Since a young boy Benjamín León, Jr., had a knack for business. He started off washing dishes and working in factories, and then sold tires and programmed computers. After climbing up the ranks in other jobs, he joined his father to run Miami’s first pre-paid medical center Clínica Cubana. In 1970, the father-son team founded Clínica Asociación Cubana, which grew into a multi-million dollar operation.

After the entity was sold, Mr. León was already formulating the vision for Leon Medical Centers, selling many of his holdings to fund this new business venture. More than a decade later, the risk has paid off as the company has grown into a leading health care provider for Medicare recipients with more than 33,000 enrolled.

With two new centers recently opening its doors, for a total of seven top-notch medical facilities, the focus now is on continuing to provide cost-efficient, quality care despite the potential cuts HMOs face under the proposed health care reform.

The family-run health care group is also rolling out an electronic medical record system in 2010 that can provide instant access to a patient’s medical history anywhere in the world.

Mr. León shared the company’s origins, operations and plans in an interview with Miami Today reporter Yudislaidy Fernandez at its Kendall headquarters.