“I’ve seen things happen that I can’t explain medically.”

Emilio Pérez is a prestigious doctor, originally from the Dominican Republic, who works in New York City. He believes that faith is of great value for people’s health when caring for the sick. He works with SOMOS.

Through SOMOS, Dr. Emilio Pérez—a specialist in internal medicine and geriatric medicine—provides medical attention to economically disadvantaged people in New York.

For him, it’s important not to talk only about anatomy or numbers. “Medicine is basically about treating everything, not just a heart that doesn’t beat well or an aching joint; it’s about treating the patient as a whole. And if the spiritual part isn’t in good shape, it’s clear that the physical part won’t be in good shape” either.

He’s deeply Catholic, and although he has no lack of prestige and recognition in his field, he believes that “doctors are an instrument of God.” “There’s something higher that guides us,” he adds, “and that has more influence than what we can do in this world.

As for his patients, they include people of various ages, religions, and cultures. However, his many years of experience have led him to the conclusion that “faith is very important to our patients, who are of many Christian creeds, and it’s much easier to deal with patients who have faith and who believe in something.”

It’s not just about faith being expressed verbally, though. “I’ve seen many patients who’ve told me, ‘I put myself in God’s hands with faith, and this is going to work out.’ And that’s how it’s been: I’ve seen things happen that I can’t explain medically. That’s why I believe that faith is of great value for an individual’s health.”

SOMOS is an organization whose goal is to make quality medical attention available for people in New York who lack sufficient resources. Approximately 2,500 people Like Dr. Pérez contribute to making this possible each day. For more information, visit https://somoscommunitycare.org/