Born in Portugal and practicing gerontology in the Washington, DC area

Elisa Gil-Pires, who specializes in geriatrics, has just been promoted to Senior Vice-President, Medical Affairs, at the Charles E. Smith Life Communities (CESLC) complex – a residential healthcare complex for the elderly, in North Bethesda, in the metropolitan area of Washington DC.

The doctor was also promoted to ‘Chief Officer’ e ‘Medical Director’.

“During her time at the CESLC, Dr. Gil-Pires implemented several measures that improved the medical area and the healthcare provided to our patients,” as stated in the press release announcing the promotions.

The document also highlights the leadership skills demonstrated by the Portuguese doctor during the peak of the COVID pandemic, when she started heading the team responsible for controlling the dissemination of the virus.

Elisa Gil-Pires was born in Cambezes do Rio, Montalegre, daughter of Antônio and Maria de Fátima Gil – also from the same region. She was three-years-old when the family moved to the United States of America, settling in the town of Bridgeport, Connecticut. She went to Notre Dame High School and attended Fairfield University, in the neighboring town of Fairfield.

Elisa Gil-Pires completed six academic years at “Vasco da Gama” and graduated in Medicine at the St. George’s University School of Medicine, later completing professional fellowships in New York and Baltimore. After that, she attended the School of Medicine at UCONN, in Farmington, CT, where she specialized in gerontology.

“I chose geriatrics due to a series of factors,” explains the doctor, in interview for Luso-Americano newspaper. “When we came from Portugal, we brought with us our paternal grandmother; my father was an only child, and she was a widow. She would become fundamental in raising his four children – I have three brothers – and she always lived in our home. When I went to high school, I ended up doing volunteer work at a nursing home., where later, when I turned 16, I was also offered a full-time position. I became attached to the people at that age range, and it became a dear cause to me.”

Before moving to Maryland in 2014, the Portuguese doctor also worked at a few private clinics in the Hartford area, and at the Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. Elisa Gil-Pires lived, as all her colleagues, difficult moments during the new coronavirus pandemic. “Not only did I have to take all precautions at work, but also when I arrived at home,” says Elisa. “My husband does not work in the medical field, and we have two teenage children, which is why I had to isolate myself in a room, I washed my clothes separately, I ate at different times than the rest of the family, and we practiced social distancing even amongst ourselves. Today, with access to tests (our roughly 800 employees are tested weekly), it is possible to maintain a more stable lifestyle.”

Founded in 1910, the CESLC is a non-profit organization that welcomes more than 1,100 residents/patients, providing them with quality healthcare until the end of their lives.

“Currently, we present a ratio of positive cases below 1%, both for the healthcare providers and the patients,” highlights Dr. Elisa Gil-Pires.

On a final note, she says: “With the support and encouragement from my family, I will continue advancing in my career and accomplishing the objectives that I have set for myself.”