This doctor takes your good health to heart
By ANDREW SKERRITT
Published February 10, 2006
Dr. Rao Musunuru, director of cardiology at Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point's Heart Institute, is an apostle of activity, a quiet, tireless promoter of everyday healthy living.
He looks the part. He's a boyish looking 54, almost as skinny as the young physician who came from India 30 years ago. He's six pounds heavier than he was back then. The beige suit he wore Wednesday was about 20 years old and still has room for him to grow.
Every community needs a Dr. Musunuru - someone who as part of their daily life seeks to elevate the general well being.
His advice is pretty simple, words most of us need to hear: If you eat more and expend less energy, you're gonna get fat; getting fat is bad for your heart, not to mention increases your risk for diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Sounds simple enough. Makes you not want to supersize those fries.
Age, gender and heredity will largely decide whether you'll get heart disease. You have no control of any of three. But the bad habits of overindulgence and inactivity, you can change those. You don't even need to go running or join a gym. Try walking 10,000 steps a day. Try washing your own car or cleaning your house, mowing your lawn - push, not ride. Just doing stuff around the house, daily activity is enough to keep most of us in shape.
I know, I sound like a convert. But what Musunuru says makes so much sense, you'd be foolish to ignore him.
When it's time to eat, don't fill your plate. It's not the sort of advice our favorite buffet restaurants want you to hear, but it can prolong your life, reduce the climbing cost of your medical bills. One conversation and the advice is ringing in your head.
Just ask Hudson resident Libby Schreck. She has been hearing much of the same advice from Dr. Musunuru for the last 18 years, since she first went to him with worries about her heart. Turned out to be stress related, but he has treated her for a troublesome heart valve. She sees him every three to six months and loves his gentle, quiet style.
Not to mention he's one doctor who always calls her back on the day her test results return. Once, he even called her around 9 or 10 at night. He keeps his promises to his patients.
Folks at Pasco County's Community Aging & Retirement Services Inc., or CARES, say Musunuru takes a similar approach to his community service. If he's not at his office or at the hospital, you'll find him talking to the Rotary Club or some other group. He's not just a talker. He's a doer. Always on time. Follows through. Folks appreciate that.
Visit the waiting room of his Hudson office. The walls are covered with certificates, degrees, diplomas, awards and plaques. In 2005, he was the American Heart Association's Physician of the Year.
Not that Musunuru needs another award, but culturally, recognition is the natural consequence of tireless community involvement. On Saturday, he's hosting his annual cardiology conference at Westin Innisbrook Resort. His son, Kiran, will deliver the keynote address. The 29-year-old clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School will talk about the future of cardiology, how we can prevent heart problems in years to come.
On Saturday night, after Westin Innisbrook's halls are cleared out and redecorated, CARES will honor Musunuru during their annual benefit dinner and toast.
About 20,000 people used CARES' six enrichment centers last year. Many of those seniors are Musunuru's patients; others attend his seminars.
A few years ago, the CARES annual fundraiser brought in about $25,000. They topped $75,000 a year ago. With Musunuru as the headliner, this year's event is expected to raise more than $220,000 - including $25,000 from the Musunuru family.
After a dinner of roast chicken and shrimp Saturday night, guests will hear from Musunuru. It's guaranteed they'll walk away with at least one new tool for their healthy living kit.
Andrew Skerritt can be reached at 813 909-4602 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 4602. His e-mail address is askerritt@sptimes.com