Meet the Team

LUIS BAEZ VALLECILLO MD

HEMATOLOGY & ONCOLOGY SPECIALIST

Dr. Baez Vallecillo received his bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering from Stanford University, after which he worked for Goldman Sachs & Co. Healthcare Investment Banking Division working in mergers and acquisitions for pharmaceuticals, biotechnology companies, and hospital conglomerates. During his last project with a hospitals company, he found his true calling and returned to school and received his medical doctorate from the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus. He relocated to the largest medical center in the world, the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas and graduated most outstanding resident in Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center where he remained an additional year as Chief Medical Resident and Clinical Instructor. He ultimately received his subspecialty in Hematology & Oncology from the world renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center where he was Chief Fellow in Hematology. He focused his research in breast cancer among other hematological and oncological malignancies. Dr. Baez Vallecillo returned to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Harvey devastated the Houston area only to be welcomed back home by two category 5 hurricanes Irma and Maria. Despite the difficulties encountered in 2017 in both Texas and Puerto Rico, Dr. Baez Vallecillo powered through and remains committed to serving the community of Puerto Rico.

LUIS BAEZ DIAZ MD

HEMATOLOLGY & ONCOLOGY SPECIALIST

Dr. Baez Diaz completed his medical degree from the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus and received training in Internal Medicine from the Veteran's Administration Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico where he was Chief Medical Resident. He completed hematology & oncology training at New York University (NYU) in New York City. Dr. Baez Diaz served as the Chief of Oncology at the VA Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico for nearly three decades. He was Program Director of the hematology & oncology fellowship based in the San Juan City Hospital and VA Hospital during his tenure. Dr. Baez Diaz is the Chief of Oncology at the San Juan City Hospital. Dr. Baez Diaz is also the Chief of Breast Oncology in the newly built Comprehensive Cancer Center of Puerto Rico. Dr. Baez Diaz has the largest federally funded NIH/NCI grant in Puerto Rico that brings drug development clinical trials to the island. He is the principal investigator on numerous published and ongoing clinical trials through the San Juan NCORP. By way of Dr. Baez Diaz'z research efforts, patients residing in Puerto Rico have access to novel therapeutics for many oncologic and hematologic diseases. Throughout his illustrious career, Dr. Baez Diaz has received much praise and recognition for his dedication to his patients and his mentorship to thousands of physicans who trained under his guidance in both internal medicine and hematology/oncology.

PALOMA ORTIZ FERNANDEZ, NP

BREAST ONCOLOGY NURSE PRACTITIONER

Paloma Ortiz Fernandez received her bachelor of science degree in nursing from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez in 2016. She worked as a registered nurse in the home care setting until Hurricane Maria hit the island when she decided to join “Colegio de Médicos Cirujanos” as a volunteer in their efforts to restore and provide urgent medical care to refugees of all municipalities around the island. Ms. Ortiz continued working as a community nurse with different projects in Rio Grande and Humacao during the Leptospirosis outbreak in 2017. She teamed with the US Marine Corps, local churches, and the Department of Health organizing and directing community screenings for these populations. Subsequently, she joined Dr. Báez Vallecillo in 2018 where she continued her training as an oncology nurse and received her degree from the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, in May of 2019. Inspired by her patients and the mentoring provided by Dr. Báez Vallecillo, Ms. Ortiz decided to pursue her Master’s Degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner where she was admitted to the program at Ana G. Mendez University in 2019. She is currently focusing her clinical research evaluating the prevalence of the Burnout Syndrome in the oncology caregiver living with and caring for patients with advanced disease. Ms. Ortiz plans on continuing her training as a Breast Oncology Nurse Practitioner on graduating in 2021.

JESSICA RODRIGUEZ CRUZ, NP

BREAST ONCOLOGY NURSE PRACTITIONER

Jessica Rodriguez Cruz completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Puerto Rico in Humacao in 2011. She started her career as a Registered Nurse at the Hospital Auxilio Mutuo 2011, and after three years of working at the Medical-Surgical ward, she specialized as a Cardiovascular Intensive Care Nurse and became a part of the Rapid Response Team. During her years as an Intensive Care Nurse, she served as preceptor for new nurses and students and became aware of the relationship between education, clinical training, high quality patient care. In continued effort to develop her career, Ms. Rodriguez was admitted to the Family Nurse Practitioner program at Universidad Ana G. Mendez. Although she was one step closer of achieving her dreams, tough times tested her resilience when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico effectively placing her training on hold. During this time, Jessica decided to be part of the solution and joined the Red Cross Volunteers Group providing relief and medical assistance to hundreds of Puerto Rican residents in need. Ms. Rodriguez continued her clinical research with her study in "Quality of Life in Post Open-Heart Surgery Patients" that aimed at improving the quality of life metrics through multiple interventions in cardiac patients. In 2018, during her NP residency, she rotated at PROncology where she met and learned from Dr. Báez Vallecillo and discovered her passion for oncology. Jessica Rodriguez Cruz received her Master's degree in Family Nurse Practitioner in 2019 and has since devoted her time to further specializing in Breast Oncology at PROncology.