Member Spotlight: Wayne S. True, MD, MPH, FNLA

Caring for people is of the utmost importance to Dr. Wayne True, which is evident from his hectic daily schedule, volunteer mission work, and recent foray into the world of politics.

As a board certified family medicine physician and lipidologist, Dr. True saw firsthand the need to serve his country and represent his patients in a more direct way. As a result, he sought election to the U.S. House as a representative to the 53rd Congressional District of California.

Working with more evidence-based outcomes has become the main focus of Dr. True’s goals in the advancement of the field of lipidology. His medical group insists on having an evidence-based outcome before using new treatments, tests, or remedies with patients. He wants to always ensure that the tests he uses will improve patient outcomes. This belief in the importance of evidence-based outcomes is what pushed him to pursue this recent passion for politics. Dr. True’s frustration and skepticism of certain guidelines for treatments with no evidence to support them influenced him to run for Congress.

Though he did not win the primary in June, he admits that he will not stop doing what he is passionate about — providing good, honest medical care. You can read more about Dr. True’s run for Congress at waynetrueforcongress.com.

Currently, Dr. True works for Sharp Rees- Stealy Medical Centers in San Diego. Having previously worked in private practice, he has found that since affiliating with Sharp, he can run a more efficient office and dedicate more time to patient care, rather than spending time searching through files and managing an office. Dr. True says the best part of his job is being able to give consultations about diet, lifestyle, and exercise to his patients. He spends a lot of time with patients discussing effective diets and ultimately tries to steer them toward an overall healthier lifestyle. Some patients have even taken to Dr. True’s daily routine and will join him at the gym at 4:00 a.m.

Dr. True is dedicated to his regimented schedule, allowing himself two hours at the office every morning before the doors open for patients at 8:00 a.m. During this time, Dr. True reviews files for the day so he can spend every available minute meeting with patients to help them reach their goal.

Dr. True first became interested in the field of lipidology when he began ordering advanced lipid tests — such as the VAP and NMR LipoProfile — and realized he did not fully understand the results. He attended a few International Atherosclerosis Society meetings, where he had the opportunity to meet several lipid researchers from Milan, Italy, who developed ApoA-1 Milano, and see their data up close. He was excited to learn he could become more closely involved with the National Lipid Association (NLA) and quickly became active with the Pacific Lipid Association as a member of the board.

When he is not working more than 12- hour days and focusing on his campaign, Dr. True enjoys photography and hiking the trails in San Diego, which are very enticing due to the city’s seemingly perfect weather. He also has quite a green thumb and manages to keep a few orchid plants in constant bloom. Some of his most treasured time has been spent on his mission trips to Peru. Since 1997, Dr. True — with the help of Christian Emergency Relief Teams International — has made an annual trip to provide medical care to those in need. These trips typically turn into family summer vacations while he leads teams of 20 to 35 people into the jungles and mountains of Peru.

Dr. True has enjoyed studying in the field of lipidology and is grateful for the resources that the NLA has provided him. He feels fortunate to have served on the PLA board, as well as multiple committees including chair of the Membership Committee. His passion and commitment to lipidology, the NLA, and to his patients make him an inspiration to others in the NLA community.