{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/j96057f88x/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Suneja, Randeep"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/252/original/HPL_ArchiveBannerCDM2.jpg?1738348845","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Publisher"]},"value":{"en":["Foundation for Indian Studies"]}},{"label":{"en":["Rights Statement"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://rightsstatements.org/page/CNE/1.0/?language=en\"\u003eCopyright Not Evaluated \u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003ePermission to publish or reproduce must be obtained from the Foundation for India Studies, Houston, Texas.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Source"]},"value":{"en":["Houston Public Library Special Collections"]}},{"label":{"en":["Agent"]},"value":{"en":["Dr. Randeep Suneja (interviewee)","Jawahar Malhotra (interviewer)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["2015-06-28 (created)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Language"]},"value":{"en":["eng (primary)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["Dr. Randeep Suneja interviewed about culture, family, and educational background, as well as migration, contributions to the community, and work experiences."]}},{"label":{"en":["Format"]},"value":{"en":["digital recording, sound"]}},{"label":{"en":["Subject"]},"value":{"en":["Houston (Tex.) (geographic term)","Oral histories (topical term)","Immigrants (topical term)","Doctors (topical term)","Community development (topical term)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Keyword"]},"value":{"en":["indoamerican"]}},{"label":{"en":["Type"]},"value":{"en":["Moving Image"]}}],"summary":{"en":["Dr. Randeep Suneja interviewed about culture, family, and educational background, as well as migration, contributions to the community, and work experiences."]},"requiredStatement":{"label":{"en":["Attribution"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://rightsstatements.org/page/CNE/1.0/?language=en\"\u003eCopyright Not Evaluated \u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003ePermission to publish or reproduce must be obtained from the Foundation for India Studies, Houston, Texas.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},"provider":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["Houston Public Library"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["Houston Public Library"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/252/original/HPL_ArchiveBannerCDM2.jpg?1738348845","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/210/363/small/open-uri20231027-1243258-u56nmk_1698433304.jpg?1698418904","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - FIS-OH0040.mp4"]},"duration":2794.52507,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/210/363/small/open-uri20231027-1243258-u56nmk_1698433304.jpg?1698418904","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-houstonlibrary.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/210/363/original/FIS-OH0040.mp4?1698418900","type":"Video","format":"video/mp4","duration":2794.52507,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363/transcript/60437","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Transcript [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363/transcript/60437/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":", in the form of kite flying and doing things in the streets of Karol Bagh, playing gilli-danda and playing pitthu.\n\nJM: These are the typical things that Punjabi boys do when they are growing up in Punjab. But the surprising thing is that you actually ran in the marathon here in Houston, many years later, so almost 40 years later you did this?\nRS: Yeah, that’s absolutely correct. As a practicing cardiologist, we obviously emphasize healthy lifestyles and exercise, and in 2002, I took the challenge of preparing for a half marathon in Houston, and I did that in 2 hour and 12 minutes, with comparatively less training. Then I had a long hiatus, just life has been very busy, as you know, as a practicing cardiologist, but then in the last one year I have ran three half marathons; one in fact an impromptu half marathon in New Delhi, India.\n\nJM: That was last year.\n\nRS: That was last year, that’s correct. \nJM: That’s when New Delhi had its first marathon, was it?\nRS: No, no, it was actually the 10th half marathon.\n\nJM: Okay, all right, yes. And then -- and you were written up, there was an article about you in the newspapers, and then it was - you actually went there, as I remember, because I remember writing the article, but you went -- arrived the night before and the next day you went and got registered for the marathon, which you did not know was happening at that time.\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363#t=214.0,308.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363/transcript/60437/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nRS: That is true. In fact, I have to correct that a little bit, I had gone to attend the first World Hindu Congress, to attend it and learn about the World Hindu Congress, and I was reading the newspaper the next day I found that there was a half marathon happening in New Delhi. And I obviously had not registered and subsequently I called up some of my friends here in Houston and through some connections made an entry into the marathon. \nI had arrived in Delhi about two days prior, so it was -- but still I had not -- I was not really prepared, but I always carry jogging shoes and running gear, so that if I have to run I would love to do that.\n\nJM: So you were jet lagged and in spite of that you were able to do it. So that’s quite a remarkable turn from the little kid who didn’t like to do sports, right?\n\nRS: That’s true, that’s true. And I think that, I have to give the credit to my wife, Seema, who was very athletic in her childhood, so I think over the years you rub off on each other and you learn from each other, and I am sure that that certainly has had a very positive influence.\n\nJM: So let’s get back to your education a little bit, because you went to school in Delhi and then you went to the Hindu College, right, in Delhi?\n\nRS: That’s right, yeah.\n\nJM: And where did you do, I guess it’s the MBBS at that time?\nRS: Yeah. So MBBS, I went to -- I did my schooling at Salwan Public School, which is one of the good schools there, and academically I was very -- doing very well in school. I ended up being school prefect, junior prefect, and I was the house captain. And in high school at that time, our admissions to medicine used to be based on your subjects of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, and in 1977, when I graduated I had the number 5th highest score in the entire India, with 96.5% in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, ending up at one of the top premed programs in the country, which used to be Hindu College, with the top 20 kids go to do premed at Hindu College.\n\nJM: I see. So now, didn’t you go then subsequently to the Maulana Azad Medical College?\n\nRS: That’s true, yeah. So after finishing your premed, I entered Maulana Azad Medical College. I was trying to get into All India Institute, which is obviously the number one institute, but Maulana Azad is currently, and has been, the number two medical school in India, an excellent school. I had scholarship during the Maulana Azad Medical College and finished my medical school in 1983.\n\nJM: By the way, you have been instrumental in the Maulana Azad Medical College Alumni Association of North America, right?\n\nRS: That is true, that is true. I currently am the President of MAMCOAANA, and in fact, we are having our reunion here next month, and we have really brought up the organization, which is the 31st reunion happening, but we have accomplished a lot, bringing the alma mater closer to the MAMCOAANA. \nAnd in fact, in November, I was the first individual from the US to give the Guest Lecture Series at Maulana Azad Medical College after having met with the Dean, Dr. Tempe, and we are having a very close association of medical school with MAMCOAANA.\n\nJM: But this is the second time that it’s happening in Houston. Next month in July it will be here and two years ago it was here.\n\nRS: That is true, three years ago, in 2012 also me and my wife Seema, we were the host for the MAMCOAANA, and that was the first time MAMCOAANA was ever held in Houston.\n\nJM: Now, getting back to your education, something very remarkable happened to you when you got your degree, and let me show the audience what that was; here you are getting your degree, your graduation certificate from Mother Teresa.\n\nRS: That truly was a moment of a lifetime. It was actually -- the entire graduating class was very, very fortunate, because it was our college’s 25th anniversary and they wanted a special guest for the graduation to give the graduation certificates, and the entire graduating class of 180 students was fortunate to receive -- to get our medical diploma from Mother Teresa. And I distinctly remember that moment, with my family attending and Mother Teresa giving the convocation address, it was --\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363#t=308.0,602.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363/transcript/60437/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nJM: This is quite remarkable, young doctor, not yet a full doctor, so this was which year?\n\nRS: This was -- I finished the medical school in December of 1983 and the ceremony took place in March 24, 1984.\nJM: I see.\n\nRS: And it truly was a moment of a lifetime, where the entire graduating class took the Hippocratic Oath with Mother Teresa, and I truly believe those blessings, as you know, blessings from God, and parents, and family, and friends play a very, very major role, which I have a very strong belief in, and during my practice of medicine. And the entire graduating class was very, very fortunate, and I was on top of it, fortunate enough to also receive the Gold Medal from President Zail Singh as I was -- I had a Gold Medal in Surgery. So we were a very, very special batch and we were extremely fortunate to take a Hippocratic Oath with Mother Teresa.\nJM: But when you took your ECFMG exam, you went to Lahore, Pakistan to take the exam, because that was the nearest center you could take that at that time, and then you came to the US. When you came to Houston, tell the audience about that, the first year you said you could not find a job as a doctor in any medical line?\nRS: That’s true. I went and did my ECFMG examination and the FMGEMS examination. I went to Lahore; at that time I wanted to come to the US and it was easier if you had finished your exams ahead of time. So I did my ECFMG and FMGEMS in going to Lahore, and did very well in those, and subsequently came to the US. I arrived in the US on July 20, 1985, and it’s approximately a one year process, where you have to start applying for your residency application; it takes about a year or so.\n\nSo in the interim, I had the fortune of doing an externship with one Dr. Mehta here in Houston, but I could not find any job in a doctor’s office. I knocked on a lot of doors and somehow could not find. I was so desperate to work in any capacity in a physician’s office while I was getting my application ready for the residency, but unfortunately, I just could not find. But obviously I did not want to be sitting home. \nSo I ended up doing all kinds of odd jobs, including working in malls. I still remember there was a place, World Bazaar, Ballet Royal, and I distinctly remember earning $3.35 per hour, which was the minimum wage at that time.\n\nJM: Remarkable! How would you think about it?\n\nRS: It’s a good learning experience and worked for an entire year in these low paying jobs. I had one job where I was working as a tutor, which used to pay about $15 an hour and I had to study Math and Science the night before to teach the high school kids, because I had not studied Math and Science, high school Science for a long time, so it was very fascinating. But it ended up, the year went by very fast, and I started my residency in July of 1986 at one of my top choices. I interviewed at about 26 places and received the residency at SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, which was my first choice, in Brooklyn, New York.\n\nJM: Wow! Wonderful! So then after you did that, you came back to Houston, yes?\n\nRS: No, after finishing my residency in Brooklyn I knew I wanted to be a cardiologist, so during my residency, actually in my entire month of vacation, I distinctly remember in my internship, you get one month of vacation, since getting into cardiology, it was my aim, and it was extremely tough as a foreign medical graduate to get into cardiology fellowship, I sacrificed my entire month of vacation at SUNY Downstate, Brooklyn and worked in a research project for one month. \nAnd that actually played a very, very important role, because the research project that I did, I still remember with Dr.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363#t=602.0,860.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363/transcript/60437/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":", who was the Chief of Cardiology, got me an article, a manuscript published, and also I did another project, a research project during my year and presented a paper at American College of Physicians meeting in Cooperstown, New York.\n\nSo because the fact that getting into Cardiology Fellowship was very, very hard, which I was very determined to get, these research projects helped me get interviews for fellowship, and ended up doing a fellowship at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, which I did from 1989 to 1992. \n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363#t=860.0,901.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363/transcript/60437/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nThat also included one year of Interventional Fellowship, which was the beginning of the coronary interventions that were starting at that time, and I was the second batch to do a coronary angioplasty fellowship and finished in 1992, and then came to Houston in July of 1992.\n\nJM: So when you came to Houston, then you had an intention of starting up your practice here, but you worked for sometime with some other practice, right?\n\nRS: That is correct! At that time I could find a job in Pasadena, and I worked for a cardiologist in Pasadena for a year. And then had made up my mind that I would like to start a private practice, and in July of 1993, I started the practice with literally zero patients, and took $75,000 loan and said that I am going to practice cardiology in west part of town, and started my first office at West Houston Medical Center, with no income guarantees, nothing and just took a loan and my faith and belief and the skills and I said I want to start my cardiology practice.\n\nJM: Now, this is -- what is it, almost 20 years later?\nRS: 22 years later, it’s about 23 years. \n\nJM: And you have now seen over 50,000 patients.\n\nRS: Well, actually I have seen over 58,000 patients in my practice/ I practiced practically almost as a solo practitioner, with a few associates who came and went for a couple of short periods of time, but essentially practiced as a solo cardiologist for over 20 years. \nIn 2006, I moved from Houston to the suburb of Katy, where I built my own state-of-the-art 10,000 square foot facility – \n\nJM: But Katy is not exactly a suburb anymore, 15 years later after that, Katy is almost an extension of Houston.\n\nRS: That is true, that is true.\n\nJM: And in fact, here I am going to show another award that you received at that time before you moved to Katy, here is one from Houston Magazine, and it shows you in there as being one of the prominently recognized physicians of that time, so this is from September 2005.\n\nRS: That was one of my first awards from Houston","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363#t=901.0,1058.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363/transcript/60437/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"that I received. It was a great moment, and subsequently, I have been very, very blessed to receive numerous awards, but clearly that was one of the biggest awards that I received since then.\n\nJM: We will talk more about the other awards, but this was a nice piece that was done of you, you must have been quite surprised.\n\nRS: It was an honor, a big honor, absolutely.\n\nJM: Wonderful! So tell us more now, when you moved to Katy, you ended up having -- you built your own building and you started seeing more and more patients, and then in Katy, since 2005 to 2015, 10 years, Katy has really welcomed you as one of their prominent citizens.\n\nRS: That is true, that is true. I have been involved in taking care of patients from Katy even prior to moving to Katy, and that was the decision to move to Katy, as I saw that more than two-thirds of my patient population was coming from Katy and that prompted me to move full-time to Katy. \nAnd I had been involved in local work in Katy, City of Katy and the community of Katy. I was the President of the American Heart Association from 2000 to 2002 and the American Heart Association, the Katy Chapter; we took the Chapter from basics, to we took the Chapter to a very elaborate level. And from 2002 to 2004 I was the Chairman of the American Heart Association Katy Chapter, and we were very successful in raising lots of funds for the American Heart Association. And in 2006, I was very, very blessed and fortunate to receive the award from the American Heart Association.\n\nJM: Yes, I remember that occasion very well. Now, recently you have received another award, this one is for the Best Cardiac Surgeon for 2014 from Katy Readers’ Choice, Living Best of Katy, Readers’ Choice.\n\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363#t=1058.0,1199.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363/transcript/60437/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\nRS: Well, I have truly been blessed in receiving numerous awards from Best of Katy to Best of Houston, from leading physician of the world, to --\n\nJM: And here is another one from the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce.\n\nRS: This truly was very, very special that I received in February of this year, when I distinctly remember in January receiving a call from Ann Hodge, who is the President of Katy Chamber, that they had chosen me to be the Citizen of the Year. And truly I was very, very humbled and very, very honored, because when Ann called me, she said that I was the first non-Caucasian to receive the award in the 48 year history of the Katy Chamber of Commerce, and I was the first physician to receive that award.\n\nJM: Great! And in fact, they honored you at the Gala that was held, the 2015 Gala that was held at -- where was this held?\nRS: At the Safari Ranch.\n\nJM: Safari Ranch. And here is a big write up about you in the Gala itself. So this was just last year?\n\nRS: This was this year. This was this year, February of this year.\n\nJM: February of this year.\n\nRS: And this was truly another very, very big honor, very humbling to receive this award, yes.\n\nJM: And of course Katy really loves you, because here is another, 2015 Top Cardiologist from the Patient Reviews, Top Doctor from Katy. So it’s quite obvious Dr. Suneja that both Katy and Houston, it’s hard to tell a difference anymore, they really love you, they believe in your capabilities. You have been -- just recently you went through your boards again, every 10 years, tell us a little bit about that?\nRS: Well, I was actually -- I was the first quadruple-board certified cardiologist in Katy, and academically, I have always loved reading, and not only just reading, but I have always practiced medicine with a passion. And we in our practice, all our employees, they believe in a motto, which I had registered more than 15 years ago, our practice motto is, Caring for your HEART with our HEARTS, and about a decade a ago I also registered a slogan “I treat, HE cures”, because we truly believe that we seek God’s blessings in taking care of our patients.\n\nSo we have been very, very blessed, and we work as a entire team, taking care of patients, and I have been very, very bless to have two excellent associates who joined me in the last two years; Dr. Pai and Dr. Desikan, who have helped me grow my practice, and we have seen over 60,000 patients in our practice, and still growing by leaps and bounds. \nJM: And of course, you are well-known in the community for your generosity and helping people who need the treatment, who need some additional analysis, diagnosis, and people recognize that streak in you, but it comes also from your belief in, as you just mentioned, in Hinduism and you have gone ahead and started a nonprofit organization, right?\n\nRS: That is correct. Just late last year, to go back, as -- in my childhood, I grew up in Arya Samaj family and obviously my dad had a very big influence on me, in my learning, my leadership skills; he was a Secretary of Arya Samaj Karol Bagh for over 25 years. And my mom has this tremendous desire for learning and the drive for education, I truly believe, in both of us has come from our mom. \nAnd growing up, I grew up learning Hawan and Mantra and have a very, very strong faith in Gayatri Mantra, and I have such a strong believe that ever since I have started my very first procedure in the cardiac catheterization lab, even starting as a fellow, I have always done the jaap of Gayatri Mantra before doing any procedure, ever since, to this day, I do the Gayatri Mantra before doing procedure and giving the local anesthetic to the patient.\n\nJM: Is that right?\n\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363#t=1199.0,1496.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363/transcript/60437/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nRS: Absolutely! And my staff in my cardiac catheterization lab knows that I do a small prayer on every patient, and in fact I share it with my patients. We have Gayatri mantra very clearly displayed in our clinic and the faith in Gayatri mantra and what it has given -- I also give a lot of credit of my success to not only blessings from God and family and friends, and obviously the love and support of the wife, Seema, and the kids and everybody, but Gayatri mantra has played a very, very big role in my life, and that has driven me to create a non-profit that I created called Gayatri Mantra Global Foundation, and I am planning to take it to an international level. We are creating international day of Gayatri mantra which in fact I will be speaking at the Arya Samaj Mahasammelan next month.\n\nJM: That’s wonderful, so now your intention, you just started this foundation this year?\n\nRS: Very recently, it was founded in November of last year, but truly speaking I have just created the website and we are going to take the website to a next level, and next month -- for this month it was very amazing that I received -- not only passed my cardiology boards in the top 5% but then received the invitation to speak here at the Oral History Project. I also got an invitation to be a speaker at the Arya Samaj Mahasammelan. \n\nJM: And Wikipedia gave you an honor too.\n\nRS: That’s true. Just this past week the Editorial Board of Wikipedia contacted me and they want to put a page of interview media --\n\nJM: On you?\n\nRS: -- on me and I really just feel very, very blessed and honored to have all these things falling in place without making an effort. I truly, truly believe that blessings of our elders and truly believe blessings of my patience also which I receive day-in and day-out, people bringing in gifts for my kids and making things. Just Friday I had a patient who brought in pohe and I brought it home and my wife said, Seema said, make sure you go and tell him, this is the best pohe I ever had. We get so many blessings from our patients and I truly, truly believe that in medicine you have to practice with the passion and truly even in spite of the changing environment in medicine, in our practice and this is the philosophy which I believe in and all our employees believe in that that we take care of our patients like our family and do anything whatever it can be done to help our patients.\n\nJM: Now let’s segue a little bit away from medicine for a minute with your other interests. You have been involved with many organizations here in the Houston area. Talk a little bit about that.\n\nRS: Yes, I have been -- in 2000 I was involved with the American Heart Association. I was very actively involved for about four years as a president and then as a chairman, and then I remember in the year 2005 when the India House Project was being launched, Dr. Mathur, Mr. Agrawal and Mr. Ashok Dhingra, we were sitting down together and we were just brainstorming. I still distinctly remember there was a --\n\nJM: Now excuse me, I will interrupt you for a minute. For those people in the future who do not know what we are talking about, India House is the community hub for us here, right now it’s on the southwest side of Houston.\n\nRS: That is true, so in 2005 although the project base back to almost 30 years but it was coming to a fruition in the year 2005 and I was very fortunate to be on the Board of Directors and the first Joint Secretary of the India House in 2005 and the project has flourished.\n\nI have been involved in other projects in Houston, worked with Houston Habitat for Humanity, worked in the American Heart Association, raising funds, and as running marathons, raised money for some local charities, we help patients in the Indian Doctors Clinic here. We see patients for them, we see patients for Christ Clinic in Katy and then we provide services, medical services to the needy in addition to providing care to our patients.\nJM: But now this is keeping you very busy, isn't it? You are running around all the time. I remember seeing you going from one place to the other and at the same time you have five wonderful children?\n\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363#t=1496.0,1801.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363/transcript/60437/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\nRS: Yes, that is true. I have three older kids, one is Nikhil who is working for an IT company in Houston; Amit, my son who has followed Medicine, he is doing medical school at Columbia, and Dr. Divya is finishing Latin American Studies at UT, Austin, and we have wonderful 7.5 year old twins Nisha and Shivani, and Seema and myself are very involved, in fact they go to the Village School and we are very, very involved in Village School. Seema is very involved in Village School. I am now working with the Head of the Village School","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363#t=1801.0,1840.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363/transcript/60437/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"and we are bringing Bollywood to Village School and we bring a lot of additional things, bringing mentorship with my experience as being a mentor, a base mentor, having the base mentor which is program for academically excellent students from the Katy ISD. We are bringing those projects to Village School so I have been involved in a few things.\nJM: Yes, that’s wonderful and everyone here in Houston is so proud of you and for being such a well-known personality in the medical area, but also in supporting the community in so many ways. So now let’s segue slightly differently about your -- since you are so involved obviously in the treatment of hearts with your heart, so what have you seen, what kind of changes do you see coming in the future for treatment of patients that have heart disease?\n\nRS: Well when I finished my fellowship in 1992 at that time we actually did not even have stents. The stents were introduced in 1994 and completely revolutionized the treatment of cardiology, and that was a very, very big change that occurred in taking care of patients, and instead of just doing an angioplasty we put in a stent and subsequently minting those arteries open. We have seen some very, very amazing revolutionary things happen in the field of Cardiology. We had the introduction of the drug-eluting stents in the year 2005 and the stents became portable drug-eluting stents and that reduced the chances of restenosis or scar tissue at the site of the stents.\n\nIn the last decade we have also seen excellent new medications that have come for management of atrial fibrillation which are blood thinners replacing the coumadin. We see a lot of changes in medicine, but one of the biggest things that has struck me is the preventive care where we are now utilizing calcium scores for detecting preclinical coronary artery disease or heart disease which has been an amazing technology.\nJM: So are some of these tests and procedures done in your practice?\n\nRS: Yes. In our practice we perform the echocardiogram, the ultrasound, the nuclear stress tests, we perform PET scans. Now in the last couple of months we have started introducing the PET scans, but calcium scores are conducted at the hospital but we do venous ultrasound, we do other procedures, but the calcium scores are CAT scans which are performed in the hospital.\n\nJM: So right now we are in 2015, in 30 years from now, 2045, what do you see would be the status of treating heard disease? Do you think it could be done without any surgery?\n\nRS: Well percutaneously, yes, the noninvasive management is continuing to increase as time is going by. We are seeing from preforming coronary angioplasty and stents to percutaneous replacements of aortic valves which has already happened, and now at the medical center method is the trials for percutaneous replacement of mitral valves have also started.\n\nSo we are seeing clearly percutaneous technologies gaining more momentum, open heart surgeries or body bypass graft surgeries being conducted through smaller incisions. Percutaneous technologies clearly are growing in future.\n\nJM: So percutaneous technology meaning robotic technology?\n\nRS: Robotic or small incisions and instead of doing large incision, everything utilizing da Vinci robots and other technology, but these are surgical techniques.\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363#t=1840.0,2094.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363/transcript/60437/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\nBut in the field of cardiology, I think angioplasty stents and the medicines and preventive care with the use of Aspirin and Statins have played a very role, and in fact just last week on Sunday, I love reading ‘The New York Times’ every Sunday edition, and last Sunday there was this large article, how the incidents of heart disease and heart attacks has diminished in the last several decades because of the preventive care, increased awareness of the patient population for taking care of themselves, taking good control of cholesterol by taking statin drugs or getting screening techniques at an earlier stage, but we are very, very afraid that we are potentially going to be seeing some reversal as we are very, very concerned about the incidence of obesity which is continued to rise especially in the Hispanic population, it is a very, very big concern.\n\nJM: What about the Indian population since you mentioned that? Is the incidents of heart disease and diabetes, is this all rising within our community?\n\nRS: We see a tremendous amount of coronary artery disease in the Indian community and we offer them the treatments for detecting preclinical heart disease because unfortunately many times the diagnosis is made after the heart attack but we definitely see increased incidents, but I believe that it is our -- the way we are living, the increased stress or situation, increased incidents of diabetes, lack of exercise, increased obesity all these factors bring the role in causing increased incidents of heart disease especially whether it is an Indian population or Hispanic population, the curves are rising at a very rapid rate.\n\nJM: Right, and the diet for both of these kind of demographics, these populations are very similar, is it not? There is a lot of carbohydrates, lot of cheese and so on, won’t you say?\n\nRS: That’s absolutely correct. Yeah, increased intake of saturated fats and lack of exercises. These are the two very, very important factors that play a role and then lead to obesity which then leads to diabetes and hypertension and leading to hyperlipidemia, and all these becoming risk factors for coronary artery disease end up resulting in coronary artery disease or heart disease.\n\nJM: So you are stressing the importance of exercise in overcoming heart disease?\n\nRS: That is true, absolutely. Overcoming heart disease and detecting -- early dictation is very, very important and then getting the right appropriate treatments with the right physicians and then continuing the medical therapies that prevent future heart attack. I was very, very fortunate that in 2008 I presented a paper on the ongoing use of Plavix or Clopidogrel at that time was considered Plavix which -- \n\nJM: Plavix is used for?\n\nRS: It is a blood thinner that is utilized after patients have had angioplasty and stents or bypass surgeries and I had presented a landmark article and presented a paper at the World Congress of Cardiology in Argentina where I submitted one of the longest database of ongoing use of Clopidogrel and found that a continued use prevented future heart attacks and strokes and death. If you are taking good care of yourself by taking the right medicine, undergoing good care, you really can prevent future heart attacks and live a very long life.\n\nJM: Correct! So your advise to people, even now and many years from now, would be to get treatment fast, get regular checkups, do exercise and watch your diet.\n\nRS: Absolutely, absolutely, and then in my practice I truly see the effect of stress what it is impacting, we see so much young patients with hypertension and subsequently with obesity, hyperlipidemia, I have emphasized the role of yoga and medication in practice, and actually when I give instructions to the patients I in fact even for a moment I will teach them what Pranayama is and write them that they should do Pranayama and yoga and meditation, and I do that myself, and I do tell my patients that whatever I am preaching I am practicing myself because truly these are very, very important things that will play a very important role in prevention of heart disease.\n\nJM: So what you do see as the direction for your practice now? Knowing what you just mentioned and the direction that treatment goes, how do you see your practice going?\n\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363#t=2094.0,2406.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363/transcript/60437/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\nRS: Well with my new two partners, I am going on. I am doing less hospital work but continuing to do office work and continuing to do procedures. Medicine is going through a very dynamic change, increased interference from the federal government, making us do all the -- I to some degree do unnecessary computer work which is in fact taking away from the patient care. I feel sad that we are spending more time on computers and less on patient interaction, and it is a major concern because I see the enthusiasm in physicians are getting less as we are overwhelmed with the amount of data that we have to complete and report it to the federal authorities and it is becoming very, very time-consuming taking away our time from taking care of our patients, and obviously some major concern for some young bright minds entering into medicine because they see these concerns for the upcoming generation.\n\nJM: Correct, but as a result of these changes, your office has actually become paperless.\n\nRS: We have actually had electronic health records for almost 7.5-8 years and last year we switched to a new software, but in spite of doing paperless we still have so much things that we have to complete to report to the government, to the insurance companies, the interference from the insurance company. It is to some degree -- to doing procedures we have to get authorizations and adding more employees. It has become -- it becomes a very time-consuming job to get all these things done.\n\nJM: Do you have any patients who come from overseas from India for example, or vice versa, do you see yourself doing any procedures or spending time, training and mentoring people in India?\n\nRS: Well the mentoring, I have just started the teaching program with Maulana Azad Medical College and going back to the medical school. At this point of time I have not done any procedures outside of India, but I see exchange of education is definitely very important. At this point of time I am not in thought of that.\n\nJM: But you have patients that come from overseas for treatment?\n\nRS: I have patients, believe it or not who live in Dubai and live in Saudi Arabia and come once a year, twice a year from out -- 100 miles away from our area to thousands of miles away, so we see patients from all over the world.\n\nJM: Wonderful! So you are now at a position where you can sit back and relax would you say, I don’t think so?\n\nRS: Well having additional two partners in the practice has definitely given me the breather that I can follow some of the other things that I would like to do being able to exercise more, being involved in some non-profits. This was the vision of creating a non-profit for Gayatri mantra and spreading the word of Gayatri mantra was a dream of me, my dream 30 years ago, and finally it has come to a fruition and we are going to take it to another level. But clearly that gives me the time and I am able to spend a lot of time with the family which I am loving, and would do exercise and do other things running which I -- the love of running has really been there and hopefully running another half a marathon in January again, February in Katy and spending time with the family and kids and getting involved in school and giving it back to the community. So it has been an amazing wonderful journey, and I am very, very grateful to Houston. Houston has been an awesome city and I see the diversity of Houston what the Indo-Americans have done in Houston. It is a very, very proud moment for all of us.\n\nJM: Well Houston is as awesome as you said, but it takes awesome people like you to make an awesome city.\n\nDr. Suneja, thank you so much for sharing so much of your life experiences and how you have been such a part of the Greater Houston area and contributing to the medical practice here.\n\nWe are going to try to wrap it up over here. Do you have other things that you want to share with the people who are looking at us many, many years from now?\n\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363#t=2406.0,2692.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363/transcript/60437/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\nRS: Well all I can say is that even when I was training, as a child I had a dream of becoming a cardiologist and then coming to the US, a dream at that time and practicing medicine and publishing, extensively doing my fellowship and then practicing medicine and that practice with a passion. I would only tell the future generations, and I tell my children and I tell students that I mentor at Katy ISD and tell anybody -- I said, you have to love what you do and do what you love and follow your passion. Do anything, it could be medicine, it could be engineering, it could be anything in life, it could be art. You must follow your dream and work with the passion and truly that is the most important thing, and I have been following my dream and my passion and one day I do plan to write a book about my experiences in life, and that’s what I tell everybody.\n\nJM: Well thank you once again, Dr. Suneja. It’s been a pleasure sitting here and talking with you, and for those of us who will be fortunate enough to see this shortly through the Houston Public Library, this is going to be on their website, we are going to be able to see it there, and those of you who are seeing this many years from now we want you to understand the role that physicians like Dr. Suneja have had in developing the medical community here in what we call our home Houston. Thank you!\n\nRS: Thank you so much! Thank you!","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108918/file/210363#t=2692.0,2794.52507"}]}]}]}