Meet the Deputy Chief Medical Officer - Puja Pape, M.D

Dr. Puja Pape, M.D, serves as Cedar Recovery's Deputy Chief Medical Officer. As the Deputy CMO, she supervises all medical teams, shapes evidence-guided policies, and ensures compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.

Dr. Puja Pape, MD, is an exceptional medical professional with a passion for compassionate patient care and education. Dr. Pape's journey in medicine began at the University of Florida, where she earned both her Bachelor's in Psychology and her Doctor of Medicine. During her time at medical school, Dr. Pape's dedication extended beyond her field: she spent a year teaching multiple Addiction Medicine courses to Psychology students. After graduation, She went on to complete her residency at the University of Iowa in Family Medicine, where she was awarded Chief Resident.

She then joined faculty at the University of Iowa so that she can continue teaching, this time with medical students and resident learners. She moved to Tennessee in 2020 to be closer to family and continued her academic career at the University of Tennessee- Nashville. Throughout her faculty appointments, Dr. Pape had a strong focus on inpatient medicine and addiction medicine, sharing her expertise and fostering the next generation of medical professionals. In October 2022, she joined Cedar as a provider for our telemedicine program, Studio Health, and quickly transitioned to the role of Medical Director in January 2023.

Recognizing her exceptional leadership and skills, Dr. Pape was promoted to Deputy Chief Medical Officer in April 2023 . In this capacity, she supervises all medical teams, shapes evidence-guided policies, and ensures compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. She also sees patients at our Columbia location, where she oversees patients' recovery efforts with medically assisted treatment. Dr. Pape takes pride in nurturing and promoting staff wellness, efficiency, and effectiveness, ensuring that our medical teams deliver the highest standard of care. 

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Furthermore, her community engagement extends to working with Doors of Hope, a non-profit organization providing medical, mental health, and case-based assistance for women struggling with substance use. Dr. Pape played a key role in establishing an inpatient rehabilitation facility, where she currently serves as the medical supervisor.