Dr. R. Michelle Koolaee, DO, FACP is an American Board of Internal Medicine board-certified rheumatologist in Los Angeles, who offers a holistic approach to treating rheumatic diseases, combining evidence-based medicine with lifestyle counseling.
Dr. Koolaee completed her Internal Medicine residency at St. Luke’s Roosevelt-Columbia University Hospital in New York City, and was the program’s Chief Medical Resident. She completed her rheumatology training at the University of Pennsylvania, where she was awarded the prestigious Fellow of the Year award. After her training, she worked at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, where she received the Faculty Teacher of the Year award. She currently holds a position as rheumatology teaching faculty for the Internal Medicine Residency program at Huntington Health, an affiliate of Cedars-Sinai. Dr. Koolaee is also a co-founder of the medical book series published by Elsevier titled “Morning Report- Beyond the Pearls,” a cased-based book series to prepare medical students and residents for their board exams and clinical practice.
In addition to her love of rheumatology and building relationships with her patients, she is also a mother of a child with severe autism. This unique personal experience has fostered innate qualities of kindness and patience, as well as a deep level of empathy when it comes to supporting her patients with chronic rheumatic illnesses. She prides herself in providing a positive and encouraging environment for her patients, and believes strongly that having a healthy mindset is the most important quality to have when it comes to successfully living with chronic disease.
