See a Doctor on Vieques by Video, and the Reopened Hospital

Vieques had 8,249 residents in the 2020 Census. Its hospital, Susana Centeno, closed in 2017 after damage from Hurricane María, and a temporary CDT (diagnostic and treatment center) ran for years. The rebuilt Centro de Salud de Vieques, Hospital Susana Centeno was inaugurated on Saturday, September 26, 2026, after an $85.5 million investment, per El Nuevo Día and El Vocero. Primera Hora reports its first ER patient was seen the Friday before, at 11:57 p.m.

Per those sources, the hospital has an emergency room (El Vocero says it runs 24 hours), outpatient clinics, dialysis and infusion (the dialysis unit started in October 2025), behavioral health, diagnostic services, and an FAA-certified helipad for transferring patients who need more complex care. The health secretary told El Vocero that the Department of Health's field-medicine division runs the ER and that talks are under way with the operator that won the CDT bid.

We could not confirm the hospital's phone number, whether it has a pharmacy, how many beds it has, or which specialists see patients. Ask your host and note the number before you need it.

Chest pain, trouble breathing, stroke signs, a severe allergic reaction, a near-drowning or a serious injury: call 911 without stopping to work out what is open. The island's ER is at Hospital Susana Centeno. We could not verify how a transfer to the main island is decided; what we do know is that the hospital has a helipad for that purpose. On the Ceiba side, the nearest verified hospital ER is Caribbean Medical Center in Fajardo, about 5 miles from the dock in a straight line, open 24 hours per its site: see Fajardo and Ceiba.

Not one we could confirm. In May 2025, Primera Hora reported that the Department of Health gave Farmacia del Rey a provisional special authorization so residents could get medication without leaving the island, and it also mentioned the in-house pharmacy at the HealthProMed clinic. We could not confirm whether either still operates today, or their hours. Bring enough daily medication for your whole stay.

Once across: Farmacia Caridad Fajardo, 9 Calle Igualdad, 787-863-1880, has a pharmacy counter open Mon–Fri 7 a.m.–8 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.–7 p.m. and Sun 10 a.m.–5 p.m. The nearest 24-hour counters the Walgreens locator returns are 101 Carr 1, Caguas (787-744-2905) and 2505 Carr 841, Guaynabo (787-287-0528); both close 1:30–2 a.m. If you run out of a medicine you already take, the doctor can evaluate you by video for a refill.

At night Vieques has its ER, but no pharmacy with confirmed late hours. Work through it in this order:

Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, MD, is a primary care physician licensed in Puerto Rico, with several years of emergency-department experience. She sees adults and children of all ages, in English or Spanish. She evaluates, diagnoses and treats; if needed, she gives you a lab order for a lab near you, such as a strep, urine or blood test. If appropriate, the doctor prescribes and we send your prescription to your pharmacy. We do not prescribe controlled substances.

We send you a secure video link; it works on your phone, tablet or computer. You just need to be in Puerto Rico during the visit. Anyone under 21 needs a parent or legal guardian on the video, with ID. Your card is charged when you request the visit, with a full refund if it can't happen, and a doctor's note after the visit is included.

The Vieques ferry crosses to Ceiba, not Fajardo, and takes 1 hour, per Puerto Rico Ferry (opens in a new tab). The Vieques terminal is on Calle Morropo; the Ceiba terminal is at Marina Dr. Roosevelt Roads. Arrive an hour early; boarding closes 10 minutes before departure. All ticket sales are final, with no refunds; you can transfer a ticket up to twice, at least an hour ahead. Residents must show photo ID. Times are in the official itinerary for August 1 to November 30, 2026.

By air, the Ports Authority lists Antonio Rivera Rodríguez Airport (VQS) for commercial and charter passenger flights. Per Wikipedia (a secondary source), Cape Air flies to Culebra, San Juan, St. Croix and St. Thomas, and Vieques Air Link to Ceiba, Culebra and Isla Grande. If the ferry is cancelled and it is not an emergency, the doctor can see you by video on Vieques while you wait.

The Puerto Rico Department of Health's weekly report for week 37 (published September 23, 2026) counts 1 dengue case in Vieques for weeks 1–37 of 2026, and 8 in the Fajardo health region, which covers Ceiba, Culebra, Fajardo, Luquillo, Río Grande and Vieques. Bioluminescent bay tours run at night, when mosquitoes bite: the CDC recommends repellents with DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), IR3535 or 2-undecanone, plus long sleeves.

If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, the CDC warns that Zika can pass to the baby. Dengue warning signs, which the CDC says tend to appear as the fever goes down, mean the ER; they are in our dengue guide.

Strong sun: the CDC recommends SPF 15 or higher and shade from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. University of South Florida monitoring reported in August 2026 that sargassum in the region was still above normal; for beach stings, see the jellyfish guide. In hurricane season (June 1 to November 30) bring extra medication. Coming from the mainland? The doctor can see you by video at your rental: see care for visitors and our guide for visitors. Also going to Culebra? Its ER is at the island's CDT.

The facts on this page were last verified on 2026-09-30.