Dr. Rumki Banerjee’s family says she was born to be a physician, and they are correct. The idea of being a family doctor always fascinated her because she could leave a personal impression on the entire family. In her practice, at Apex MD, in Glen Allen, she offers both Eastern and Western medicine to strengthen the whole person and the whole family.

A native of India, Banerjee’s medical training there followed a Western curriculum, which she thinks is highly effective at looking at the body as a collection of separate parts. She describes it as looking at one tree in a forest—a micro approach. Eastern medicine looks at many factors that contribute to health, such as lifestyle and the interaction of the mind and body. It looks at the whole patient—a macro approach. Interestingly, it is her patients in Richmond that initially helped developed her interest in Eastern medicine.

When her patients would ask about herbs or supplements, Banerjee would do research to provide them with evidence-based information. After spending several years learning about the non-pharmaceutical approach to chronic disease in this way, she realized she would serve her patients better by training in integrated medicine. Banerjee completed a fellowship in integrated holistic medicine at Scripps Center, in San Diego, California, and is now qualified to practice patient-centered medicine, rather than disease-centered medicine. Her approach focuses on the whole person and incorporates evidence-based therapies, both old and new.

At Apex MD, Banerjee has assembled a team of integrated medicine specialists that offers acupuncture, nutritional counseling, ayurvedic medicine and mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques such as meditation and tai chi. They treat a variety of ailments and offer group classes.

Banerjee is on a mission to serve the healthcare needs of Richmond. She wants to help the community understand their disease process, look into the root cause of a problem and find a solution by blending Eastern and Western medicine. It appears Banerjee was born to be a physician to serve Richmond families; her family knew it and Richmond does, too.

Apex MD is located at 5310 Twin Hickory Rd., Ste. A, Glen Allen. For more information, call 804-273-0010 or visit Apex-MD.com.