BOARD-CERTIFIED INTERNIST & FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE PHYSICIAN
I trained in conventional medicine. then, I went looking for What It Was Missing.
Whether your blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, weight, or liver numbers are moving the wrong way (or have been for years), your answer has likely been medication, a shrug, or "let's recheck it next year." For me, that’s not good enough. We’ll get to the cause of these results, and heal your body from there.
Telehealth functional medicine for patients located in VA and FL. Based in Richmond, VA. Cash-pay practice (superbills provided for possible reimbursement). See pricing >
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10 YEARS EXPERIENCE
As a primary care physician
BOARD CERTIFIED INTERNIST
The American Board of Internal Medicine
CERTIFIED PRACTITIONER
The Institute for Functional Medicine
CONTINUED TRAINING
In lifestyle medicine, hormones, precision cardiology, and more
My BackgroundI've practiced medicine from both sides, which is why I practice this way now.
I decided I was going to be a doctor at 5 years old, growing up in South Korea and attending an international school started by American missionaries. I also grew up moving between conventional Western medicine and Chinese medicine, long before I understood how that would shape the way I view the human body and its power to heal.
I trained at the University of Virginia for college and medical school, Duke University Hospital for my internal medicine residency, & Washington University in St. Louis for a geriatrics fellowship. Then I went into primary care.
After several years of practicing on my own, I realized I was not doing much more than prescribing medications, increasing the dose, lowering the dose, and switching medications.
Our healthcare system is rooted in sick care, and much of my role was limited to medication management and referrals, with a once-a-year "preventive" physical. I went into medicine because I wanted to help people heal, and didn’t have the tools from my training or the time from the system to do it.
✓ Managing a number is not the same as improving it.
Adjusting a dose keeps a lab value in range, but it doesn't change what's producing the value. That's why people stay on the same medication for a decade with the same result, and nobody can answer what's actually going on.
✓ These numbers aren't separate problems.
Blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, liver fat, and kidney function drive one another (which is what cardiometabolic health means in plain terms). So I work with prediabetes, diabetes, insulin resistance, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and fatty liver together, not as 6 diagnoses in 6 appointments. Treated separately, they rarely improve.
✓ Keeping a number in range isn't the same as fixing what's causing it.
Adjusting a dose can hold the number steady, but it doesn't change the reason it went up in the first place. That's how people end up on the same medication for 10 years, with the same lab result every time, still without an answer when they ask what's actually going on.
✓ Most of what determines your results happens between appointments.
A plan has to fit an actual life, and someone has to follow up on it more than once a year. That's also why "let's recheck it next year" leaves people waiting when they could be making progress.
I trained in functional medicine, and in the evidence on how nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress change the course of chronic disease. Then, I built the practice I always wanted.
AT A GLANCE
✓ Board-Certified Internal Medicine
✓ 10+ Years Clinical Experience
✓ MD: University of Virginia
✓ Residency: Duke University Hospital
✓ Geriatrics Fellowship: Washington University in St. Louis
✓ Certified in Functional Medicine, The Institute for Functional Medicine
✓ Continuing medical education through the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the Obesity Medicine Association, private mentorships, and more
MEDIA FEATURES
I’ve been featured in national media outlets for my work in preventive medicine, metabolic health, and lifestyle-based approaches to chronic disease. My goal is to help people understand their health earlier—before symptoms become diagnoses—using evidence-based, whole-person care. Additionally, these articles below have been syndicated in AOL, Yahoo Health, and NewsBreak.
Articles Quoted in:
Woman’s World
Colon Cancer Screening: Doctors Explain New 2026 Guidelines and Risks | Woman’s World
How to Read Blood Work Test Results: An Expert Guide to Common Panels | Woman’s World
5 Benefits of Drinking Hot Water: Does the Viral Trend Actually Work? | Woman’s World
Surprising Metformin Benefits Beyond Blood-Sugar Control | Woman’s World
Everyday Health
Type 2 Diabetes: 7 Daily Habits That Can Help Lower Your A1C
Eating Well
4 Habits You Need to Break to Help Slow Aging
Health
Why Wild Blueberries Are Getting Attention for Heart and Metabolic Health Benefits
Parade
Adults Are Mistaking These Long COVID Symptoms for Aging – Parade
Medscape
It’s a Fact: Fiction Could Make You a Better Doctor
What’s Good: By the Vitamin Shoppe
What This Means for YouA Physician in your Corner, who Practices Holistically
Full prescribing and diagnostic authority. I order and interpret advanced testing, prescribe when it's warranted, and taper medications when it's appropriate.*
I've written the prescriptions you're asking about. 10 years in primary care means I can tell you why your PCP recommended that statin, what it's doing, and whether it's still the right call. I'm not here to talk you off your medications, but rather which ones are needed (if any). I'm here to make sure each one is earning its place.
Coordinated with your existing care team. A functional medicine doctor often doesn't replace your primary care physician, but works in partnership with them. I’ll take a deeper look at what’s going on with your cardiometabolic health and communicate with your physician, so everyone is working from the same picture.
Built for the long term. I don't offer a 3-month reset or quick fixes because the thing(s) driving your numbers are typically still there when the protocol ends. With me, this is a partnership measured, tracked, and optimized over time. Most people do see improvements within 90 days but care shouldn’t stop there.
*I do not prescribe controlled substances.
My ApproachWe Build Your TREATMENT Plan in Layers
LAYER 1
Foundation
The base of every plan includes a review and recommendation of whole-food, plant-forward nutrition, purposeful movement, restorative sleep, stress management, social connection, and fewer risky habits. A standard doctor’s visit doesn’t typically include all of these, or if they do, in this level of detail.
LAYER 2
Targeted support
I recommend supplements, vitamins, and herbal therapies, alongside approaches like acupuncture, and proven ways to calm an overworked nervous system. If needed, we add them one at a time, for a specific reason, and track if they're helping.
LAYER 3
Medication, used well
You’ll get gold-standard medications when they're the right tool, along with well-supported more holistic options. Sometimes that means starting a medication, and often it means stepping down or stopping one entirely.
A typical doctor’s visit usually only addresses the easiest quick fix to your problem, because that's what the time allows, but medication and holistic options together are best. You deserve the full toolbox, used in the right order.
"She listens."
“Dr. Chung has made such a positive impact on my life. She has brought very positive results in issues that I have long faced. She listens intently during appointments and responds timely to emails with questions. She is kind, caring, and comforting.”
- Christina H.
Before You BookAm I the Right Physician for You?
A functional medicine doctor works well if…
You want to understand what's behind your numbers, you're willing to work on nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress alongside any medication, and you want consistent support from a doctor who follows up more than once a year.
This isn't the right fit if…
You're looking for a quick fix, a source for controlled substances, or a guarantee that you'll come off your medications. I can't promise anything until we see what’s really going on in your body. However, I’m committed to helping you find as close to a holistic solution as possible.
Outside of WorkI Hold Myself to the Same Standard I Ask of Patients
When I'm not wearing the "doctor hat," I'm a wife to my wonderful husband, a busy interventional cardiologist, and mother to our 3 adorable and energetic children. I stepped away from practice for several years to be home with them, and that time clarified what health is ultimately for.
I love to travel, experience new cultures, and learn new languages. I speak Korean fluently and Spanish at a high level, with some French. My goal is to speak fluently.
I mention this because the version of health I care about is a practical one. Can you keep up on the trip? Get down on the floor with a grandchild? Still be in your own home at 85?
"Living to 90 isn't the goal. Living well until 90 is."
One Last ThingThere is a Solution To Ease Your Chronic Health Issues
You've worried about this long enough. Rather than managing the same condition for another year without ever being able to explain what's behind it, let's look properly and work on the cause(s).
Want to talk first? Book a $50 Discovery Call >
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