Attending Physician, Pediatrics
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Morrisania

A Morrisania Grandmother

For Dr. Belkis Vizcaino-Reyes, her proudest moment—and it comes with increasing frequency these days—is when a patient she began treating years ago has a child herself and wants Dr. Vizcaino-Reyes to be their pediatrician. “That is when I become what I call a ‘Morrisania grandmother,’ ” she says. “I feel honored and proud to start the cycle all over again.”

Dr. Vizcaino-Reyes joined the pediatric service of NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Morrisania 26 years ago after a long and determined journey to become the doctor her mother wanted to be. “She is my inspiration,” says Dr. Vizcaino-Reyes, who grew up in the Dominican Republic. “She was never able to become a doctor because of the circumstances of her life. I took over her dream and made it a reality. All my life the only thing I wanted to do was become a doctor.”

She earned her medical degree from the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo in 1981 after an arduous seven-year pursuit. A few years later, she came to New York to continue her education with a Master’s in public health from Columbia University, followed by a pediatric residency at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital, a second residency in social pediatrics at Montefiore Hospital and a fellowship at the nationally recognized Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center.

At Morrisania, Dr. Vizcaino-Reyes is known for her easy smile, warmth, compassion and commitment to a public health system that doesn’t turn anyone away. “Health care is a right, not a privilege,” she says. “I like the fact that I do not have to think about finances when I see my patients.”

Dr. Vizcaino-Reyes was instrumental in the founding of the Facility-Based Collaboration Council at Morrisania and worked with her team to develop and implement a project to improve the flow of newborns in the pediatrics department.

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