Six New Bilingual Physicians Join CCHCI from New York City

Published in the Douglas Dispatch on Wednesday, February 15, 2017

DOUGLAS, AZ (January 27, 2017) – Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc. has welcomed six new physicians over the past few months and all six physicians made a big move from the hustle and bustle of New York City, NY to the wide open spaces of Douglas, AZ. Luis Garcia, MD and Maryslenni Gil, MD are a husband and wife team who recruited two colleagues Juan Perez, MD and Ivan Rodriguez, MD to join them at the Jennifer ‘Ginger’ Ryan Clinic in Douglas. All four colleagues specialize in Internal Medicine and adult care. Husband and wife pediatricians Eduardo Marrero, MD, and Claudia Plietz, MD, also joined CCHCI at their Pediatric Center of Excellence.  All six physicians completed their specialty trainings at hospitals in New York City, NY.

The added medical care providers will help to relieve the strain on the medical community in the City of Douglas and Cochise County where there has been a shortage of medical providers for many years. According to the most recent County Health Assessment conducted by the Cochise County Health Department, Cochise County has a primary care physician ratio of 2232:1 compared to 1204:1 and 1219:1 in nearby Pima and Coconino counties respectively.

Luis Garcia, MD and Maryslenni Gil, MD were the first of the four Internist colleagues to decide on the cross country move to Arizona. Both had interviewed with and received offers for other health care institutions around the country. Garcia said he decided on Chiricahua Community Health Centers after meeting with the chief executive officer, Jonathan Melk, MD. Garcia said, “I like the vision of ‘health for all’. As a physician, this would allow me to provide care to patients with limited resources. I can focus on their health, not their ability to pay.” He was also was excited to leave the hospital setting. He said. “I want to focus on prevention. If we are able to catch illnesses beforehand, we can prevent that trip to the hospital.”

Maryslenni Gil, MD said, “We were looking for a change of pace, change of environment, change of life.” She misses her family that is back in New York City but has really enjoyed the open spaces of Arizona. “I love the night sky and the mountain views above all.”

After deciding on Arizona, they talked to their colleagues about joining him. Juan Perez, MD moved here with his wife and two children. He said he was looking for a change of pace as well. “I would leave from home and the kids were asleep and would get back and they’d be asleep again.” He had interviewed in Minnesota at a hospital when there was 16 inches of snow on the ground and decided his family would need to move somewhere warm. He said his family is loving the change of pace. “We are paying the same cost of living from being in a one bedroom apartment with views of another building to living in a 4 bedroom house with mountain views all around.” Additionally, Perez felt he could make a difference working in Douglas. He said, “I like that there is a need for physicians here. I wanted to work in medicine where I could have an impact and where I was needed. That is hard to do in a city full of physicians.”

Although Ivan Rodriguez, MD, originally interviewed elsewhere, he decided to join his colleagues in Arizona. He said, “They shared the kinds of work we’d be doing and the mission of Chiricahua Community Health Centers. I wanted to go where I was needed, where I would be useful. I felt there was a need for me to be here. When you have the chance to make a difference, you take it.”

Eduardo Marrero, MD and Claudia Plietz, MD are pediatricians who both are working at the Pediatric Center of Excellence in Douglas. They found they had friends in common with the other four physicians from New York City, but had not met each other until beginning work with CCHCI. Marrero and Plietz also had a multitude of options when looking for a place to practice medicine after residency. Marrero stated that he initially chose CCHCI because he wanted to be part of their team. He said, “You have good pediatricians here. It is good to be a part of an excellent team. I appreciate the approach to take care of the patient with a focus on the quality of care being given.”

Pleitz and Marrero had explained the medical environment in New York City felt rushed. Marrero explained, “In New York City, doctors can’t take the time they need to at times. You are pressured to move on and keep a fast pace. Both providers and patients benefit when we are allowed to give good focus. Here, we can take extra time when we need to.”

Plietz said she has enjoyed the culture in Douglas, she said, “People who come here love their kids, and the whole family is involved in the care of kids.” She and Marrero have a six year old son who is excited to spend his time outdoors enjoying the natural beauty of Arizona. They were attracted to the area’s quality of life. Marrero and Pleitz are looking forward to spending more time with their son and to slow down, spend time being parents while still practicing good medicine.

Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc. is a mission-driven Federally Qualified Health Center and is a tax exempt not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. It was founded as a grassroots community effort in 1996 as a makeshift clinic in Elfrida’s small community center and has since grown to be the largest primary care organization in southeastern Arizona. Chiricahua Community Health Centers currently has seven clinics in Bisbee, Douglas, Elfrida and Sierra Vista and four mobile medical and dental units that serve rural Cochise County.

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