Six medical residents in the specialties of pediatrics, orthopedics, and neurology at educational institutions in Puerto Rico shared their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in the field of healthcare on the island during the scholarship award ceremony of the Triple-S Foundation Fund.
In order to encourage the development of specialist physicians and their continued presence on the Island, Triple-S Foundation with the support of Puerto Rico Community Foundation (FCPR) awarded six additional scholarships to three women and three men, aged 26 to 30, who are medical doctors specializing in these fields, with a philanthropic investment of $69,000.
“Originally, the Triple-S Foundation Fund planned to award three scholarships. However, due to the excellent academic quality, outstanding community leadership demonstrated by the applicants, and the economic needs identified during the evaluation process, Triple-S Foundation expanded the allocated budget in order to double the scholarships awarded,” said Thurman Justice, president and CEO of Triple-S.
Pediatric residents Jennifer Beniquez Martyr from Hospital de Niños y Mujeres de Puerto Rico y, Gabriela Rosario Reguero y Myrmarie Cruz Pérez, both from the Medical Sciences Campus; the neurology residents Julio Antonio Nieves Soto y José Carlos Rivera Baiges of the Medical Sciences Campus, as well as Marcantonio V. Pinci orthopedic resident at the Medical Sciences Campus were the recipients of the fund.
During the handover ceremony, Dr. José Novoa, Medical Director of Triple-S and a member of the Triple-S Foundation's Board of Directors, spoke with them, emphasizing the importance of listening to the voices of these professionals and their crucial role in the evolution of the island's healthcare system.
“In recent years, we have observed a growing need stemming from the shortage of medical specialists in Puerto Rico, due in part to insufficient resources for their development. This situation presents a series of challenges, such as limited access to healthcare, prolonged waiting times for patients, and an overload for healthcare professionals, among others. It is in our hands to take all necessary measures to encourage the training and retention of more medical specialists on the Island,“ explained Dr. José Novoa, Medical Director of Triple-S and member of the Triple-S Foundation's Board of Directors.
Triple-S Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing the social determinants that impact health, explains its executive director, Lydia Figueroa, who states, “As part of our mission to enable healthy lives, we established this fund that seeks to support, motivate, and retain these professionals so that in the future they practice in Puerto Rico, their Island. We appreciate the collaboration and expertise of the Puerto Rico Community Foundation as fund administrators, and we will continue to support the medical profession in areas of greatest demand in Puerto Rico,” she concluded.
The Triple-S Foundation is part of the overall social responsibility program that Triple-S carries out in Puerto Rico, in its 65-year history of service to the community. The goal is to continue increasing the scholarships awarded.