Internal medicine physician Rachel Pyngolil, M.D. has joined Holy Cross Medical Group, a multi-specialty physician employed group of more than 130 physicians providing services throughout Broward County.
Board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Dr. Pyngolil’s focus areas include women’s health, preventive primary care for adults, chronic disease management, care coordination and peri-operative risk stratification. She proudly offers a Safe Zone for patients who are members of the LGBTQ+ community.
“As a physician, the main thing I do is listen to patients’ stories,” said Dr. Pyngolil. “Suffering is something we all go through, healing is something we all need and health and wellness are things we all pursue. As a provider, my role is to be there to support patients on their wellness journeys.”
Previously, Dr. Pyngolil was with Citrus Health Network, Inc. in West Kendall, Florida and also worked and served as a family practice team lead for Jessie Trice Community Health System in Miami. She graduated from University of South Florida in Tampa where she earned a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences, M.S. in Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences, MPH in Global Health Practice with a certificate in infectious disease control and an M.D. with a medical education scholarly concentration. From 2008-2014, she volunteered at the university’s student-run free clinic, Building Relationships and Initiatives Dedicated to Gaining Equality (BRIDGE), in various capacities serving a largely medically underserved population. She subsequently went on to serve as a National Health Service Corps Scholar.
“What drove me to primary care is my public health background, my desire to help prevent illness and to promote wellness more than just treat disease,” she added. “We’re all part of the same race—the human race—so we all connect in one way, shape or form from birth to death. There are a lot of things that are common in the human experience and that’s what’s important.”
Dr. Pyngolil’s international experience also includes providing medical care in an 80-bed ward during a physician shortage at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya; she also spent time at the Hospital Regional José Maria Cabral y Báez in Santiago, Dominican Republic; and has also worked on public health initiatives independently and with the International Health Service Collaborative in Panama.
After receiving her medical degree from University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Dr. Pyngolil completed her training in General Internal Medicine at Rhode Island Hospital and the Miriam Hospital, which is affiliated with the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Dr. Pyngolil then served as chief resident of the inaugural class of the Naples Healthcare System Internal Residency Program, which is affiliated with the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Naples, Florida.
In addition to being a clinician, Dr. Pyngolil values her role as an educator and has served as a clinical assistant professor and developed rotations for the College of Medicine at Florida International University, Nova Southeastern University, University of Miami and University of Central Florida throughout her career. Pyngolil has co-authored several clinical abstracts on topics such as myopathy, amiodarone toxicity and episodic fasting hypoglycemia in a non-diabetic woman. She is also presently serving as part of the University of Miami Faculty and Resident Practice for the UM Internal Medicine Residency at Holy Cross.
Dr. Pyngolil is a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine, Society of General Internal Medicine, American College of Physicians and American Medical Association. Her office is located at 1309 S. Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale. To schedule an appointment, call 954-463-4383 or visit holy-cross.com for more information.
ABOUT HOLY CROSS HEALTH
A member of Trinity Health, Fort Lauderdale-based Holy Cross Hospital, dba Holy Cross Health, is a full-service, not-for-profit, Catholic, teaching hospital operating in the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy. Holy Cross has been recognized for six Types of Care in U.S. News and World Report’s 2023-24 Best Hospital rankings and was named among the 2024 America’s Best-In-State Hospitals by Newsweek. Through strategic collaborations and a commitment to being a person-centered, transforming, healing presence, the 557-bed hospital offers progressive inpatient, outpatient and community outreach services and clinical research trials to serve as our community’s trusted health partner for life. Holy Cross Health also encompasses Holy Cross HealthPlex outpatient facility, urgent care centers and more than 40 Holy Cross Medical Group physician practices. To learn more about Holy Cross Health, visit holy-cross.com. Connect @holycrossfl.
