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Home > CA Providers > Rheumatologists

Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD

Accepting New Patients

(7 Ratings)

Specializes in: Rheumatology (Arthritis & Autoimmune Diseases)

Assam Medical College & Hospital (1996)

Professional interests include: bursitis, psoriatic arthritis, Sjogren's syndrome, and more.

3444 Kearny Villa Road Suite 400
San Diego, CA 92123

(619) 623-3000

Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD is a rheumatologist in San Diego, CA specializing in rheumatology (arthritis & autoimmune diseases). She graduated from Assam Medical College & Hospital in 1996 and has 30 years of experience. Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD is affiliated with Sharp HealthCare, Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista, Scripps Health, Optum Care Network-SDPMG, Mercy Physicians Medical Group and Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego.

Office Locations

3444 Kearny Villa Road Suite 400
San Diego, CA 92123

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502 Euclid Avenue Suite 300
National City, CA 91950

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Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego

765 Medical Center Court Suite 216
Chula Vista, CA 91911

(619) 623-3000

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8929 University Center Lane Suite 202
San Diego, CA 92122

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Some issues Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD can help you with:

Autoimmune Diseases

An autoimmune disorder happens when the immune system mistakenly attacks the tissues of its own body, causing symptoms of illness. There are more than 80 different types of autoimmune disorders. While some are very rare, others are fairly common. Combined, autoimmune disorders are one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States, affecting approximately 24 million people.

A properly working immune system identifies foreign substances in the body that might cause illness, such as bacteria and viruses. The immune system then creates antibodies which attack the foreign substances, neutralizing them and keeping the body safe. In people with autoimmune disorders, something goes wrong with this process. For reasons that are not fully understand, the immune system creates antibodies to attack the patient's own tissues.

Symptoms of an autoimmune disorder depend on which tissue is being attacked by the immune system, but common symptoms of autoimmune disease include fever, fatigue, and a general feeling of just not being well. Autoimmune disorders are more common in women than in men, and they may run in families. Autoimmune disorders can affect various parts of the body such as blood vessels, connective tissue, endocrine glands, joints, muscles, red blood cells, skin, and many others.

It is common to have more than one autoimmune disorder at a time. Most are chronic, or life-long illnesses, although they may come and go in flares. Treatment for autoimmune disorders depends on which part of the body is being attacked. For example:

A type 1 diabetic whose pancreas has been damaged will need insulin.
A person with Hashimoto's whose thyroid has been damaged will need replacement thyroid hormones.
Someone with Sjogren's syndrome will need eye drops and mouth rinses to replace tears and saliva.

Many autoimmune disorders of all kinds are treated with immune-suppressing medications, such as corticosteroids (e.g. prednisone) to reduce the effect of the immune system.

Noteworthy Medicare Patient Procedures Performed by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD in 2023

Click on any procedure below to see further details on volume and pricing among Medicare patients.

Top 25%

By Volume:

joint aspiration

joint injections

In 2012, Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD performed more joint aspiration, and joint injections procedures for Medicare patients than 75% of providers in related specialties within California.

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2012 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD treated as a rheumatologist in San Diego, CA during 2012 were aspiration, injections, lab tests and X-rays.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	451
blood draw	92
doctor visit	1165
injections	451
lab tests	245
musculoskeletal imaging	121
spinal procedures	52
X-rays	173

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2013 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD treated as a rheumatologist in San Diego, CA during 2013 were X-rays, aspiration, injections and musculoskeletal imaging.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	274
blood draw	39
doctor visit	871
injections	274
lab tests	13
musculoskeletal imaging	220
spinal procedures	81
X-rays	301

2013 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD.

**Gender**
Male	63
Female	289

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	99
Black	20
Hispanic	191
Asian	29
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	148
From 75 to 84	116
85 and over	31
Less than 65	57

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD in 2013

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	63
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	34
Depression	26
Chronic Kidney Disease	23
Asthma	10
Osteoperosis	33
Atrial Fibrilation	8
Heart Failure	22
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	19
Diabetes	44
Dementia	9
Cancer	6

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2014 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD treated as a rheumatologist in San Diego, CA during 2014 were aspiration, injections, X-rays and musculoskeletal imaging.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	123
doctor visit	597
injections	123
musculoskeletal imaging	24
spinal procedures	22
X-rays	46

2014 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD.

**Gender**
Male	54
Female	243

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	102
Black	19
Hispanic	138
Asian	27
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	123
From 75 to 84	99
85 and over	28
Less than 65	47

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD in 2014

Hypertension	73
High Cholesterol	54
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	32
Depression	26
Chronic Kidney Disease	25
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	33
Atrial Fibrilation	7
Heart Failure	24
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	18
Diabetes	43
Dementia	8
Cancer	8

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2015 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD treated as a rheumatologist in San Diego, CA during 2015 were aspiration and injections.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	198
doctor visit	941
injections	198

2015 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD.

**Gender**
Male	94
Female	412

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	182
Black	30
Hispanic	204
Asian	62
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	232
From 75 to 84	138
85 and over	60
Less than 65	76

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD in 2015

Hypertension	74
High Cholesterol	55
Stroke	6
Ischemic Heart Disease	31
Depression	27
Chronic Kidney Disease	26
Asthma	16
Osteoperosis	29
Atrial Fibrilation	8
Heart Failure	28
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	16
Diabetes	49
Dementia	12
Cancer	10

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2016 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD treated as a rheumatologist in San Diego, CA during 2016 were aspiration and injections.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	141
doctor visit	1039
injections	141

2016 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD.

**Gender**
Male	56
Female	248

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	122
Black	0
Hispanic	117
Asian	36
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	122
From 75 to 84	102
85 and over	37
Less than 65	43

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD in 2016

Hypertension	71
High Cholesterol	55
Stroke	5
Ischemic Heart Disease	32
Depression	26
Chronic Kidney Disease	30
Asthma	22
Osteoperosis	25
Atrial Fibrilation	13
Heart Failure	23
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	17
Diabetes	44
Dementia	13
Cancer	5

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2017 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD treated as a rheumatologist in San Diego, CA during 2017 were aspiration and injections.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	130
doctor visit	836
injections	130

2017 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD.

**Gender**
Male	54
Female	207

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	111
Black	12
Hispanic	84
Asian	30
Other	24
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	118
From 75 to 84	79
85 and over	33
Less than 65	31

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD in 2017

Hypertension	71
High Cholesterol	53
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	33
Depression	21
Chronic Kidney Disease	31
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	22
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	23
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	17
Diabetes	40
Dementia	12
Cancer	6

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2018 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD treated as a rheumatologist in San Diego, CA during 2018 were aspiration and injections.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	136
doctor visit	990
injections	136

2018 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD.

**Gender**
Male	66
Female	241

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	126
Black	17
Hispanic	96
Asian	43
Other	25
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	139
From 75 to 84	94
85 and over	36
Less than 65	38

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD in 2018

Hypertension	70
High Cholesterol	55
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	30
Depression	24
Chronic Kidney Disease	32
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	21
Atrial Fibrilation	8
Heart Failure	21
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	19
Diabetes	40
Dementia	10
Cancer	9

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2019 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD treated as a rheumatologist in San Diego, CA during 2019 were aspiration and injections.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	218
doctor visit	1151
injections	218

2019 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD.

**Gender**
Male	69
Female	294

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	141
Black	15
Hispanic	127
Asian	50
Other	30
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	174
From 75 to 84	104
85 and over	42
Less than 65	43

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD in 2019

Hypertension	71
High Cholesterol	55
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	28
Depression	24
Chronic Kidney Disease	33
Asthma	10
Osteoperosis	25
Atrial Fibrilation	8
Heart Failure	20
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	15
Diabetes	39
Dementia	9
Cancer	7

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2020 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD treated as a rheumatologist in San Diego, CA during 2020 were aspiration and injections.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	183
doctor visit	924
injections	183

2020 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD.

**Gender**
Male	77
Female	257

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	133
Black	0
Hispanic	111
Asian	50
Other	27
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	150
From 75 to 84	102
85 and over	44
Less than 65	38

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD in 2020

Hypertension	65
High Cholesterol	54
Stroke	6
Ischemic Heart Disease	32
Depression	22
Chronic Kidney Disease	34
Asthma	8
Osteoperosis	24
Atrial Fibrilation	9
Heart Failure	19
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	13
Diabetes	41
Dementia	8
Cancer	8

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2021 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD treated as a rheumatologist in San Diego, CA during 2021 were aspiration and injections.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	140
doctor visit	890
injections	140

2021 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD.

**Gender**
Male	66
Female	281

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	145
Black	15
Hispanic	113
Asian	47
Other	27
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	159
From 75 to 84	111
85 and over	39
Less than 65	38

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD in 2021

Hypertension	69
High Cholesterol	59
Stroke	5
Ischemic Heart Disease	28
Depression	25
Chronic Kidney Disease	31
Asthma	6
Osteoperosis	26
Atrial Fibrilation	8
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	12
Diabetes	37
Dementia	10
Cancer	9

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2022 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD treated as a rheumatologist in San Diego, CA during 2022 were injections and aspiration.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	201
doctor visit	1000
injections	215

2022 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD.

**Gender**
Male	77
Female	328

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	172
Black	15
Hispanic	132
Asian	53
Other	33
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	196
From 75 to 84	119
85 and over	49
Less than 65	41

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD in 2022

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	67
Stroke	8
Ischemic Heart Disease	20
Depression	22
Chronic Kidney Disease	24
Asthma	12
Osteoperosis	33
Atrial Fibrilation	14
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	18
Diabetes	36
Dementia	6
Cancer	12

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2012 - 2022

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD treated as a rheumatologist in San Diego, CA were injections, aspiration, X-rays and lab tests.

aspiration	199
blood draw	65
doctor visit	945
injections	200
lab tests	129
musculoskeletal imaging	121
spinal procedures	51
X-rays	173

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2012 - 2022

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD.

**Gender**
Male	61
Female	254

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	13
Asian / Pacific Islander	38
Non-Hispanic White	121
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	119
Other	15

**Age**
75 to 84	96
85 and over	36
Less than 65	41
65 to 74	141

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD From 2012 - 2022

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and ischemic heart disease.

Hypertension	64
High Cholesterol	51
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	27
Depression	22
Chronic Kidney Disease	26
Asthma	10
Osteoporosis	24
Heart Failure	18
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	14
Diabetes	37
Atrial Fibrillation	8
Dementia	8
Cancer	7

Education & Training

Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD graduated from Assam Medical College & Hospital in 1996. She completed residency at St. Luke's Hospital. She is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology and has a state license in California.

Medical School: Assam Medical College & Hospital (1996)

Residency: St. Luke's Hospital (2004)

Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology (2006)

Licensed In: California

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Sharp HealthCare

Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista

Scripps Health

Optum Care Network-SDPMG

Mercy Physicians Medical Group

Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego

Insurance Information

Please note: Insurance information may change at any time, and the provider may accept your insurance plan even if it is not listed below. Please contact the provider's office to confirm that your insurance is accepted.

Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD appears to accept the following insurance providers: Beech Street, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare and Medicare.

Insurance Accepted by Provider includes:

According to our sources, Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD accepts the following insurance providers:

Beech Street

Cigna

UnitedHealthcare

Medicare

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD has an average of 2.29 out of 5 stars based on 7 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD from all over the web to help you find the right in San Diego, CA.

2.29

Overall Rating

(7 Ratings)

Leave a Review

Reviews Left On DocSpot

Overall Rating: 1.0 2024-08-09

Waited 3 months to be seen. Made multiple appointments with the doctor, have yet to meet the doctor in person, yet took 5 minutes to talk with me via zoom after making me drive 45 minutes for the visit. Waited in office 20 mintues for to schedule follow up and was told there were no appointments w/in a month and would be called by end of day. I had to follow up with them to get another appt. At follow up a different doctor came in and asked why I was there, I had to ask him to go over my 24 lab tests and 12 xrays that were ordered, "The lab results were not difinitive enough and  ultrasounds are needed, that can not be done at the same time so you would need to make 3 more appointments," which could only be done at that office and , and would not accept ultrasounds from any other imaging facility. Office staff came back in with my next 3 appointments scheduled without asking my availability.

Overall Rating: 2.0 2017-07-18

My wife has been under Dr. Chitkara care for around 3 years. She is a great Doctor but for the last 5 months her front office staff has dropped the ball. Every time I call Aetna Specialty Pharmacy for a refill, I have been getting the same answer, "the Doctors office has not responded to our request for a new prescription and authorization. So I find myself calling Dr. Chitkaras office more than once to get them to act and respond to a refill request that was submitted by Aetna Specialty weeks pass.

General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Puja Chitkara, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Mallinckrodt LLC	$65,942 ACTHAR $65,942
AbbVie, Inc.	$49,677 Humira $17,952	Lupron $5,448	Rinvoq $131	$26,146
Amgen Inc.	$39,798 Otezla $33,521	Prolia $1,339	Enbrel $916	Tavneos $517	$3,504
GENZYME CORPORATION	$34,783 KEVZARA $31,827	DUPIXENT $2,956
Horizon Pharma plc	$16,244 RAYOS $15,235	KRYSTEXXA $694	PENNSAID $283	Duexis $25	VIMOVO $6
Other	$67,989 LUPKYNIS $15,202	BENLYSTA $11,947	ACTHAR $9,548	Colcrys $8,238	Actemra $4,065	Other $18,990

**Types of Payments**
Compensation for services other than consulting, including serving as faculty or as a speaker at a venue other than a continuing education program	$179,578
Food and Beverage	$35,251
Honoraria	$21,242
Consulting Fee	$21,071
Travel and Lodging	$11,817
Other	$5,474

Biography

Dr. Puja Chitkara works as a rheumatology (arthritis & autoimmune diseases). Dr. Chitkara graduated from Assam Medical College & Hospital and then she performed her residency at St. Luke's Hospital. Her clinical interests include psoriatic arthritis, lupus, and polymyositis. Patients gave her an average rating of 2.5 stars (out of 5). She seems to honor MultiPlan, UnitedHealthcare, and Viant, as well as other insurance carriers. Dr. Chitkara (or staff) speaks Spanish, Russian, and Hindi. Dr. Chitkara's hospital/clinic affiliations include Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista and Sharp HealthCare. Her practice in Chula Vista, CA is open to new patients as reported by Sharp HealthCare.