life priorities. What are some of the biggest opportunities or challenges you see in health care within the next five years? As an obesity specialist and internist, I can’t help but focus on the impact of obesity—especially childhood obesity—on the future of health care. It is projected that 50% of our population will be obese by 2030. The associated co-morbidities will create a tremendous burden on the health care system. This undeniable problem may have nudged the FDA to break from its 10-year denial for the NDA (New Drug Approval) of obesity drugs. Medicare too has taken heed and recently adapted coverage for obesity counseling. But similar to other chronic diseases, obesity is rooted in lifestyle habits and we can’t ignore that implication that our lifestyle is killing us. The future of our children depends on it. We, as a community and a society, need to make a concerted effort to value the lifestyle change required for better health. I love practicing Obesity Medicine because of the ability to make a profound difference in someone’s life. The results that come with weight loss not only help create remarkable physical transformations, but life-altering changes in attitude and confidence. If I wasn't a physician, I would like to be a movie producer. I love a good story, no matter what the medium. I used to watch tons movies as little girl, and in college I loved learning about movie making and recall how Alfred Hitchcock used ceilings to create the mood of enclosure and entrapment. Recently I took a crash course on videography and video editing at my local community media center. Maybe you can catch my work on YouTube one day. Comments are closed.
