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Meet Dr. Payal Bhandari, M.D.

Dr. Bhandari GRADUATED Magna Cum Laude FROM West virginia UNIVERSITY. After receiving her Md she completed a family medicine residency at the university of massachusetts.

Born in New Jersey, raised in West Virginia, trained in Massachusetts, Payal is passionate about closing the gaps that is otherwise causing chronic disease epidemics globally and empowering patients and providers to take back control of how medicine is experienced.

In 2005 she helped create and manage the first accountable care organization (ACO) in San Francisco. Since 2013 she ran has run the award-winning integrative functional medical center, SF Advanced Health, which utilizes whole-person medicine to understand the root cause of all diseases. Providers and patients equally appreciate Dr. Bhandari providing revolutionary solutions that go beyond conventional medicine. She has helped cure thousands of patients suffering from chronic conditions, and hence, been voted the “Best Doctor” in San Francisco annually since 2008.

Since 2015, Dr. Bhandari has been the president of the San Francisco chapter of Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM.org). She partners with the brightest minds in integrative and functional medicine and innovation companies to solve healthcare challenges conventional medicine is unable to.

Dr. Bhandari is also the chief medical officer of Advanced Health Academy (AHA) and Cambiati Wellness. AHA is a laboratory diagnostic interpretation platform that looks at the global scientific research and helps patients and providers efficiently understand lab abnormalities and organ health. Currently, clinicians ignore 97% of clinical data, increasing the risk of incorrectly diagnosing patients. Democratizing the interpretation of data can help drive more efficiency, reduce the severity of health outcome and costs, and empower patients to take back control of their health.

Dr. Bhandari is the CEO of Belai Health — an AI-based women’s health platform focused on efficiently and effectively diagnosing and treating all autoimmune diseases by utilizing integrative whole-person medicine and behavioral change models. She is also the CEO of Curogenix — a women’s health company focused on treating recurrent urinary tract infections and vaginal comorbidities with solutions that decrease the risk of potentially deadly comorbidities.

Dr. Bhandari is THE DOCTOR changing the landscape of how healthcare is experienced. She is happily married to her husband of almost three decades and mother to two wonderful daughters.

"We're all dealt a hand of genetic cards. Our life choices dictate 90% of genes expression. Although we can't always control the air we breathe or the water we drink, we may have a choice when it comes to what we believe, what we eat, how we sleep, think, and feel.

We are each enough when we are born. It’s up to us to change ourself if we want to change the world. All it takes is believing that everything happens for a reason. 

When opportunity knocks at your door, take it. If it changes you, let it.  Although your path may not be easy, it will be worth it. This is what defines the difference between being happy and healthy versus sick and suffering.”

— Payal Bhandari, M.D.

Top Reasons Dr. Bhandari has been voted the top 20 physician in the U.S.

Knowledge

Doctors with more knowledge and experience make their patients feel more comfortable during appointments and when turning to them for help. Dr. Bhandari has a high level of experience and knowledge based on twenty years of practicing holistic functional medicine. By focusing on the whole person, she can understand the root causes of disease and transform any illness into wellness for patients.

Listening Skills

Have you ever spoken to a doctor before, ran down your list of symptoms, and watched as the doctor ignored a high percentage of what you said? A good doctor like Dr. Bhandari understands the importance of listening to patients carefully. The information conveyed plays a critical role in deciphering the root causes of symptoms and how to customize the treatment plan. Your feedback and issues are taken into serious consideration.

Conversation Skills

In addition to listening to you, doctors must also have the conversation skills to chat with you. Dr. Bhandari always takes the time to understand the information communicated and not leave you feeling confused about your prognosis and treatment options.

Comprehensive Holistic Care

Dr. Bhandari focuses on the whole person and the direct impact our environment, lifestyle, diet, and social relationships have on our mind, body, and spirit. This is unlike conventional Western medicine, which views the body as separate organ systems and organ-specific health problems and does not always incorporate the environmental and social constructs that heavily influence our well-being.

Personalized Care

When it comes to individual health, one size does not fit all. By uncovering all components that affect a person’s physiological, mental, and emotional health, the root cause of ailments can be unearthed. We are unique; our unique problems cannot be solved by solutions designed for the “average” human.

Care Focused on Prevention and Reversal of Disease

Unlike conventional health care, integrative functional medicine primarily focuses on prevention to support optimal health before disease development and reinforce the body's innate ability to heal itself. Dr. Bhandari incorporates the best in scientifically based Eastern and Western medicine and the most cutting-edge technology to uncover the root cause of disease. She devises innovative, safe, and effective treatments customized to a patient’s unique needs. Unlike in conventional Western medicine, lifestyle medicine, personalized medicine, mind-body medicine, and in-depth patient education are commonly utilized.

Collaborative Physician-Patient Relationship

An open, honest, and collaborative patient-physician relationship, grounded in trust and mutual respect, is an inescapable and highly desired component of modern medical care. Dr. Bhandari has a “patient first” mentality to ensure every patient is treated with quality care and feels comfortable with every interaction.

Awards