BY JORGE DÍAZ ÁLVAREZ
Nestled in Carolina’s urban center, the San Fernando Medical Tower, adjacent to Doctor’s Center Hospital, is already establishing itself as one of the most significant health infrastructure projects in the country’s eastern region. More than a modern building, it represents a concrete commitment to bringing specialized medical services closer to thousands of residents who, for years, have needed accessible, high-quality alternatives.
Launched as a priority under Mayor José Carlos Aponte Dalmau’s administration, the project was born of a clear vision: to strengthen the municipal and regional health system by integrating specialized services into a single strategic space. The San Fernando Medical Tower is not just a building; it is hope, access, and peace of mind for families who can now find medical care closer to home.
For Doña María Burgos of the Sabana Abajo neighborhood in Carolina, the difference is clear: “Before, I had to get up very early to go to my medical appointments outside the Carolina area. Now I am here in fifteen minutes; at my age, that is a blessing.”
Stories like Doña María’s, along with those of other older adults who no longer need to make long trips, are common in the halls of the Medical Tower: patients finding specialists, laboratories, diagnostic studies, nutritionists, and even preventive medicine in one place.
“The Medical Tower is an investment in our people’s quality of life. It is not only about infrastructure; it is about ensuring that every Carolina resident has dignified and nearby access to health services. Its strategic location in the urban center not only facilitates access, but also boosts the local economy, creates new jobs, and brings dynamism to the area,” Aponte noted.
A model designed around people
The San Fernando Medical Tower brings together specialized consultations, diagnostic services, and preventive care across its six levels, all under one roof. The first establishment to begin operations, in September 2025, was Premium Pharmacy, serving the needs of patients and neighbors in Carolina’s urban center. The community pharmacy offers innovative services such as medication delivery to the rooms of patients staying at Doctor’s Center Hospital for post-hospital care.
In January of this year, the Nutre con Sentido clinic became the first specialist medical office to open its doors. From the tower’s fifth floor, the clinic focuses on caring for patients’ physical, emotional, and nutritional health, offering primary and preventive medicine services, clinical psychology and mental health services, as well as nutrition and dietetics services. Nutre con Sentido operates Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
At the end of January, the San Fernando Medical Tower opened its third level, marking the arrival of the new Doctors’ Center Clinic location, with 11 specialist physicians and an internal offering that includes services in cardiology, general surgery, dermatology, orthopedics, gastroenterology, endocrinology, and internal medicine. The physicians offering services in this new space are: Dr. José Cardona, Cardiology; Dr. Paola Mercado Millán, Cardiology; Dr. Katira Andino, Endocrinologist; Dr. Heriberto Casanova, General Surgery; Dr. Luis Santaliz, Dermatology; Dr. Krystal Andújar, Nephrologist; Dr. Rosa Alers Talavera, Colorectal Surgeon; Dr. José Rodríguez Díaz, Orthopedics with a specialty in shoulder care; Dr. Esteban Rodríguez Martino, Gastroenterology; Dr. Vicent Rodríguez Bury, Urologist; and Dr. Ubaldo Madera, Internal Medicine.
Dr. Vincent Rodríguez Bury, a urology specialist focused on health conditions such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), erectile dysfunction (ED), cancer of the genitourinary tract, and kidney stones, who occupies the fourth floor of the medical facilities, emphasized the importance of the model: “When you concentrate services in one place, you improve continuity of care. The patient does not get lost in the system. Here we can coordinate faster, diagnose earlier, and treat better. That integration reduces wait times and strengthens prevention, one of the project’s fundamental pillars,” he stated. The new urology services office, UROVIDA, serves the public Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The San Fernando Medical Tower is also strengthening its health services with a first-rate team that will soon occupy the fifth and sixth floors: Dr. Janelly Restituyo, a maxillofacial surgery specialist, an expert in the surgical and reconstructive management of conditions of the oral cavity, jaw, and face; Marisol Toledo Rodríguez and the Sleep Net at Carolina clinic, dedicated to medical services for diagnosing and managing sleep disorders, including sleep apnea and nighttime breathing disturbances; and Dr. Abulqader Nezar Khalid Shalabi, a chiropractor focused on comprehensive spinal care, musculoskeletal pain relief, and functional rehabilitation.
“At the Sleep Net Sleep Apnea Clinic in Carolina, we focus on providing an accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment for each patient. Our commitment is to identify disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea through specialized studies and accompany each person through the process of regaining healthy rest and a better quality of life,” Toledo Rodríguez explained.
With these specialties, advanced maxillofacial surgery, sleep medicine, and clinical chiropractic care, the Carolina Medical Tower consolidates a multidisciplinary offering that integrates technology, experience, and personalized care for the overall well-being of its patients.
Also in operation are the Preventiva Plus clinic, led by Dr. Paola Cintrón, and the Regen Medical Clinic, led by Dr. Víctor Rivera Beltrán and his sister, Sandra Rivera Beltrán, specialists in skin care services and aesthetic medicine, among other offerings. Dr. Janelly Restituyo, a maxillofacial surgeon trained to perform surgeries or cosmetic procedures to correct any problem in the mouth, jaw, facial structure, and neck, occupies the sixth level of the Medical Tower.
More than a building, a commitment
At a time when access to medical services represents one of the greatest social challenges, the San Fernando Medical Tower symbolizes a concrete response. It represents planning, investment, and, above all, sensitivity to the community’s needs. Because when health is prioritized, families are strengthened. And when families are strengthened, the city is strengthened.
Carolina’s first Medical Tower has borne fruit, consolidating itself as a first-rate health services center that has strengthened the region’s specialized medical offering. Its impact has been significant, bringing together highly qualified professionals and providing the community with access to comprehensive care in modern facilities.
Today, that success marks the beginning of a new stage with the official announcement of the project’s second phase: a new four-level tower, near the first, that will expand service capacity and continue raising the standard of medical excellence in Carolina. “This new phase is the continuation of a shared dream, a renewed commitment to excellence, and a response to the call of a community that deserves more and better health services. Every column that rises and every space that is designed will carry the same mission that has guided us from the beginning: to serve with quality, humanity, and a vision for the future. The story of the San Fernando Medical Tower continues to grow,” Aponte concluded.
