Mark J. Bele DO

What made you want to become a health care provider or what is your earliest memory of wanting to be one?

I wanted to become a doctor in order to connect with people in a unique and fundamental way that would allow me to help improve the quality of their lives.

What do you love most about your specialty? / Why did you choose your specialty?

To me, Rheumatology is a synthesis of many of the things I enjoy most about being a physician. The cerebral nature of the specialty appeals well to my personality while also allowing me the opportunity to teach patients and even other physicians about topics of which they may know little. Also, rheumatology is a rapidly evolving field that is constantly changing with many new therapies being researched and developed constantly, allowing me to offer patients an ever increasing expectation with respect to relief of their symptoms and overall quality of life.

How do you connect with your patients?

The most important aspect of my relationship with my patients is conveying a genuine feeling that I care about them, that I am not only a physician who is knowledgeable about their disease process but that I am dedicated to their well-being. This helps to establish a partnership that will sustain our relationship and serve as a foundation of trust from which many different issues many be confidently addressed and hopefully overcome.

What are your interests outside of the office (hobbies, activities)?

I have been an avid runner from my early adolescence. It serves to help keep me fit while providing much needed stress reduction. I also love to sing and have participated in many choirs over the years. I enjoy spending time with my family.

What is your advice for your patients?

Be proactive about your health. Eat right, exercise regularly and lose weight if you need to. This is the best arthritis insurance you can buy! Also, I tell them that pain is never something they simply have to accept. There are almost always options that have yet to be explored.