Richard J Ruggieri, MD

I never get an annual check up because I’m pretty in tune with my body and try to keep in shape. I’ve relied on independent screening companies for lab tests and made lifestyle modifications to bring any abnormal results back in line. But this year I decided to try out a Doc. Dr. Ruggierri was recommended by a friend as someone who doesn’t push medication, which has always been my biggest objection to an MD. It’s true! Although my results were all normal, he told me before they came back that if a patient doesn’t want medication he would try other things and monitor the results.
The office staff is great, too! All were very friendly and helpful.
No wait time, either. I was seen just a few minutes after arriving and the doctor spent ample time with me.
(I also noted that he was in good physical condition, which tells me he values healthy living.)
I believe I’ve found my doctor.

I switched to Dr. Ruggieri approximately two years ago when I found him on a list of doctors accepting patients in the wake of my former doctor deciding to commit to the Doctors Without Borders program abroad. Choosing based off of insurance acceptance, location, and not much else, I transfered to Dr. Ruggieri.
At first, I was happy to see that he was technologically savvy and that my information would be transferred from Coastal Medical to a resident electronic health record. The waiting area was nice enough, and I was able to get appointments without too much lead time. Parking in the small dedicated lot next door is usually fairly easy, too. The office space was relatively outdated but functional, which is somehow what we’ve allowed doctorly atmospheres to become over the years (as if the ‘70s-‘80s were the only reputable times to be practicing medicine — any newer and we patients will revolt against the change, it seems).
Dr. Ruggieri himself seems to be a very intelligent, slightly preoccupied geriatric specialist who was probably slightly startled and bemused that a man in his early thirties had wandered into the office. His bedside manner can be described as aware and thorough but brusque and quick. With the technological savvy comes several minutes of each appointment with his back to the patient, entering information, though over the years, he’s become more interactive in that sense.
More broadly, I believe that he’s very good at studying latest findings and practicing medicine — he might be a little bored with the humdrum daily routine. I recall distinctly in an early visit with him when I happened to recount that several years earlier I had had a corrective surgery for acid reflux, and he lit up — I had become a medically interesting case, if only for a moment while we reviewed key details. And I understand that bronchitis must just not hold the same intrigue.
Overall, he doesn’t earn top ratings because I’m generally unable to make a connection with him in the way you sort of want with your primary care physician — more that he genuinely cares about you as a patient and less as a case file. I believe he provides capable, quality health care and I’ve never had any reason to doubt his diagnoses. He makes himself available for questions, has never been late in emailing a prescription, and will provide medication samples as he’s able and is appropriate. In that sense, one can feel safe and assured in his care. Three stars — «A-​OK.»