Elimarys Perez-Colon, MD, associate professor of Internal Medicine with the ԹϱHealth Morsani College of Medicine, was recently named a ԹϱHealth Culture Champion in recognition of her extraordinary commitment to global health, mentorship and service.

Dr. Perez-Colon with her team.
In April, Dr. Perez-Colon led a medical mission trip to Medellin, Colombia, as part of the International Health Service Collaborative (IHSC), a ԹϱHealth student organization dedicated to promoting sustainable health in communities around the world.
Under Dr. Perez-Colon’s leadership, a multidisciplinary team of 21 students and six
                  faculty members from all four ԹϱHealth colleges partnered with colleagues from Universidad
                  CES to deliver vital health services to local communities in need.
“We provided community-specific education and care, including internal medicine, pediatrics
                  and OB-GYN services tailored to what’s accessible in Colombia,” said Dr. Perez-Colon.
                  “Pharmacists, public health students, medical students and nursing students from USF
                  Health all worked together alongside colleagues from Universidad CES to serve patients.”
Thanks to this collaborative mission, over 280 patients received clinical consultations
                  in specialties such as internal medicine, pediatrics, gynecology, dermatology and
                  optometry. In addition, more than 450 individuals benefited from pharmacy services,
                  glucose testing, health education workshops and other community outreach initiatives.
Beyond the care provided, the mission also furnished ԹϱHealth students with an immersive
                  global health experience, where they engaged with patients and faculty from a different
                  culture while promoting sustainable health care.
“This work is both a vital service to underserved communities and an invaluable learning
                  experience for our students,” Dr. Perez-Colon said. “Working in resource-limited settings
                  helps learners sharpen their clinical skills and deepens their understanding of how
                  social conditions can impact health. These lessons will be carried with them throughout
                  their careers.”

Dr. Perez-Colon with Dr. Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, dean of the Morsani College of Medicine and executive vice president of ԹϱHealth.
For her exceptional contributions to global health and student development, Dr. Perez-Colon was recognized with a Culture Coin by Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, dean of the Morsani College of Medicine and executive vice president of ԹϱHealth.
“We are incredibly proud of Dr. Perez-Colon’s leadership,” Dr. Lockwood said. “Her commitment to global outreach and interprofessional collaboration represents the very best of ԹϱHealth’s mission to improve lives locally and globally.”
Mark G. Moseley, MD, MHA, president of ԹϱTampa General Physicians and professor and chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at the ԹϱHealth Morsani College of Medicine, echoed the same sentiment.
“Her leadership in bringing together students and faculty across multiple health disciplines,
                  both here at Թϱand internationally, is exactly the kind of innovative, compassionate
                  care we strive to model,” Dr. Moseley said.

