JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jairo De La Hoz came to the United States with his parents when they became citizens in the late 70s.
Born and raised in Barranquilla, Colombia, and with big dreams of working in the medical field, De La Hoz moved to Jacksonville, where he became a medical provider for over 25 years.
In 1983, De La Hoz graduated from the Universidad Libre School of Medicine in Barranquilla. Shortly after earning his degree, he completed training in family medicine and general surgery at the General Hospital in Barranquilla.
His family stayed in Miami for a while until he ended up in Jacksonville.
He pursued medicine because, from a very young age, he was inspired by his uncle, who was a surgeon back in Colombia.
“The way that he listened to his patients, the way that he treated them with compassion, very dedicated to his practice,” De La Hoz said.
He said the example his uncle set had a profound impact on him.
“His example basically instilled in me the strong desire to become a physician and help others to live a better life,” he said.
That same compassion has led him to serve patients for decades.
“Next year will be 30 years,” Paula Baker said. “The first time I saw Dr. D, I had just lost my mother and I got shingles, and he’s been treating me ever since.”
She said the relationship between a patient and their primary care physician is everything to her.
“Every time I walk into this office, I put my life in his hands,” she said. “Whatever you want to do, you can do because I trust him. Dr. D is one of the most compassionate, phenomenal people I know on a personal level and on a medical level. He’s the greatest.”
He said it’s difficult to practice medicine in the U.S. because of all the barriers he had to deal with.
“Had to learn a new language, we had to pass medical boards in order to get trained here. It’s a lot of work, a lot of studying and then you had to compete trying to get into a training program,” De La Hoz said.
He said in the 90s, he trained in family medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine, which is now known as UF Health in downtown.
He was teaching at the facility, and there were 600 physicians at the graduation ceremony.
He was awarded the Rosilie O. Saddaos Outstanding Resident Teacher Award in 1996.
“They gave me that award, but they pronounced my name kind of weird, so they called me up like three times and I was applauding…and then they said ‘Dr. De La Hoz,’ so I went up and it was an honor for me to get that award,” he said.
He was awarded a plaque, and his name is in the auditorium at UF Health Shands. He said his program director congratulated him for winning the award, as it was the first time in 10 years that someone training in family medicine had received it.
He decided to establish Jax Family Medical Care in the Woodside neighborhood after working for a large healthcare organization for years.
“It was about the time for me to make a decision and get more personalized care on my patients,” he said.
Not only do they serve the Jacksonville area, but patients also come from surrounding areas and even from South Georgia.
De La Hoz said representing the Hispanic community is very important to him.
“I think being a bilingual provider entitles you to get into your patients who speak the same language and then they have that freedom to talk to you about their medical needs, not only physically, but emotionally,” De La Hoz said.
He said that has guided him to make specific diagnoses and to make an elaborate treatment plan to treat them.
De La Hoz has had a long journey to where he is now in Jacksonville, but he had a message for other immigrants who may be coming to America for a better opportunity.
“When you have a desire to do good, there is no obstacle in front of you,” he said. “Always believe in God. Do not lose your hope and always believe in yourself. By doing so, you can achieve your dreams. I always had a dream to help my community, and I’m proud that I have been doing so well and excellently.”
He also offered advice for anyone interested in pursuing a career in the medical field.
“If you really want to help someone, you have that type of sensation in your heart to help others pursue this wonderful career of medicine…our world needs your compassion," De La Hoz said.
He also said any family physicians looking for a job can reach out to him.
Click here for more information about Jax Family Medical Care.