PRESS RELEASE — INFORMATIONAL CIRCULAR
Boston, October 10, 2026
The Colegio Médico Dominicano, New England–Boston Chapter, the Hispanic Health Professionals Association (AHPSI), and the Organizing Committee are pleased to present the first group of confirmed speakers for the VIII Annual International Medical Congress, to be held November 21–22, 2026, in Boston, Massachusetts, marking the 25th anniversary of the Chapter.
Under the central theme “Transforming Medicine: Scientific Update, Technology, and Clinical Practice,” this first selection of presentations reflects the spirit of the gathering: evidence-based science, purposeful technology, and a human outlook on the practice of medicine.
FEATURED PRESENTATION: DR. FELIPE BETANCES — “NEW PROFESSIONAL PATHWAYS: WHY IMMIGRANT PHYSICIANS CHOOSE NURSING”
The Organizing Committee proudly highlights the participation of Dr. Felipe Betances, a physician graduated from Universidad Católica Nordestana (UCNE), Dominican Republic, who expanded his training in the United States with a Master of Science in Nursing (Family Nurse Practitioner) from Franklin University and a postgraduate degree as Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner from Walden University, graduating with high honors and a 4.0 GPA.
His lecture will open a much-needed conversation about the decisions immigrant physicians face: how to continue their development, integrate their prior experience, and find new paths to serve. Bilingual in Spanish and English and devoted to mental health, Dr. Betances embodies the professional transformation this congress celebrates.
DR. ARCADIO JOSÉ VILLEGAS YÉPEZ — PRECISION MEDICINE IN FACIAL AND CERVICAL AGING
With more than 25 years of experience in plastic surgery, aesthetic medicine, and medical law, Dr. Villegas Yépez will present “Precision Medicine in Facial and Cervical Aging: Evidence, Indications, and Safety of the 980/1470 nm Diode Laser.” A surgeon graduated from Universidad Central de Venezuela, with international training in Spain, Argentina, and France, he is the founder and medical director of Centro Médico Lucerna (Santo Domingo Este, Dominican Republic) and founding president of the Inter-American Society of Aesthetic Medicine, Surgery, and Cosmetology. His lecture addresses an essential question for contemporary medicine: how to guide new technologies through scientific evidence, proper patient selection, and clinical safety.
ENG. CLARITZA ABREU — HEALTH SCIENCES IN THE ERA OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
An engineer, technology executive, and artificial intelligence leader based in the Boston metropolitan area, Eng. Claritza Abreu serves as Head of Customer Engineering for the Northeast Region at Google Cloud. Her lecture, “Health Sciences in the Era of Artificial Intelligence,” will invite reflection on the applications, limits, and responsibilities of AI in research, data analysis, and patient care: innovation with scientific rigor, ethical commitment, and a people-centered vision.
DR. LUIS ANTONIO CRUZ — “ARE WE PRACTICING MORE ADVANCED MEDICINE, OR SIMPLY MORE TECHNOLOGICAL MEDICINE?”
A physician and epidemiologist, Associate General Director of Clínica Cruz Jiminián and Fundación Cruz Jiminián, Dr. Cruz will pose the congress’s critical question: how do we measure medical progress by its results in people’s lives? At 30, he has led more than 500 medical missions and health campaigns alongside his team, reaching over 200,000 Dominicans. His lecture will connect innovation, clinical judgment, equity, and human kindness, inviting us to embrace technology while preserving listening, patient dignity, and commitment to community.
EVENT VENUE AND ACTIVITIES
• Friday, November 20, 11:00 a.m.: guided visit to Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (advance registration with Dr. Jazmín del Orbe).
• Saturday, November 21, 6:00 p.m.: welcome cocktail reception and recognition ceremony, Event Hall of the Consulate General of the Dominican Republic in Boston, 891 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130.
• Sunday, November 22, 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: scientific sessions of the VIII Annual International Medical Congress, Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building, 2300 Washington Street, Roxbury, MA 02119.
Information and registration: Dra. Kenia Feliz, 617-858-7310, iribel2005@hotmail.com · Dr. Aritmedes Restituyo, 732-277-9640 · info@ahpsi.org · www.ahpsi.org
CMD New England–Boston Chapter · AHPSI · Organizing Committee — Education, collaboration, and service for a transforming medicine.