Dr. Roger DiRuggiero, M.D., earned his Doctor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Padova in Italy after completing premedical studies at Boston College. He completed his residency in family medicine at Morristown Medical Center, affiliated with Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. DiRuggiero is dedicated to delivering comprehensive and compassionate care to patients of all ages.
Dr. Roger DiRuggiero, M.D., earned his Doctor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Padova in Italy after completing premedical studies at Boston College. He completed his residency in family medicine at Morristown Medical Center, affiliated with Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. DiRuggiero is dedicated to delivering comprehensive and compassionate care to patients of all ages.
Long before Dr. Roger DiRuggiero, M.D., ever donned a white coat or picked up a stethoscope, he was a kid captivated by a family physician. His Uncle Nick was the consummate family doctor of the 1970s, delivering babies and performing surgery. “He was my hero and one of the reasons I chose a career in medicine,” said Dr. DiRuggiero. He also found inspiration from his dad, a pharmacist who always went the extra mile for his customers.
He chose to study medicine in Italy at the University of Padova. Not only was it one of the oldest and most demanding medical schools in the world, but it was near family. He reconnected with his great aunts and uncles during his time there.
Returning to the states for his internal medicine residency, Dr. DiRuggiero worked concurrently at the hospital and an urgent care center. “In urgent care, you treat the full spectrum of ages,” he said. “I really enjoyed acute care and also liked the surgical aspect including being able to delve into orthopedics.” Ultimately, it was his inspiration to open a hybrid practice, incorporating both internal medicine and urgent care, 7 days a week.
Dr. DiRuggiero is excited to be joining Vanguard Medical Group, which follows his core philosophy of family medicine that puts the patient first. Now he looks forward to getting to know a new group of patients.
“I think the most enjoyable thing about my relationships with patients is our social connection,” he said. “It doesn’t make any difference whether it’s the Super Bowl or golf, children or grandchildren, hobbies, or interests. I search for that connection, and we have a continuous dialogue from visit to visit. It makes the office visit more personal, human to human. That helps build trust and ultimately compliance.”
Dr. DiRuggiero finds fulfillment in helping his patients on their health journey. “It’s knowing that I have a broad breadth of knowledge and skill set to treat anybody who comes to our office. They can leave knowing that they have an action plan that keeps them feeling their best.”
When he’s not working, Dr. DiRuggiero enjoys traveling, including to his beloved Italy and to St. Barts. He is an avid golfer and also is teaching himself guitar. He is passionate about staying fit and healthy and starts his daily routine with a gym workout that keeps him feeling his best.

Dr DiRuggiero is extremely knowledgeable and thorough.
It is difficult to assign a rating based on one visit. I was seeing Dr. DiRuggiero because Dr.Mazzella, my primary physician, was not available. This visit was for a simple medical clearance for an upcoming surgery. That being said I was not overly impressed with Dr. DiRuggiero. He didn't know that I had a pacemaker, which would have been on my chart, had he looked. He spent more time talking about the history of Summit Medical and its return from bankruptcy than anything relating to my case. We barely discussed my upcoming surgery which was the reason for my visit. While perhaps not his fault, I was disappointed that he never received my most recent blood test results. He claimed that the most recent blood results he had in my file were from April! The blood work was done at St. Barnabas Hospital and I declared Dr. Mazzella as my primary physician. I don't know why he never got the results. In comparison, two years ago I saw Dr. Gorman, he was insistent on getting the results faxed
Felt rushed He opened the door and weren’t done speaking.
Personable Professional
Very personable and knowledgeable.
Dr. D is wonderful.
you can always tell an old pro!
Thank you for being kind and patient with me. I left your office feeling a little better mentally and not to mention, less stressful.
He didnt listen. When I told him I needed pre-approval from insurance he ignored me and just sent the prescription. It was kicked back for pre-approval
Knowledgeable