Originally from Buffalo, New York, Dr. Bugaj graduated from the University of Rochester and attended medical school at the State University of New York.
He completed his residency in internal medicine with a geriatric fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco.
Upon moving to Raleigh, North Carolina, he worked for Duke Health for five years and later joined Physicians Eldercare, where he served as a leader of clinician education, hierarchical condition category training and education, billing and coding, and its Accountable Care Organization committee. He also served as a medical director for multiple nursing facilities and a North Carolina PACE program. Through these roles, he developed a passion for innovative health care systems and solutions that improve the quality of care for seniors.
Dr. Bugaj and his wife have three children. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling and playing sports. He has also served as an assistant volunteer coach for both soccer and football teams.