After finishing her family medicine residency at Vecino’s Denver Harbor Family Clinic, Dr. Tamayo returns as a staff physician to the clinic that “feels like home.”

For Dr. Irma Tamayo, Vecino’s newest family medicine physician, Vecino’s Denver Harbor Family Health Center feels like the place she was always meant to be.

“When I first learned about the clinic as a medical student, it was through a video tour to help us choose residency programs,” says Dr. Tamayo. “Even from the video, I knew I could see myself working here.”

This first impression led Dr. Tamayo to Houston Methodist for her residency program after medical school. She was placed at Vecino’s Denver Harbor Family Health Center through the program for her three-year residency.

“There is such a sense of community here,” she says of the clinic. “It feels like home.”

After finishing her residency in June, Dr. Tamayo returned in the fall, this time as an attending physician. It is a homecoming welcomed by staff and patients alike.

“Patients really appreciate Dr. Tamayo’s ability to understand what they are going through and the time she takes explaining their medical issues,” says Vecino’s CEO Daniel Montez. “She is a great fit for Vecino’s Denver Harbor Family Clinic.”

Tamayo relates to patients as a first-generation immigrants and native Spanish speaker.

Dr. Tamayo finds it easy to relate to many of the experiences faced by Vecino patients. The first-generation immigrant and native Spanish speaker is one of four children raised in the Rio Grande Valley by a single working mother.

“The first time I left the valley was as an undergrad. It was a culture shock even though I was still in Texas,” says Dr. Tamayo.

Dr. Tamayo was exposed to the possibility of a medical career at an early age because two of her uncles were doctors in Mexico. When she or her brothers got sick, her mother took them over the border to one of their clinics. She remembers sitting and playing with the medical tools as a child.

Also, during her childhood, Dr. Tamayo’s maternal grandmother died from a heart attack at just 59. This experience, more than any other, compelled her to enter medicine.

“I saw how my grandmother’s death affected my family, and I knew I wanted to prevent other people from feeling that pain,” says Dr. Tamayo.

This personal commitment is a hallmark of her approach to patient care.

“I like the fact that in family medicine, I get to see the mom, the grandma, the baby, and get to know the whole family,” says Dr. Tamayo. “I take the time to explain everything and help them understand their medical care.”

Patients appreciate Vecino’s “small-town, relationship-based approach” to healthcare.

Dr. Tamayo completed a rotation at a rural family clinic during medical school. “There was only one doctor for the whole town, so he knew everyone and did everything.”

This small-town, relationship-based approach to medicine suited her, and it solidified her decision to pursue a career in family medicine. Working at Vecino’s Denver Harbor Family Clinic, she sees many similarities to this approach, and it is one of the aspects she loves most about her job.

Many working families and uninsured patients at Denver Harbor Family Clinic can’t realistically attend specialist appointments outside the clinic or pay for expensive tests and labs. Because of this, says Dr. Tamayo, she and her colleagues operate much like small-town doctors.

“We provide a lot of services, including screenings and tests, right here at the clinic. We meet patients where they are and serve their health care needs in a way that really works for them.”

Dr. Irma Tamayo

Two Vecino physicians step into newly expanded leadership roles in family medicine

Nationwide, family medicine continues to experience a shortage of physicians. Now, more than ever, cultivating and retaining the talents of the next generation of doctors is a priority for clinics and hospitals.

Drs. Enjoli Benitez and Sharon Anderson are two rising stars in this new generation of doctors. Vecino is pleased to announce that each steps into a newly expanded leadership position following the recent departure of longtime medical director and residency program director Dr. Donald Briscoe. Both doctors are already established and experienced within Vecino Health Centers. 

“Vecino has a talented body of physicians and staff, and we are fortunate to be able to cultivate that talent,” says Vecino CEO Daniel Montez. “Both Dr. Anderson and Dr. Benitez know our patients and staff well. They will transition naturally into their new roles.” 

For the past twelve years, Dr. Briscoe expertly served a dual role as both medical director of Vecino Health Centers and program director for Houston Methodist Family Medicine Residency Program, housed at Vecino’s Denver Harbor Family Clinic. With Dr. Briscoe’s departure, the shoes of a well-respected teacher, mentor and physician who shepherded the organization through more than a decade of significant expansion needed filling.

Residency program cultivates and retains leaders in the field

Family medicine residency programs, like the Houston Methodist program housed at Vecino’s Denver Harbor Clinic, are one of the best ways to build a pipeline of talented doctors. This pipeline helps Vecino remain strong and cultivate talented leaders despite the nationwide shortage of physicians. As a testament to this, both Dr. Anderson and Dr. Benitez come directly from positions within Vecino Health Centers and the Houston Methodist Residency Program.

Replacing the position of Medical Director, Dr. Enjoli Benitez assumes the role of Chief Medical Officer. For the past six years, Dr. Benitez served as an attending physician at Denver Harbor Family Clinic and a Faculty Physician at The Methodist Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program. In her new role, she is responsible for the quality of medical care within the entire Vecino organization.

Dr. Sharon Anderson assumes the role of Associate Director for the Houston Methodist Family Medicine Residency program. For the past three years, Dr. Anderson serveded a faculty physician for the program.