Jun. 26, 2023 By John Schilling
Far Rockaway’s St. John’s Medical Group welcomed Dr. Apolinario Mateo as the network’s new medical director earlier this month. A clinician and lead physician of internal medicine, Mateo will oversee ambulatory practices and provide “clinical guidance” to improve operational procedures.
“We are so thankful to all our team members for the warm welcome Dr. Mateo has already received at the organization,” said Rosemary Bonilla, vice president of physician practices and ambulatory care at St. John’s Medical Group. “We look forward to working with him as we continue to service the Rockaway Peninsula.”
Mateo comes to St. John’s Medical Group, the physician network of St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway, with close to 40 years of experience. In 1983, Mateo received his medical degree from Ateneo de Davao University in the Philippines and completed his residency in internal medicine at the Catholic Medical Center of Brooklyn and Queens by 1987.
After his residency, Mateo worked in Hematology and Oncology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center under a three-year fellowship. In the years that followed, Mateo held full-time attending positions at various hospitals and care centers, including a decade of work with the Brooklyn VA Medical Center followed by stints with the North Central Bronx Hospital, Concourse Rehab and Nursing, Workmen’s Circle MultiCare Center, and the New Jewish Home in Manhattan, where he worked until earlier this year.
Throughout his career, Mateo has cared for patients with “various cancers and blood diseases” and taught internal medicine at different institutions. Over the last 20 years, specifically, Mateo has taught ambulatory medicine and primary care while also caring for patients in the Bronx, something St. John’s Medical Group hopes he will continue in the Rockaways.
“Dr. Mateo comes to SJMG with a wealth of experience and skills, both as a clinician and lead physician in the field of Internal Medicine,” SJMG released in a statement. “[…] His background will prove to be a significant asset to SJMG clinical operations.”