General Info

Robert Bala, MD, has been practicing Family Medicine for 20 years. Dr. Bala sees patients ages 2 years and older at the Gateway location. What is your patient care philosophy?I advise and treat all my patients as though I was advising and treating a family member. What would you like people to know about you as a physician?My first and most important prescription is lifestyle changes: diet, exercise and weight loss. Why did you decide to become a physician?I was, and still am, doing mission work. What do you enjoy most about working with patients?I like empowering my patients with as much real medical information as possibleso they can make better decisions for their healthcare. When did you know you wanted to be a doctor?I knew I wanted to be a doctor as a child in Dakar, Senegal. What else would you like to share?Health is not found in a “prescription pill.” What are some interesting facts about you?I was born in Dakar, Senegal. I used to be a breakdancer, and I love to scuba dive. With what community and volunteer organizations are you involved?The most recent is Florida Baptist Children’s Home. I did some mission work with Orphan’s Heart in Guatemala. Tell us about your family.I am a first-time grandpa to my beautiful Milani. What else would you like to share?•I believe food is always your first medicine. •I believe the American lifestyle is a huge contributor to a lot of our medical problems. •The solutions to a lot of our medical problems is a lifestyle changes and not found in a pill bottle. •I like to try to find and fix the root cause of a medical problem instead of putting a Band-Aid on it with a prescription.