Making a difference in people’s lives
As the youngest of nine kids, Dr. Reyzan Shali grew up seeing her older brothers and sisters work as physicians and was inspired to pursue a career in medicine.
“I was just fascinated by how often they were able to help people; they would grow relationships, treat conditions and celebrate as their patients met their health goals,” said Shali.
She pursued her dream to become a doctor and after completing her residency in Michigan, Dr. Shali relocated to California where she has spent the past 17 years practicing internal medicine, most recently as a board-certified primary care physician for Tri-City Primary Care, specializing in geriatrics and women’s health.
Dr. Shali is passionate about her work and motivated by the relationships that she has built in the community.
“One of the main reasons I went into primary care and stayed there is because of the opportunity to build wonderful connections with patients. You sit, you talk and get to know someone, unlike surgery where after it’s done, you wrap up and may not see the patient again,” Dr. Shali said. “There are strong connections that I have built with my patients over the years; they’ve become friends and like family. That human connection, that bond is priceless.”
“Similarly, this clinic feels like home and everyone is friendly,” said Dr. Shali, the newest physician at Tri-City Primary Care. “It is a small office and all of us share the same philosophy – we are here to take care of people in the community as that is our job and what we want to do.”
Outside of work, Dr. Shali writes a column on the importance of eating healthy plant-based food and enjoys spending time with her husband and two teenage sons.
Dr. Kern Brar is a board-certified internal medicine physician at Tri-City Primary Care and is helping his patients in their path to optimal health. He has countless patients who have been able to reverse diabetes and reduce the number of medications they take…
“I like to find small changes we can implement and give my patients big results – to identify the root cause of the problem and find my patients a viable solution,” Dr. Brar said.
Growing up with his father in the Navy and his mother as an Internal Medicine physician, Dr. Brar moved quite often and always used the opportunity to make new friends from all walks of life. He eventually ended up studying at the University of California, San Diego where he did the initial research on Metabolic Syndrome.
Dr. Brar learned early on that weight gain and obesity have important links to diabetes, hypertension, early cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. His initial training led him into the hospital and critical care arena where he was working in the front lines as a chief hospitalist, managing and helping patients deal with the aftermath of acute heart attacks and strokes.
His passion for helping his patients in a holistic way led him to join Tri-City Primary Care where he helps patients prevent that initial debilitating heart attack or stroke. Working with patients in our community who often prefer natural solutions, he has been able to motivate his patients and get them off insulin for diabetes and to reduce the number of pills they need to take daily.
“Reductions in weight can reduce high cholesterol, blood pressure, reflux, and obstructive sleep apnea as well as other diseases,” Dr. Brar said.
He has settled in Encinitas and started his private practice with the plan to continue a life-long relationship with each one of his patients. He regularly spends time discussing their eating habits and working with them to give the nonjudgmental encouragement they need to meet their goals.
Dr. Brar offers his patients a comprehensive state-of-the-art weight loss program and has invested in a 3D body composition weight scale.
“This program has helped countless patients lose weight effectively and keep it off to maintain a healthy lifestyle so they can enjoy spending more time with their family, have less bone pain with decreased inflammation, and more energy to get back down on the ground with their grandkids.”
He actively works in the community and serves as a director for La Fuente, a skilled nursing facility. He works closely with AccentCare Home Health as director of palliative care and Silverado Hospice. He teaches residents from the Pendleton medical residency program and has medical students who rotate with him through the UCSD Alumni network. He is committed to helping his patients meet their goals so they can thrive and lead healthy lives.
Outside of work, Dr. Brar enjoys playing golf with his wife and going to the beach to run with their two Goldendoodles.
Tri-City Primary Care, 3907 Waring Rd Suite 4, Oceanside, CA 92056, 760.940.7000, tricityprimarycare.com.
Read more profiles: Faces of North County 2022.
