It is with great pleasure that Vecino Health Centers welcomes Dr. Graciela Villarreal to the staff of Vecino’s Airline Children’s Clinic.

“Being able to connect with first-time parents is almost magical,” says Dr. Villarreal, when asked why she first chose to enter the field of pediatric medicine. “I am very interested in watching families evolve as parents, and to see those parents feel confident in developing their skills.”

An accomplished and respected bilingual pediatrician

Fluent in English and Spanish, Dr. Villarreal received her medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and completed her pediatric internship and residency at Baylor College of Medicine in 1988. She has been practicing for more than twenty years. Most recently, she held the positions of Attending Physician in the Department of Pediatrics at Texas Children’s Hospital and Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine.

Values Vecino’s community based approach

Dr. Villarreal is choosing to move to Vecino at this point in her career for the opportunity to work in a community based clinic.

“I was very impressed with the high quality of healthcare given by the doctors,” she says. “I absolutely love the continuity of care and the excellent support by the staff, who are very invested in their patients.”

Experience with toxic stress in children

She also recognizes the importance of the onsite counseling services available at Airline Children’s Clinic. Having worked for a number of years at Texas Children’s Hospital’s Developmental Pediatrics Center, Dr. Villarreal saw many children who were affected by toxic stress. Vecino’s model of wraparound care was an important factor in her decision to join the staff.

“If we don’t address these issues of toxic stress,” she points out, “we see it manifest physically.”

Dr. Villarreal joined Airline Children’s Clinic in January and is currently accepting new patients. She is a board certified member of the American Board of Pediatrics.