Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
A Twist of Fate Led Dr. Kulmeet Kundlas to Own Practice Here
Board Certified Physician Dr. Kulmeet Kundlas, right, will soon be joined in his profession by his son Ajay, daughter Anmol, and wife Manjit. When both their children earned full-ride scholarships to medical school, their parents used the college fund they had saved to create a scholarship fund for other medical students attending their alma mater, the University of South Florida.
Dr. Kulmeet Kundlas shows a true passion for helping people through his medical practice, and has drawn a large following of patients who entrust him with their care.
Dr. Luis M. Rodríguez González MD, DrPH. treats many of the patients arriving at the modern Shield Medical Group clinic at 23607 US Hwy 27, just south of Wawa and lin front of Eagle Ridge Mall.
A passion for helping people overcome health challenges and a will to reach as many in need as possible has led Dr. Kulmeet Kundlas to fulfilling his dreams in Lake Wales, even as he provides funds to educate the next generation of doctors. His work has also led him to fall in love with the community.
Dr. Kundlas, a board-certified physician, operates the Shield Medical Group, a general Medical practice on US 27. He came to Lake Wales directly from his residency at Cornell University after graduating from New York Medical College.
After the local clinic that had hired him cancelled his contract when he arrived, he was left with little money and no work. Dr. Kundlas credits former Lake Wales Hospital administrator Joe Connell for keeping him in the city. "He said, 'please stay here, we need doctors, you'll have a great practice,'" he recalled.
Connell took him that day to find an office and obtain a loan to purchase it. "It all happened in one day," he said. "Destiny takes over," he said in describing his career path. "Everything I have I have built here. This is home here," he added.
After starting his practice with the assistance of his wife, Manjit, the pair began saving money to send their children to college. When both their daughter Anmol and their son Ajay won full scholarships to Medical school, the couple decided to use the money they had saved to pay for their college to create a scholarship foundation to fund the education of other Medical students at the University of South Florida in Tampa, where both the children studied.
"It's a way of paying back for my good fortune," Dr. Kundlas said of the scholarships they have funded. Now Manjit has joined her children in Medical school, perhaps evidence of the incredible drive for medicine that the family shares.
The Shield Medical Group is housed in a modern two-story building at 23607 US Hwy 27, in front of the Eagle Ridge Mall. Dr. Kundlas constructed the building several years ago but was prevented from operating his own clinic here due to a non-compete clause which has now expired.
During the term of his non-compete contract he opened clinics in Winter Haven and Sebring. He is now consolidating his Winter Haven practice into his Lake Wales location which his operates with the assistance of Dr. Luis M. Rodríguez González MD, DrPH.
The clinic is one of very few in the area that will serve patients covered only by Medicaid, an example of Dr. Kundlas' commitment to share his healing touch with as many people as possible. He extends that drive to provide affordable care by charging only $75 for a normal office visit.
Dr. Kundlas splits his time between the Lake Wales and Sebring offices, where he is assisted by staff physician Dr. Carlos Baez.
"I love what I do, but I have to put a team together," Dr. Kundlas said of the growing practice. He is presently seeking a fourth physician to add to the team.
"My goal is to not stop, to continue to do what need to be done, and just work very hard," he said of his passion for bringing affordable healing to those who are suffering.
The Shield Medical Group is also accessible online at ShieldMedicalGroup.com.
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