SOMOS Community Care network provider Dr. Luisa Perez led The ‘Walks of Light’ mental health campaign on Saturday, May 18th at Quisqueya Plaza. The campaign promotes mental health awareness and provides support to those in need, a subject that the providers of SOMOS Community Care know firsthand as the largest and most comprehensive network in New York City focused on community-based primary care in lower-income communities of color. Providers also know firsthand that it’s Mental Health Awareness Month and that more resources are needed to address behavioral and mental health outcomes in said communities.
Addressing the crowd, Dr. Perez said, “What am I going to do with a pill? When the pain is in the heart, the pain is in the trauma, the pain is in the head. I wanted to address the community because we are here to help. We have this dream to help the community find its way into the light so that they know that they’re not alone.”
Dr. Luisa Perez is a distinguished board-certified Internal Medicine physician with over two decades of medical experience, currently serving as a SOMOS network provider in Manhattan and the Bronx, New York. She began her medical journey at Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra Medical School in the Dominican Republic, where she graduated with honors. After completing her education there, Dr. Perez advanced her training through a rigorous residency program, split between New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens and Cornell University, where she gained extensive practical knowledge and expertise in treating complex medical conditions.
Throughout her career, Dr. Perez has dedicated herself to providing exceptional care and has become a respected figure in the medical community. Her ongoing affiliation with New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia underscores her commitment to excellence in healthcare and her ability to stay at the forefront of the latest medical advancements. Through her work in both Manhattan and the Bronx, Dr. Perez has made significant contributions to the community, enhancing patient outcomes and fostering robust relationships with those she serves. Her extensive experience and dedication to her patients exemplify her deep commitment to the field of internal medicine.
Dr. Luisa Perez focuses her medical practice on adult care, treating a wide range of conditions including cancer, infections, and chronic ailments that impact the heart, blood, kidneys, joints, digestive, respiratory, and vascular systems. She also collaborated closely with surgeons to manage patient care.
As a Latina provider, Dr. Perez delivers culturally sensitive and comprehensive healthcare to the communities she serves. In her role as a primary care physician, she has built enduring relationships with her patients, integrating disease prevention and mental health care into her practice. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Perez has been actively involved in frontline efforts, ensuring that the underserved communities served by the SOMOS network have access to testing, educational resources, and vaccinations to help mitigate the spread of the virus.
The event brought together providers, patients, families, and advocates for better mental health with activities and on-the-spot services including free consultations with therapists and psychologists, art therapy, yoga classes and motion therapy, expert-led discussions on nutrition and hormonal changes, resources for neurodivergent children, presentations by mental health experts, games, music, and more.
Published by: Nelly Chavez
