Through a combined investment of $536,500, Fundación Triple-S and Fundación para el Futuro de la Salud awarded 37 supplemental scholarships to medical residents and health professions students pursuing training in high-demand specialties in Puerto Rico. The initiative seeks to support their academic and specialized training, strengthen the island’s healthcare system, and encourage more professionals to build their careers in Puerto Rico.
The true value of this Scholarship Fund is measured not only by the number of awards granted, but also by the stories its recipients are beginning to write. Dr. Marcantonio V. Pinci is one of those stories. He received a scholarship from Fundación Triple-S during his orthopedic surgery residency and was later supported by Fundación para el Futuro de la Salud while completing a subspecialty in Adult Hip and Knee Reconstruction at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Today, he is returning to Puerto Rico to practice the medicine he learned alongside some of the world’s leading specialists.
His return represents far more than the success of one physician. It reflects the fulfillment of seeing an opportunity become a commitment to Puerto Rico—and an investment in education return to the island in the form of greater access to quality healthcare services for thousands of Puerto Ricans. That is precisely the legacy this Scholarship Fund seeks to build.
“Dr. Pinci represents the outcome we hope to achieve through this Scholarship Fund. We are doing more than supporting one stage of a physician’s academic journey; we are helping train specialists who want to return to Puerto Rico, prepared to address the needs of our patients and expand access to physicians and specialized services,” said Lydia Figueroa, executive director of Fundación Triple-S. “Seeing that journey come full circle and knowing that he will now practice on our island confirms that this investment transforms lives, strengthens the medical profession, and creates an impact that will benefit Puerto Rico for decades to come.”
This year, Fundación Triple-S awarded 17 scholarships, while Fundación para el Futuro de la Salud awarded 20, for a total of 37 financial awards for medical residents and students pursuing training in neurology, neurosurgery, orthopedics, rheumatology, pediatrics, geriatrics, general surgery, urology, vascular surgery, endocrinology, internal medicine/oncology, and otolaryngology, as well as master’s-level nursing and pharmacy technician programs. These fields address priority areas for expanding access to specialized medical services and strengthening healthcare delivery in Puerto Rico.
“Puerto Rico needs more than the ability to educate outstanding professionals; it must create the conditions that will encourage them to build their futures here. Every scholarship we award is a strategic investment in strengthening our healthcare system, reducing the shortage of specialists, and ensuring that more people have timely access to the services they need,” said Edna Y. Marín, executive director of Fundación para el Futuro de la Salud.
Scholarship recipients were selected by separate committees established by each foundation and composed of representatives from Puerto Rico’s medical schools, healthcare professionals, medical associations, government, and the private sector. Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico, a philanthropic organization with nearly four decades of experience managing funds that expand educational opportunities and support high-impact social initiatives, oversaw the application process and administration of the Scholarship Fund for the awards provided by Fundación Triple-S.
Fundación Triple-S and Fundación para el Futuro de la Salud reaffirmed their commitment to advancing initiatives that promote the education, retention, and professional development of medical talent. Both organizations believe that investing in those who will dedicate their lives to caring for patients is one of the most effective strategies for building a stronger, more accessible, and more resilient healthcare system for Puerto Rico.
