Although he was born in San Francisco, Dr. Jeffrey Ha mostly grew up In South Korea. After graduating from medical school, he decided to come back to America to perform his residency in Internal Medicine at MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham.

Growing up, Dr. Ha had a big interest in helping others. This led him to do volunteer work all over the world, starting right after college. He quickly saw the need for better medical care among underserved populations wherever he went. “Having the ability to help others is very important to me,” he explains. “I knew if I became a doctor I could make a difference and lead a more valuable life.”

In his practice at Reliant, Dr. Ha treats many chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and kidney disease. He likes to emphasize the importance of preventative care with his patients. “I have seen many cases where patients developed illnesses that were very preventable. Unfortunately, after a disease reaches a certain point, it can become irreversible. That’s why emphasizing preventive care is so important.”

When prescribing medications for weight loss, Dr. Ha always likes to emphasize the value of leading a healthy lifestyle to his patients. “If you are taking these new GLP-1 medications, it just doesn’t make sense to eat junk food and not get any exercise and just rely on the medicine,” he explains. “The human body is a system, and your diet also affects your heart, brain, and other organs. That’s why I want people to make lifestyle changes so they eventually don’t need the medications.”

When he is not busy seeing patients, Dr. Ha likes to enjoy family activities with his wife and two daughters. His wife is also a physician.