After earning graduate degrees in botany, biochemistry and nutrition, Vijaya Chapala, M.D., continued her research career in the department of molecular biology at Princeton University. Her attention was then directed to a patient-centered field, prompting her pursuit of a medical degree at the Ross University School of Medicine. Dr. Chapala completed her residency in internal medicine at the Allegheny University Hospitals in Philadelphia and continued as an attending physician at the VA Hospital in Asheville, NC. After more than a decade caring for our veterans, she continues to incorporate alternative and preventive medicine and nutrition to individualize each patient’s treatment plan. With personal experience caring for elderly parents, Dr. Chapala understands that elderly patients need support from their medical team in addition to their families and community to achieve their best personal quality of life.