Meet your doctor

That simple desire has stayed with me throughout my journey and continues to be the fire behind my passion for primary care.

I earned my undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania with a major in Health and Societies, my medical degree from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, and completed my Family Medicine residency at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center. For more than a decade, I have had the privilege of caring for patients of all ages, from children to adults, and building lasting relationships with the families I serve.

My approach to caring for patients stems from the belief that every person is made in the image of God. I see every patient as someone who is to be respected, listened to and spoken to in a way that shows they are valued. When I see my patients, I take the time to listen, have honest and open conversations. My personable approach and commitment to those honest dialogues have helped me provide the personalized care my patients value and appreciate.

Due to my educational background, I am particularly passionate about disease prevention. I recognize the impact of the social determinants of health. One's health and quality of life is directly correlated to their access to education, economic stability, access to quality healthcare, their communities and support system. This allows me to have conversations that help patients understand these factors and take an active role in maintaining their health, not simply treating illness when it arises. As an osteopathic physician, I also value osteopathic principles and incorporate osteopathic manipulation treatment (OMT) when appropriate to help patients achieve better health and wellness outcomes without always relying on medications.

Unfortunately, today's insurance based, corporate medicine setting is not ideal for relationship building or providing personalized care. I realized it was getting harder to provide the kind of care my patients were used to receiving and I no longer had a say on how I practice medicine. I had become a cog in the wheel of a healthcare industry that practices medicine based on how many patients are seen and how they were billed. It was no longer about improving healthcare or making patients feel better.

This was the genesis of Hope Health DPC, which was started out of a simple conviction: patients deserve a doctor who has time to know them and have access to them, while doctors deserve the chance to practice medicine the way they were called to.

As a working mom, I understand how difficult it can be to find time for doctor visits and prioritize your health amid the demands of everyday life. That understanding is one of the reasons I created Hope Health: to provide a more personal, accessible approach to primary care that works with your schedule, gives you the time you deserve, and makes taking care of your health feel a little easier.

At the heart of it all, my goal remains the same as it was when I was four years old: to help people feel better.

Ansu Punnoose, DO