Indo American News

Tag: Randeep Suneja

  • Suneja Seeks Synergy of Cardiology and Lifestyle Medicine

    Suneja Seeks Synergy of Cardiology and Lifestyle Medicine

    Dr. Suneja with Dr. Amit Khera, President, American Society of Preventive Cardiology.
    Dr. Suneja with Dr. Amit Khera, President, American Society of Preventive Cardiology.

    By Jawahar Malhotra

    KATY: Inquisitiveness is the hallmark of the seeker of truths and answers to questions that sometimes lie hidden just beyond the grasp of one’s imagination. A few take the time to find the doors that can unlock these truths, but most are too burdened by work and responsibilities to even take a second look.

    But a persistent inquisitiveness has egged Randeep Suneja on ever since he got into medical school at Mulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi over 30 years ago. There, he exceled and graduated in the top of his class as a Gold Medallist in 1983. After residencies in New York and Ohio, he came to Houston in 1992 and after a year started his own cardiology practice which now, 26 later, has treated over 60,000 patients. He is one out of 43,000 physicians in Texas and 14,000 who practice in Houston, but he has always been eager to stand out in his field.

    This has led him to become a Fellow of many medical associations, the list is so long it spans the alphabet after his name: Dr. Randeep Suneja, MD, FACC, FSCAI, FASNC, FACP, FCCP, FABLM, FASPC. Last October he passed the Board exam for the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine and this past month, on July 28, he was nominated as Fellow of the American Society of Preventive Cardiology.

    The ABLM started last year and has only 196 physicians on the board, while the ASPC only had 52 nominations this year and it turns out that Suneja is the only physician in Texas to belong to both! “This represents the highest level of preventative medicine,” said a delighted Suneja in a telephone interview.

    Despite being a Quintuple Board Certified Cardiologist with a thriving practice of general and interventional cardiology, Suneja is now also focusing on Preventive Cardiology and Lifestyle Medicine. But he can’t sit still. He recently joined a year-long Masters level course in Safety, Quality, Informatics and Leadership at the Harvard Medical School where he is also simultaneously pursuing certification in Mind, Body and Medicine.

    His road clearly leads to a synergy of holistic and lifestyle medicine and the art of cardiology.

  • Suneja Tests the Katy Marathon as a Pilot Fundraiser for Pratham

    Suneja Tests the Katy Marathon as a Pilot Fundraiser for Pratham

    Suneja-In
    Dr. Randeep Suneja after running the Katy Half Marathon to raise money for his favorite charity, Pratham.

    By Jawahar Malhotra

    KATY: It seems that some people never shirk from taking on challenges and even eagerly seek newer ones out. This becomes acute when they are passionate about the causes they believe in and such was the case for Dr. Randeep Suneja, a renowned cardiologist who has lived and practiced for years in this town about 30 miles west of downtown Houston. With a busy cardiology practice which he started 26 years ago, and travels often (he made 23 trips in 2017 alone), Suneja enjoys pushing himself to compete. To a string of accomplishments which he usually underplays, is his passion for running and his compassion for helping others.

    A keen runner, the 57 year-old Suneja has participated in many marathons in the Houston area – and even in his hometown in December 2014 when, jet-lagged from a long 20-hour plane ride and unprepared, he still insisted to running in the New Delhi Marathon.  Two years ago, he was inspired by his friends to take on the Katy Half Marathon and started to practice a week beforehand. But this year, he didn’t even do that, and even sat out the rugged Chevron Houston Marathon. And to his surprise, he was able to finish at 2:44:56, slightly ahead of his previous pace. The winner of this year’s 4th Annual Katy Half Marathon was 42 year-old Eduardo Fernandez timed in at 1:18:15.

    “It was an enjoyable race, but perhaps because of the cold weather or the preponderance of many marathons at this time of the year, the participation was way down,” Suneja, said after the race. “There were perhaps 40 other Indians running this year.” But Suneja was the only one running to raise money for his favorite charity.

    What propelled Suneja this year was a cause close to his heart. When Suneja joined the Board of the preeminent India-focused Pratham USA non-profit charity in 2016, he toyed with the idea of combining his two passions and help to raise money while doing so. The Board agreed with a pilot program to see how it would work and so, this year, a week before the Katy Marathon, it launched the Pratham Marathon page on its website and Suneja pushed it forward to all his supporters. “Incredibly, within six days, we raised $7,410 for Pratham,” said a delighted Suneja. “People donated between $10 and $1,000 from all over the world.”

    Encouraged by the response, Pratham will replicate the pilot program in the United Airlines New York City Half Marathon on March 18 with six runners, according to Pratham President Asha Dhume who is exploring all possibilities for raising funds for the charity and was delighted by Suneja’s run. “I am focused on major contributions right now,” she said, “in preparation of our Houston Gala on Saturday, May 12.”