MCS partners with Puerto Rico Medical Hall of Fame to honor physicians
The insurer is seeking new mentoring opportunities.
Health coverage provider MCS has announced its collaboration with the Puerto Rico Medical Hall of Fame to celebrate excellence in the island’s medical field.
“At MCS, we recognize the importance of honoring legacy and excellence in Puerto Rican medicine, and we are proud to partner with the Puerto Rico Medical Hall of Fame for this purpose,” said Inés Hernández-Roses, chief medical officer of MCS.
“This collaboration is part of our commitment to be the best business partner for our providers and to foster close collaboration between our team, academic excellence programs in medicine and other entities to contribute to the growth of our extensive local network of 14,000 health care providers,” she added.
The Puerto Rico Medical Hall of Fame, which highlights the work of doctors and entities that have contributed to Puerto Rico’s social development through medicine, will hold its Third Induction Ceremony on May 17 at the Fairmont El San Juan Hotel.
More than 450 guests, including more than 50 outstanding students from the four medical schools in Puerto Rico who will participate in the recognition ceremony, are expected to attend the event.
“Given the critical situation of medical personnel that is envisioned for the immediate future on the island, the Puerto Rican Medicine Hall of Fame is pleased to initiate an alliance with the MCS Health Insurance Plan,” Jaime Rivera-Dueño, chairman of the Puerto Rican Medicine Hall of Fame.
“This initiative was born taking into consideration the genuine interest of both parties in strengthening medical services on our island. Our goal will be to encourage future generations of young professionals to pursue a career in medicine and to encourage those already in training to remain on the island, thus contributing to the well-being of all its people,” he said.
“We’re extremely honored and proud to support the initiative of the Medical Hall of Fame in Puerto Rico, which is a very valuable complement to our ‘Impúlsate con MCS’ Program. In Puerto Rico there are professionals and institutions that have been an example of innovation, dedication and commitment to the best standards of health care,” said Hernández-Roses.
“It’s important that the new generations of Puerto Rican doctors know and feel proud of that legacy. It’s these new generations who have it in their hands to continue the tradition of seeking excellence in the service of our population,” said Hernández-Roses, adding that “Impúlsate con MCS” has seen accelerated growth as more medical residency programs have expressed interest in joining.
During 2023, training events were held that reached hundreds of new doctors along with the residency programs of Bella Vista Hospital in Mayagüez, Damas Hospital in Ponce, La Concepción Hospital in San Germán and San Lucas Hospital. So far in 2024, sessions have been held at the Manatí Medical Center on April 5 and at the Mayagüez Medical Center.
The next session, focused on key aspects of the administrative and operational processes necessary to contract with health plans and begin providing medical services on the island, will take place at La Concepción Hospital in San Germán on April 25.
The main goal of “Impúlsate con MCS” is to guide future and new doctors in Puerto Rico, facilitating the establishment of their professional practices on the island. Through the program, MCS emphasizes mentoring and provides participants with the tools to facilitate their process of entry and integration into the health care industry.
Through a combination of in-person training, access to online educational modules, and personalized guidance, they gain the knowledge and skills needed to effectively integrate into the local health care industry.
Before completing their residency, program participants will learn about the contracting and credentialing processes with the health plan and receive information about operational aspects of the plan that will allow them to strengthen their practice and support the care of their patients.
“We have established a strong network of partnerships with medical residency programs across the island that have expressed their belief in the program, allowing us to provide comprehensive support to an increasing number of future physicians as they take their first professional steps and thus foster their successful transition to the local health system,” Hernández Roses said, extending an invitation to other residency programs to participate in the program.
“At MCS, quality of care is our top priority, as evidenced by the fact that MCS earned the first and only five-out-of-five-stars rating in Puerto Rico, as awarded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for our Medicare Advantage plan in 2024. MCS is one of 31 health plans with similar ratings in the United States out of a total of 545,” she said.
“This distinction reflects our commitment to excellence in health care and the quality of our services. With ‘Impúlsate con MCS,’ we seek to maintain this high standard of excellence and continue to be a benchmark in Puerto Rico’s health system,” Hernández-Roses said.
