A CU Medicine provider.
My clinical philosophy is grounded in compassion, dedication, and respect for every patient. I approach patient care with passion and full commitment, devoting my attention, knowledge, and judgment to each case. I strive to treat every patient with the same care and advocacy I would offer to members of my own family.
I have two children, and when I am not working, I dedicate most of my time to enjoying and spending time with them. We love finding opportunities to travel, explore new places, and reconnect as a family. In my free time, I also enjoy cooking, reading, and learning about interior design and art history.
Locations
720.848.0000Qualifications and experience
- Specialties
- Anesthesiology
- Gender
- Female
- Languages spoken
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English
Spanish
- Education
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Fellowship
University of Colorado (2012)
- Clinical interest for patients
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I provide direct anesthesia care for complex neurosurgical and major spine procedures and participate fully in the neurophysiologic neuromonitoring service, which provides 24/7 coverage for more than 2,100 cases annually. In addition to my neuroanesthesia responsibilities, I contribute to general operating room coverage, including cases in the main operating rooms and other off-site procedural areas. I also participate in the departmental call schedule, including regular late calls in the general OR and monthly overnight call.
- Research interest for patients
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My early scholarship focused on pharmacokinetics and advanced bioanalytical assay development using LC-MS/MS methodologies. I contributed to the development and validation of highly sensitive assays for opioids, immunosuppressants, and other therapeutic agents in plasma, whole blood, and dried blood spots, supporting advances in therapeutic drug monitoring and pediatric pharmacology. This work evolved into clinical pharmacology investigations examining opioid metabolism, intranasal fentanyl for breakthrough pain, extended-release epidural morphine, methadone quantification, and ondansetron pharmacokinetics in pregnant women and neonates.
My research portfolio subsequently expanded to perioperative outcomes and neuroanesthesia, with particular emphasis on spine surgery, intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring (IONM), and patient safety. I have contributed to consensus guidelines optimizing anesthetic management for transcranial motor evoked potential monitoring in complex spine surgery and have led or collaborated on studies examining toxicology screening in spine patients, postoperative cognitive dysfunction, obstructive sleep apnea and surgical risk, standardized neuromonitoring protocols, and intraoperative hemodynamic optimization. More recently, my work has incorporated systems-level and equity-focused research, including language proficiency and postoperative pain management. - Volunteer activities
I have had the privilege of serving underserved rural communities in my home country of Colombia. In 1999, I also participated in a medical mission with the Red Cross to provide care to communities affected by a devastating earthquake that impacted an entire region of the country.
I am committed to community outreach and mentorship and enjoy connecting with children and students of all ages, introducing them to the field of anesthesiology and the rewarding experience of caring for patients and serving our communities.
In addition, I became a certified Spanish medical interpreter at the University of Colorado Hospital to better support Spanish-speaking patients. This allows me to communicate directly with patients and their families, reduce language barriers, and provide reassurance and clarity during what can often be a stressful time surrounding surgery.- Insurance
- UCHealth strongly encourages you to consult with your health insurer to determine accurate information about your coverage and benefits for a particular health care service provided at a UCHealth facility. Read more here.