Dennisse Lopez Rodriguez

Direct Patient Care Hours: 8 hours per week

Hospital Affiliation: Rodriguez Army Health Clinic, Fort Buchanan

Military Affiliation: 22nd WMD CST, Puerto Rico National Guard — 1LT

• Serve as Physician Assistant for the 22nd WMD CST, a specialized National Guard unit trained to respond to CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) incidents and support civilian first responders.
• Maintain unit medical equipment, supply readiness, and formulary for WMD incident operations.
• Participate in joint training exercises with federal, state, and local emergency response agencies.
• Apply expertise in radiation emergency medicine, mass casualty triage, and decontamination protocols.
• Provide direct patient care and force health protection at Rodriguez Army Health Clinic, Fort Buchanan.
• Conducted comprehensive patient assessments, ensuring accurate diagnosis and treatment plans.
• Collaborated with healthcare teams to develop and implement effective patient care strategies.
• Educated patients on a a variety of infectious disease issues, nutrition, obesity, and smoking cessation to improve overall health and wellness.
• Completed over 160 hours of advanced clinical rotation in Burn ICU and Burn Clinic at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, IL. Managed acute and chronic burn wound care including dressing changes. Assisted in surgical debridement and skin grafting procedures. Collaborated with multidisciplinary burn team including plastic surgery, nursing, physical therapy, and social work.

• Completed advanced clinical rotations across Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Surgery (General & Trauma), Pediatrics, OB/GYN, Psychiatry/Behavioral Health, and Family Medicine.
• Conducted history and physical examinations, developed individualized treatment plans, and coordinated specialist referrals to enhance patient care under physician supervision.
• Documented all clinical encounters accurately using electronic medical records systems, ensuring compliance with HIPAA regulations to protect patient confidentiality.
• Educated patients comprehensively, promoting adherence to treatment plans and empowering informed health decisions.