SUPER HEROES AMONG US
MY HEALTH CARE HERO : DR . REGINA PUNO
When you hear the name “ Dr . Puno ”, you may think about scoliosis surgery , pedicle screws or the dedication outside the surgical suite at Norton Children ’ s Hospital . Without a doubt , Dr . Rolando Puno has touched many lives and is deserving of his accolades . But on June 10 , he was just “ Randy ,” proud husband of the “ other ” Dr . Puno , snapping photos and applauding proudly as Dr . Regina Puno took the spotlight in recognition of her tremendous volunteer efforts to support COVID-19 vaccination .
Dr . Regina Puno was born in Manilla , Philippines , the youngest of four girls . She hails from a medical family – her father is a respected cardiologist ; following in his footsteps , she attended the University of the Philippines , from which she received a BS in Zoology and her MD . As a medical student , she met an orthopedic surgery resident named Rolando Puno and the two quickly paired off . Regina graduated from medical school in April 1980 and the two were married the next day . Regina began a residency in anesthesiology as Rolando completed his program in orthopedic surgery . In 1983 , they immigrated to the US , initially settling in Minneapolis , Minnesota , for Rolando ’ s spine fellowship . Regina , by now a young mother , put her training on hold .
AUTHOR SarahBeth Hartlage , MD
It was graduate medical education that brought the Punos to Louisville in 1985 , Regina in anesthesiology ( after an internship in pediatrics ), and Rolando in orthopedic surgery . After residency , both entered full time practice . Regina practiced at University Hospital , Robley Rex VAMC and then Norton Hospital .
Dr . Regina Puno took an early retirement from the practice of medicine in 2003 . Since that time , she has focused her efforts on managing the family ’ s business and charitable efforts ( although she kept her medical license active , just in case !). That ’ s what she was doing when the COVID-19 pandemic struck , and her busy calendar abruptly changed to primarily being home alone . When she heard from Ruth Carrico , a nurse practitioner with UofL Division of Infectious Diseases , that the health department was looking for volunteers to help with COVID-19 vaccinations , Regina jumped at the chance . It was something to do , something to get her out of the house … but also carried the prospect of getting her own vaccine earlier than she otherwise might .
My personal experience with Dr . Puno begins here , against the chaotic background of launching a mass vaccination site that would be supported by an immense amount of volunteer labor . LouVax at Broadbent Arena saw 2,572 unique volunteers in its four months of operation , including 138 physicians . None gave more time than Regina ( more than 525 hours ), who was the number one volunteer across all categories ultimately helping us distribute 109,529
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