Puerto Rico group helps local Hispanic community get connected to medical resources

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Florida Puerto Rico Parade and Festival is this weekend and Channel 9 is showing the impact the island and its people have on Central Florida.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

A medical group that started in Puerto Rico, is now helping the Hispanic community in Central Florida get connected to important resources.

From the front desk of Advantage Medical Group, you can hear the sound of salsa music.

Bongos and timbales fill the hallway, giving a glimpse of how things are done here.

Watch: Hispanic group looks to Central, South America to bring more jobs to Central Florida

“We import our culture from Puerto Rico to Florida,” said Dr. Arcilio Alvarado, president of Advantage Medical Group.

Dr. Alvarado started Advantage Medical Group in Puerto Rico 18 years ago.

He opened the group’s first Central Florida office in 2016.

Watch: Osceola County Schools recruiting teachers from Puerto Rico to address shortage

At the time, Advantage Medical was one of the first primary care providers specifically serving Central Florida’s Latino community.

“I understood that there was a lack of services lack of access and a lack of good communication between providers and the patients,” Dr. Alvarado said.

In the years since his group has expanded, Advantage Medical Groups has close to 50,000 patients both in Puerto Rico and Central Florida.

Watch: Date set for 2023 Florida Puerto Rican Parade and Festival in Orlando

New healthcare providers have also looked for ways to serve Central Florida’s growing Hispanic community.

See more in the video above.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2023 Cox Media Group