STFM Podcast May 2026 Episode

• Education commission for Foreign Medical Graduates
• International Medical Graduates (IMG) Toolkit - AMA

Denise Gavica Perez provides cutting-edge and creative legal counsel to companies and institutions throughout the U.S. She has extensive experience managing employment-based immigration cases for non immigrant and immigrant visas, and immigration planning and compliance programs for entities engaged in a wide range of industries, including: hospitals and healthcare institutions, construction, engineering, architecture, technology, entertainment, food service, hospitality, publishing, retail, education, financial services and banking, export and import, and other sectors. She also advises entrepreneurs and high net-worth individuals regarding investment-based U.S. immigration, including the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. Denise handles a wide range of nonimmigrant visas and petitions, and also provides advanced and strategic advice to clients on a variety of immigrant visas and labor certifications (PERM) for numerous occupations. She also handles family-based cases and U.S. citizenship matters, and regularly represents companies in connection with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), U.S. Department of State (DOS), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Form 1-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) audits. In addition, Denise has successfully processed many J-1 waivers, including those issued under the Conrad 30 program, and has assisted several employees worldwide in qualifying for national interest exceptions (NIE) and other exceptions at U.S. consulates and embassies abroad to travel to the U.S. In representing several large entities nationwide, Denise always partners with and assists her clients to ensure they remain compliant with government regulations. She routinely counsels hospitals and healthcare institutions seeking to obtain non immigrant and immigrant visas for employees worldwide, including: physicians, residents, fellows, nurses, pharmacists, medical technologists, and other healthcare experts and professionals in all medical practices. She also represents recruitment and staffing agencies tasked with recruiting healthcare professionals. For several years, she served as an Adjunct Professor for the paralegal program at Florida International University, and has lectured at local seminars on immigration topics.

Nina DeJonghe, MPP, is a seasoned public policy professional with several years of leadership, legislative, and non-profit experience. As the Director of Government Relations for the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM), she oversees the advocacy functions for the Council of Academic Family Medicine (CAFM), which comprises the leadership of academic family medicine organizations. Nina liaises with Congress, federal agencies, external organizations, and relevant stakeholders to coordinate efforts that advance family medicine priorities. Her current advocacy efforts address critical issues such as workforce shortages, increasing funding for primary care research, expanding Graduate Medical Education (GME), and enhancing patient accessibility to healthcare services to improve community outcomes nationwide.Nina is a Michigan native. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Eastern Michigan University and a master’s degree in public policy from George Mason University. She has significant success working towards effective policy solutions, thoughtful partnerships, and accessibility to critical funding and resources. She has dedicated her professional career to strengthening marginalized and underserved communities.