This doctor lives and works in New York, in the borough of Queens. There’s a large Latino population there, and she knows the community well. “I was born in the Dominican Republic. I studied in the Dominican Republic and came to the United States to continue my studies and do my postgraduate work in Pediatric Endocrinology,” she explains.
“I work in my private practice,” she adds, “with by husband and another partner. We’ve been working with the same population for 33 years.”
When Dr. Félix-Peralta is asked how she feels about pediatric medicine, her answer comes from the heart: “For me, it’s the best part of medicine; because we see them from when they’re born until they’re adults. They grow up with us.”
It’s not just a matter of taking care of the children’s body. This doctor knows well that her work has an impact on the future of these children and adolescents. “We influence not only their health but also their personal and social growth. We get involved with the entire family. We not only are involved with the child: we’re part of the family, because we guide their parents when they come to consult us, to ask us how to resolve certain situations with their children, and we take care of the children, taking early preventative measures against illnesses, and we’re also there when they need us when their children are sick.”
Dr. Félix-Peralta is a member of SOMOS, a network of doctors who take care of vulnerable communities in New York. As a pediatrician, she knows that “we have a lot of influence in a very positive way on children and their families.”
Consequently, she asks questions, gets interested, and solves cases beyond what her job requires. She tries to facilitate a better future for every child and young person: “We influence them,” she says with a smile, “throughout their lives. We influence them when they decide to go study. We motivate them to study, and to go to college.”