Cayhill- The St. Maarten Medical Center has expanded its medical services with the addition of a new medical specialty, Nephrology.
Beginning May 4th, the hospital will have a full time Nephrologist in its employ. Dr. María Teresa Gil González comes to the institution with 17 years of experience in hemodialysis, clinical nephrology, hypertension and vascular risk.
Dr. Gil studied and worked in Alicante, Spain, her homeland. She obtained a Degree in Medicine and Surgery at the Alicante University, and then received her Specialization in Nephrology from Hospital General Universitario de Alicante.
Dr. Gil is the first fulltime nephrologist to be employed at the SMMC. Since the opening of the department in 1991, dialysis patients received full time medical care from an internist. A year and a half ago, a relationship with a Hospital in Curaçao began, where two nephrologists would visit the dialysis patients for two days, twice monthly. The nephrologists visit on rotations.
This working relationship with the visiting nephrologists will continue with Dr. Gil in service to maximize the best medical support in a team of skilled specialists. Naturally, her primary patient group is the dialysis patients and pre-dialysis patients; patients who may need hemodialysis treatment in the near future.
As a Nephrologist, Dr. Gil will also use her background in Internal Medicine to give support to the specialty of Internal Medicine at SMMC.
Dr. Gil says “this is a professional challenge, where I can offer my knowledge and experience on hemodialysis and clinical nephrology. I hope to be a part of the Internal Medicine team, and work all together to improve the quality care of the patients. It is a personal challenge too, coming from Spain to the island, learning and mixing with a different cultural environment. I am sure it is going to be a positive step”.