Dr. Quijano-Vega has over 16 years of experience treating patients with thyroid disease and other endocrine conditions. She received her training in both internal medicine and endocrinology.

She completed her sub-specialty fellowship in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA.

What makes you passionate about treating patients with hypothyroidism: 

I enjoy explaining how hypothyroidism affects the patient's body and systems.  I also like teaching educating patients about their thyroid hormone replacement therapy, the specific instructions on taking it so it can help them feel significantly better. 

My approach to treating hypothyroid patients is:

I ask about the patient’s full medical history and their family history to guide me in understanding the etiology of their thyroid problem. Based on that, I develop a treatment plan with the patient. I usually start with LT-4 therapy (Levothyroxine) and depending on what the patient’s symptoms and laboratories indicate, I may prescribe a combination of T4 and T3 therapy, adjusting each component individually to better help the patient and for other patients, explore different treatment options.

How to you think about integrating nutrition with your care:

I speak to the patient about their dietary intake and what types of food they enjoy most. I believe that patients with thyroid disease, especially if they are struggling with weight, would benefit by seeing a nutritionist to go over their diet and foods that can impact their thyroid function. I always stress the importance of taking their thyroid medication with water and to avoid taking it with other medications and supplements, which affect the absorption of their thyroid medication.