Meet Dr. Maria Montenegro, Physician for Providence PACE
“My career has prepared me for joining PACE, as I understand how older adults can have more complex and related medical issues that are often affected by their social, cultural and economic situation. Understanding a patient’s full story is key to uncovering and overcoming barriers to good health, and I am excited to bring this level of diligent care to a population I know well.”
Dr. Montenegro was born and raised in Nicaragua and completed medical school there. “The country was in civil war at that time, so as medical students, we learned how to care not only for those with illness or disease, but those affected by war, whether injured in the violence or suffering from malnutrition and hunger.”
That formative experience shaped Dr. Montenegro’s understanding of the impact of society on individual health, and she decided to obtain her master’s of public health in Brazil. She was then selected for a team to help launch a care model in Colombia designed to improve quality of life in older patients. “Colombia’s social security health system, considered among the best in Latin America, provides medical benefits for older adults. But the rapidly aging population was straining the system. Older adults are more likely to suffer from both degenerative chronic and infectious diseases, which, without comprehensive care, often resulted in prolonged hospitalizations. So our goal was to offer skilled nursing care, day programs, and home visits to reduce or even avoid that. Seeing the difference this care made profoundly affected how I view caring for older adults.”
Dr. Montenegro and her family moved to the U.S., where she worked as a hospitalist in San Antonio, Texas, for 10 years. She moved to Napa in 2015, working with Queen of the Valley Hospital and then Clinic Ole. Working in both environments allowed her to intimately understand the needs and barriers in health care in the Napa community. She then joined the PACE program at Community Health Napa Valley in 2025.
“If you are a patient of PACE, I serve as your primary care physician, and your team includes nurses, medical assistants, therapists, mental health providers, social workers and more. Every morning, your team goes over your condition and arranges for any care or support you need, whether a clinic or home visit, food, caregiving hours, help with medications, or some form of therapy. Your social worker and case manager are here to assist you in navigating your Medicare and Medi-Cal benefits and to ensure you get access to the resources you need—whether it’s services such as caregiver support, transportation, clinic visits, nurse visits, social work assistance, or occupational therapy—or items like orthotic shoes, vision care, supplemental oxygen, or hearing aids."
"While working for PACE is complex, it is incredibly rewarding. It allows us to surround the patient and their family with an entire team dedicated to protecting their health, their dignity, and their quality of life.”
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