Nonprofit CISS dedicated to serving local population and creating jobs
After four years of planning and development, the Centros Integrados de Servicios de Salud, known as CISS, has opened a new $10 million healthcare facility in Isabela, marking a significant expansion of medical access in Puerto Rico’s northwest region and a fresh investment in the area’s economic activity.
The nonprofit organization funded the project with its own resources and expects the new center to create 100 direct jobs during its initial phase of operations. Beyond employment, the facility is also expected to support local commerce through contracted services, patient traffic and the broader activity generated by a new healthcare operation in the Isabela Shopping Center.
For CISS Executive Director Damaris Rodríguez, the opening comes at a defining moment for the organization, which is celebrating 40 years of service. She said the investment responds directly to the needs of communities that often face barriers to timely and comprehensive medical care.
“At CISS, we believe healthcare should be within everyone’s reach,” Rodríguez said. “That is why we continue expanding services, incorporating technology and creating spaces where patients can receive primary, specialized and preventive care in one place. Opening this center in Isabela as we mark 40 years of service reaffirms our ongoing commitment to the health and well-being of the northwest region.”
The Isabela facility becomes the fourth health center operated by CISS, joining existing operations in Lares, Quebradillas and San Sebastián. The organization serves thousands of patients across the northwest through a federally supported community health model designed to provide care regardless of a patient’s insurance status or ability to pay.
The new center will offer general medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, endocrinology, gynecology and obstetrics, behavioral health, dental care, nutrition, pharmacy, laboratory services, optical services and home visits, among other offerings. The range of services is intended to strengthen CISS’s capacity to meet the healthcare needs of patients in Isabela and surrounding municipalities.
A key element of the expansion is a diagnostic imaging unit equipped with digital X-ray, CT scan, mammography, bone density testing and sonography. The equipment incorporates artificial intelligence tools that support clinical professionals in evaluating diagnostic studies, improving early detection and helping patients receive faster care.
“We want people to have access to complete health services close to home,” Rodríguez said. “The incorporation of this technology allows us to expand our diagnostic capacity and continue offering quality services to our communities.”
Center to provide important auxiliary services
The center will also extend care beyond the clinic’s walls through home delivery of medications, at-home laboratory sample collection, health education and TaxCISS, a transportation program designed to help patients get to medical appointments and access services without transportation becoming an obstacle to care.
Rodríguez said the goal is to remove the practical barriers that can prevent patients from completing treatment or receiving timely attention. The services, she said, were designed to bring medical care closer to people and make the process of receiving care easier and more accessible.
CISS receives funding from the Bureau of Primary Health Care of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Health Resources and Services Administration under Section 330 of the federal Public Health Service Act. As a Section 330 health center, the organization provides services to the entire population, with particular attention to people without health insurance or with limited coverage.
John Rojas, chairman of the CISS Board of Directors, said the new facility reflects the organization’s commitment to eliminating barriers and bringing quality health services closer to communities in the northwest. He described the $10 million investment as a response to patient needs, supported by a strong medical faculty, modern equipment and accessible care for children, adults and older adults.
The institution also maintains a discount program based on family income and the federal poverty level, allowing eligible patients to reduce medical costs whether or not they have insurance. With the Isabela opening, CISS deepens its footprint in the northwest and expands its ability to serve thousands of patients through integrated, accessible care close to their communities.
