Carmelo Hernandez, MD

Carmelo Hernandez, MD, is SLV Health's Chief Medical Officer. He joined the Women’s Health Clinic in November 2013. Following a dozen years in a private rural health practice in North Carolina, Dr. Hernandez is happy to return to Colorado, having graduated from the USAFA in 1985. Fluent in Spanish, he said, “I like to talk to my patients and get to know who they are and what’s going on with them.”

First an Air Force pilot, after visiting his sister in medical school, he decided to change his career path because medicine combined his interests in science and helping people. Intrigued by the birth of his own first child, he made up his mind on what field to study.  “The whole birth process was incredible,” he said. “Obstetrics and gynecology offer a great variety with more of an opportunity to get to know patients over time.”

He earned his medical degree from Wright State School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio, and completed his residency at Bethesda Hospital in Cincinnati. “In the office, I care for a wide range of patient ages and medical issues, including annual examinations, menopausal care, and contraceptive counseling,” he said, adding that he also performs minor procedures in the office such as colposcopy, LEEP procedures, endometrial and skin biopsies as well as implantable contraceptives and Mirena IUD’s.

His surgical skills include single-incision laparoscopic hysterectomy, vaginal hysterectomy, laparoscopic adnexal surgery, and vaginal surgery for prolapse. “As an obstetrician, I strive to maintain the highest possible rate of vaginal deliveries,” he said. “I also perform cesareans as medically indicated.”

Carmelo serves as a trustee on the board for San Luis Valley Health. Away from the office, Dr. Hernandez enjoys weightlifting and outdoor sports.