Paul J. Kuzma, MD

About

Paul J. Kuzma, M.D. enjoys his job as physician most when he sees patients out in the community doing well. “That’s the most rewarding thing for me”, he said.

Mainly treating those with back pain ailments, Dr. Kuzma performs a thorough evaluation and composes a personalized care plan for each patient. “We try to offer them the latest and most effective options to try and get them feeling better,” he said. “My goal is improving function and quality of life. We listen to each person, understand what their goals are and come up with a plan that will let them meet their goals and that can be different for everybody. We focus on non-surgical options for treating back pain, neck pain, and joint pain. Most patients with these conditions do not require surgery, and we have all sorts of options or them.”

A young athlete will have different objectives from a senior citizen but Dr. Kuzma and his practice are able to provide care for a variety of needs. “We want to understand what the person’s goals are and try to realistically put together a plan that will improve their function and allow them to do the things that they want to enjoy,” he said.

As part of a six-year advanced biomedical education program through Union College and Albany Medical College, Kuzma earned his undergraduate and medical school degree just six years after high school at the age of 23.

While completing an anesthesiology residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Dr. Kuzma lost a close family friend to metastatic prostate cancer. “He died with a lot of pain so I decided to do a (postgraduate) fellowship (at Johns Hopkins University) in pain medicine. That was the motivator. I thought people could be treated better and shouldn’t have to die like that.”

Coming back to Walter Reed for nearly four more years, Dr. Kuzma served first as the pain management center’s medical director and later as the chief of pain management services. During this same time frame, he also worked as a clinical assistant professor of anesthesiology at Uniformed Services University.

Since 2000, Dr. Kuzma has been involved with First Health Moore Regional Hospital including as a partner at Pinehurst Anesthesia Associates for nearly 15 years and as medical director for the pain management center and back and neck pain specialty center from 2005 to 2015. He has also volunteered his time to a number of hospital entities including serving on the board of directors from 2003 to 2005 and as a hospital credentials committee member since 2015.

In April 2015, Dr. Kuzma founded Advanced Medical Group as a way to give patients dealing with pain a growing number of options including injections, ablation, spinal cord stimulators and platelet-rich plasma treatments.

In his downtime, Dr. Kuzma is pursuing his master’s degree in public health at Johns Hopkins University. He has also completed two IRONMAN races in Florida as well as finishing multiple other triathlons.

What Patients Are Saying

“Dr. Kuzma is an extraordinary physician. I’ve been a patient of his for five years now. He is one of those who takes the time with his patients to understand them, their condition, and how it affects them; and, he helps you find solutions to your pain beyond the typical “here’s some medication”. This was extremely important to me, first as a soldier, and now as a retiree, as the other pain clinics I went to just pushed medication. I’ve recommended him to over a dozen folks I knew who need LONG TERM pain management as myself, who too feared an over-reliance on pain medication. When he left his last practice, I called Tricare and switched…And, when he does his procedures…he plays the best background music.” – Michael

“An absolute Gentlemen with a true heart that cares about his patience. I have seen many Doctors so I can tell the difference, believe me. He is professional in every way and is always able to bring my back and neck pain under control.” – Lynda