Today we’d like to introduce you to Suzannah Bozzone

Hi Suzannah, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?

I started on the physician track like so many- checking all the boxes, living the life expected to complete medical training. Along the way, personal injury, passion for art, music, and healthy living, along with a growing awareness that symptom-based treatment seemed to drive more illness broadened my curiosity. This paved my path towards practicing root-cause medicine. In the journey, I’ve given up benefits and dependable income, but I’m so much more fulfilled now practicing medicine and educating communities authentically, and expanding awareness of evidence-based Lifestyle Medicine. I’m now working as a partner with patients and workplaces to drive power and better understanding on how to live a lifestyle that fights disease rather than feeds it. Rather than throwing medications at a lifestyle-driven chronic disease epidemic, I now feel much more part of the solution.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

Has it been a smooth road? Certainly not, but nothing worth doing comes easy. My years and years of medical training provided a lot of valuable information, but did not teach me how to partner in communities, how to get funding outside of the standard medical practice, how to run a business, and certainly not how to get your content into the world.

It didn’t offer me the awareness that medical doctors have an extraordinary overhead with malpractice insurance, maintaining licensures, continuing medical education, societies, practice expenses and that once a doc walks away from the system that covers those expenses (in exchange for pressure to see more patients in less time, in a way that often makes patients sicker and more dependent on pharmaceuticals and the medical system), the individual doc is left with an incredible financial stress and a lack of understanding about running a business, estimated tax, and managing not only a medical practice, but all of the deadlines and expenses to keep it afloat.

In this journey came zero income for an entire year (with 3 young children to support), All of my peers and family thinking I had lost my mind, the most worthless and overpriced health insurance plan, and no other benefits,. . . BUT, thankfully a supportive husband that wanted his inspired wife back. And, he got her back. I’m nicer now. I’m more humble. I’m constantly learning. I still don’t have it all worked out, but I wouldn’t trade purpose-driven, inspired living for a dependable income and benefits. Live true to your self, your passions, and what the world needs. It’s worth the bumps in the road!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

I am a board certified in both Family Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine- The latter is a specialization of incorporating evidence- based lifestyle as medicine to prevent, treat and even reverse some chronic conditions like diabetes, metabolic syndrome, hormone imbalances. In addition to seeing individual patients, my favorite use of Lifestyle Medicine is to incorporate it into employee wellness programs and delivering content that makes healthy living part of our workplace or community culture- as something that can connect us, invigorate and inspire us. I love to bring my love for performance (I am a classically-trained singer) to keynote speeches, where I get to connect with an audience, entertain them, and ignite a recognition that true rewards are habits that get us closer to our finest self–one that fosters purpose-driven living. My goal is for each person to recognize her/his purpose, and the need to show up as authentic and vitally purpose-driven. I am most proud of the wellness programs and partnerships with inspired companies, where I can deliver empowering Lifestyle Medicine based information and answer questions for participants all over of the world who are striving towards best selves. These inspired people make the best employees and I love to fuel their passion for vitality and help them bring their best self into their workplaces.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?

I want to use my strengths, my training, my weaknesses, my traumas to fill a need in the world and find joy in the journey. The need I can help to address is our lifestyle-driven chronic disease crisis. This crisis is fueled by unhealthy behaviors and a symptom-covering medical system that disconnects us from the wisdom and healing potential of the body. I want to switch people on to their purpose and give them the tools to live authentically and with vitality. My goal is to trigger connections to others with this common goal, and restructure communities and workplaces that nudge us into healthier behaviors and authenticity. True rewards get us closer to our finest self. I believe people are longing to connect to something meaningful and many are beginning to recognize the potential of communities that connect people around healthy behaviors. My goal is to expand my work with companies who want to cultivate cultures of vitality, and who are willing to bring in evidence-based Lifestyle Medicine content in the form of educational webinars, cooking demos, challenges, interactive content that helps their employees feel both heard and empowered with applicable and achievable tips to boost vitality. I continue to partner with more companies, personalize programming based on their needs, and have helped create award winning wellness programs. I love what I do and want to continue expanding these meaningful and empowering partnerships, now in both English and Spanish.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mytruehealthjourney.com/employee-wellness-webinars
• Instagram: drsuzb
• Facebook: Suzannah Bozzone Dawnay
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannah-bozzone-md-829a79a2/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@drsuzb/videos

Image Credits

Small Box Entertainment