A graduate of Simmons College, Luila worked as a registered nurse in family medicine, pediatrics and diabetes education before becoming an advanced practitioner. “I enjoyed being a nurse but I wanted to be able to challenge myself as well as increase my autonomy in patient care and expand my medical knowledge and skills,” she explains. “My experiences in healthcare also made me realize that there is a great need for diverse and culturally competent physicians to fill this gap in my community.”

Luila chose to work in family medicine because she likes to treat people of all ages, genders and ethnicity, as well as handle a full range of medical problems. “Essentially, I will never be bored because I can do anything from helping a new mother care for her newborn to teaching adolescents about contraception,” she explains.

Luila believes that there needs to be mutually agreed upon decisions between provider and patient to ensure the best chances of compliance and success. “I think empathy is essential in this profession and I try to put myself in the shoes of my patients and speak to them as I would like to be spoken to, which is what helps build trust and respect. My job is to not only treat patients but to engage their attention and provide them with the tools they need to take better care of themselves. It always brings me a lot of satisfaction to see that I am helping people and reducing healthcare disparities in our community.”

When she is not busy with patients Luila enjoys exercising, playing volleyball, reading parenting books, singing and playing guitar, and spending time with her husband and two children. She especially enjoys painting and doing craft projects with her family.