Welcoming Dr. Cris Vieira

It may not be surprising that Dr. Cristovao Vieira, known by his patients and colleagues as Dr. Cris chose a career in the medical field. His father is a nephrologist in his home country of Brazil. One of his adult children, Laura, is continuing the family line in medical school in New York.  

Less predictable is Dr. Vieira’s journey from South America to Open Door Health Services in Muncie, Indiana. Born in New Orleans, Dr. Vieira grew up in Brazil, where he earned his medical degree from renowned Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. With his degree in hand, he moved to the United States to lead a research laboratory and serve as an instructor at the University of Miami. He continued his medical education, adding specialties in internal medicine and nephrology, and became an assistant professor of medicine at the university.

After nearly 20 years in south Florida, Dr. Vieira moved to Indiana in 2010 to start a nephrology program at the MHP Major Hospital in Shelbyville. He also pursued a growing interest in hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), which involves patients breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized environment to fight certain infections and other health conditions. In 2018, he started a wellness clinic in Indianapolis to offer drug-free alternative therapies like HBOT.

Dr. Vieira was drawn to Open Door for its “integrated approach to improving the health of the community,” he said. “Also, I really like being involved in direct patient care.” He joined the primary care team in August 2024 and sees patients at Open Door’s downtown Muncie location (333. S. Madison Street.) In addition to more than 30 years of medical experience, he brings with him fluency in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Outside of work, Dr. Vieira has four adult children and is married to Lourdes Vieira, a Medical Auditor. He enjoys traveling, especially to South America and to the Caribbean. When relaxing at home, you’re likely to find him watching thriller movies (his favorite is Lucy) or Netflix.