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Dr. Daniela Trelles (middle left) and Dr. Valeria Trelles (middle right) said what they saw during the COVID-19 pandemic drove them to the field of pulmonology and critical care.
(photo from recent ribbon cutting at new clinic courtesy: AdventHealth) |
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LAKE WALES, Fla. (Thursday, October 09, 2025) -- For Dr. Valeria Trelles and Dr. Daniela Trelles, their calling to be doctors and help people in need in their community started as children growing up in Cuenca, Ecuador.
“In our Ecuadorian culture, the doctor is seen as a very close person to the family and like a family member that really helps you out in times of need and that’s what personally made me want to become a doctor,” Dr. Valeria said. “I really wanted to be there for people when they needed it the most.”
Now, they’ve joined the AdventHealth network of care and put down roots in Lake Wales with a goal of improving the quality of life for those in need of critical care as well as those with conditions impacting their respiratory systems, including their airways and lungs.
From Ecuador to Lake Wales
Drs. Daniela and Valeria Trelles are twin sisters from Cuenca, a city with more than 500,000 people. Both attended the University of Cuenca School of Medicine, before coming to the United States just before the COVID-19 pandemic began to advance their medical training. Both Dr. Valeria and Dr. Daniela said what they saw drove them to the field of pulmonology and critical care.
“I think in my case it was kind of a breaking point, working with all those patients both in the ICU and medical floors that had so many respiratory problems,” Dr. Daniela said. “It’s kind of where the bell rang for me and I thought this is where I want to be in the future, this is where I want to lead my efforts to and where I think I can better serve people.”
Both doctors also touted their fellowship experiences in Florida for providing them with many of the skills they use today to care for patients in Lake Wales.
“I was very lucky to learn in a big center. On top of the basic pulmonary conditions, they had clinics for subspecialty conditions,” Dr. Valeria said. “I was able to learn about treating patients with conditions like pulmonary hypertension and advanced or hard to manage asthma. I am very happy that I have those tools, so that I can share what I’ve learned with the community.”
Putting down roots in Polk County
Drs. Daniela and Valeria now call Polk County home. They have a Pulmonology and Critical Care clinic in Lake Wales at 1255 State Road 60 E, Suite 300. They said they were drawn to Lake Wales because of the dire need for the treatments they can offer and the opportunity to build relationships with patients.
“We really want to be the friend or part of the family that these patients need,” Dr. Daniela said. “We can get to know them, and we can be very familiar with them. We really want to have that bond, that connection with this patient and the family, make sure that they feel well taken care of and that we’re always there for questions or any help they need.”
Both doctors said a lot of the cases they’ve seen already involve patients with COPD or shortness of breath.
“From what we’ve seen because of the very heavy smoking history of a lot of people in this community, COPD is very prevalent, but the interesting part is that not all of them know they have COPD,” Dr. Daniela said. “People come to us saying, ‘I am having shortness of breath, or I have this cough that’s not going away’. So, when we diagnose them with COPD, the important part is once they have a diagnosis, we can treat them and the great majority of them do feel better after treatment.”
According to the American Lung Association, COPD is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality with recent data from Florida Health Department showing Polk County had a higher average of people hospitalized with COPD than the state average. The data showed about 166 per 100,000 people in Polk County were hospitalized with COPD, compared to Florida's overall rate of about 111 per 100,000 people.
“There is also a good portion of people who just have shortness of breath or cannot walk or do anything without feeling shortness of breath and they don’t know where that’s coming from,” Dr. Valeria added. “A big part of our practice is helping them understand what the cause is. We’ve been able to increase quality of life for many patients, which is very rewarding to us that we were able to help.”
The doctors said it’s important to get checked out if you have a family history of respiratory illnesses like asthma or lung disease and you have symptoms, or when you are short of breath but there’s really no explanation.
Both doctors are accepting new patients, and they are fluent in English and Spanish. They also have an office at AdventHealth’s Bond Clinic at 500 East Central Avenue, Winter Haven, FL 33880. To book at appointment, you can go to Pulmonary Care | AdventHealth Lake Wales | Formerly Lake Wales Medical Center. |
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| Photo of Dr. Valeria Trelles - courtesy: AdventHealth |
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| Photo of Dr. Daniela Trelles - courtesy: AdventHealth |
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FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES:
John Luti, Jr.
AdventHealth West Florida Division
Media Communications Specialist
AH Heart of Florida, AH Sebring, AH Lake Wales, AH Lake Placid and AH Wauchula
m: 863-272-1585 | e: John.Lutijr@AdventHealth.com
Want to join our media distribution list? Email lauren.rozyla-wong@adventhealth.com |
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