The spouses returned to the country following 22 years of having left to study medicine and now they contribute to the health of Puerto Rico.
Dr. Lionel Lázaro, orthopedic surgeon, specialist in sports medicine and hip preservation, and Dr. Sheila Pérez Colón, pediatric endocrinologist. Photo: Medicine and Public Health Magazine. Fabiola Plaza.
Dr. Lionel Lázaro is an orthopedic surgeon, a specialist in sports medicine and hip preservation and Dr. Sheila Pérez Colón, is a pediatric endocrinologist. The married couple from Puerto Ricoleft the country 22 years ago to study medicine, train professionally and open up a future abroad.
However, they recently decided to return to contribute and provide their services doctors to the Puerto Rican population. In his words, it has been the best decision they have been able to make, since the population they need it and in the midst of the crisis of professionals in the Health that the Island lives, contributing and improving the quality of life of hundreds of local patients has incalculable value.
“We left the Island, always thinking that we wanted to return well prepared to serve our people and our country. More than 20 years have passed, but it was time to return,” said Dr. Lionel Lázaro.
The specialists have gathered extensive medical experience in hospitals and centers doctors of the United States, and that knowledge is today at the service of population Puerto Ricans, who have professionals willing to serve them, instruct them and provide them with comprehensive care in Health.
“I return to Puerto Rico, which was one of my biggest dreams because I know the need there is. I left with my husband 22 years ago, we studied medicine abroad; the residence; the specialty; and we work, but we always wanted to return to the Island, to be close to the family, to our culture. Furthermore, we know the need for doctorsThis has been going on for a few years, but it has been getting worse, and it was time to go back and give back to the country,” said Dr. Pérez.
Currently, Dr. Lionel sees his patients at the Doctor’s Center Hospital in Puerto Rico and at Sabanera Health in Dorado, and Dr. Sheila at the Doctor’s Center Hospital in Puerto Rico.
“Puerto Ricans deserve a medical service of excellence and what better than a well-trained Puerto Rican to provide it,” added Dr. Lionel.
From the area of orthopedics, the specialist considers that the most satisfactory thing is to be able to help a patient to recover their activity and mobility and in this way, improve their quality of life.
“Having the ability to help them, whether it be with non-surgical processes or surgery, to solve that problem that patients have, give them mobility once more, give them the ability to be happy, that motivates me,” he said.
The doctor, who also specialized in hip preservation, indicates that with the technology of recent years he has the ability to diagnose different conditions, plan surgeries and perform minimally invasive procedures, for the benefit of Puerto Rican patients.
“And not only that, we now have technology inside the operating rooms that analyzes each point with each X-ray I take during the operation. Having this intraoperative feedback is a brutal thing as a surgeon because you feel more satisfied and you know that the job is well done. Now we use a technology to do things that we never thought were possible.”
For her part, Dr. Pérez has a passion for caring for pediatric patients suffering from different endocrine conditions. “My memory as a child is that she had a pediatrician and she always thought that she wanted to be like him. Later, when I studied the endocrine system and hormones, I was interested because I saw that I can intervene in a problem with a hormone or deficiency of a hormone, and bring that balance to the Health of the child and the adolescent. To this day I love what I do.”
The specialist has worked in cities such as New York, Miami and Los Angeles and that has allowed her to have extensive experience treating different diseases, those experiences have made her what she is today.
“It fills me and satisfies me when I can help my patients, especially when they have a new diagnosis of diabetes, teach them, guide them until they feel calm to manage the condition, as well as with thyroid-related conditions,” he added. .
Dr. Sheila Pérez has a passion for caring for pediatric patients with endocrine conditions.
Dr. Lionel is an orthopedic surgeon, specialist in sports medicine and hip preservation.
The specialist has extensive experience treating diseases in the pediatric population.
Undoubtedly, for the married couple to return to Puerto Rico becomes one more motivation to carry out his profession, among his desires is that the conditions for doctors Puerto Ricans improve.
“Everything has to improve, the medical class is necessary, a doctor’s compensation has to improve here on the Island and that’s what I came for, to help improve the situation. I believe that with the help of more doctors that we come motivated with ideas on how to solve the problems we have here, we can improve”, said Dr. Lionel.
In addition, he acknowledged that since he left the country he would have wanted to return. “Opportunities out of Puerto Rico They are good, but over time you will realize that being around Puerto Ricans, your family, your land, has a value that cannot be measured with the dollar sign.”
“Here there is a great need, we as professionals of the Health we have a duty to be participants, I find that Puerto Rico It has a great value, the potential of the people who live on the island is incomparable” he added.
Finally, the specialist shared a message for the new professionals of the Health who think of emigrating. “I tell all my colleagues and those who are graduating now who feel that they would like to be on the Island, but that the current situation does not allow them, to consider it. We, Lionel and I, considered it for many years and it has been the best decision. Doctors are needed here, here we give phenomenal treatment, the Puerto Rican population needs good doctors and we are, we care a lot regarding patients and the population needs us, both pediatric and adult”.
“I hope more doctors come to Puerto Rico”, concluded the doctor.