Retiring after 28 years as a beloved pediatrician serving the Higher and Center Keys neighborhood, Dr. Stan Zuba formally transferred his observe, Florida Keys Pediatrics and Adolescent Middle in Tavernier, to pediatrician Dr. Manuel Gomez on June 3.
From his transition to the Keys from an city surroundings in 1997, to 2004, when he took up possession of the observe together with his husband, Eric Anderson, and all through the hardships of the COVID years, Zuba’s experiences as a Keys pediatrician have left him with numerous fond reminiscences all through his a long time of service.
“(My transition to the Keys) was difficult, to say the least,” mentioned Zuba, who had his first experiences in outpatient pediatrics in Key Largo. “Not solely was I having to be taught a complete totally different facet of pediatrics (from inpatient pediatrics), I needed to go from residing as a metropolis boy to residing in a really rural space. Luckily, in a short time we realized our Higher Keys neighborhood was accepting of Eric and I, and it’s been an exquisite expertise regardless of our preliminary nervousness.”
Zuba’s early years within the Keys, replete with “friendships with so many who quickly grew to become like household,” fostered a direct love for the neighborhood. The Mariners Hospital of that point had few pediatric companies to supply, making it crucial for youngsters who wanted hospitalization for minor points to journey to Miami. Alongside the hospital’s nursing workers, Zuba helped to develop a small, inpatient pediatric unit when the brand new Mariners constructing was full, making accessible, high quality inpatient pediatric care domestically out there.
“It was an enormous step for the neighborhood,” Zuba mentioned. Through the years, his observe steadily expanded, and he went from serving one or two sufferers a day to a number of dozen.
Zuba additionally spent years overlaying the emergency room for pediatrics, whereby he “helped ship at the least 10 infants that got here too shortly to (be acquired at) the hospital in Miami.” All through the COVID epidemic, Zuba and his workers labored tirelessly to assist younger sufferers.
“My workers put their lives on the road for the children of this neighborhood,” Zuba reminisced. “I thank my workers for placing our sufferers and their households forward of their private danger to their well being. “
Zuba’s fondest reminiscences and most formative experiences as a Keys pediatrician are of the friendships he shaped alongside the best way.
“It’s simply been a pleasure to see all the children develop as much as be younger adults, and now a few of these youngsters are having their very own youngsters, and I had the glory to handle them as properly,” Zuba mentioned.
Whereas Zuba has determined to step down from his position, he’s happy with the work he’s achieved alongside his accomplice Eric and his workers, to whom he feels indebted.
“I wish to suppose that between them, Eric and myself we ran the very best medical observe within the Keys for a few years. I’m very happy with that. I’m proud that we handled all people equally,” Zuba mentioned. “It didn’t matter for those who had insurance coverage or no insurance coverage or Medicaid or personal insurance coverage. Once you stepped into my workplace, the one factor I cared about was serving to the kid or adolescent.”
The Florida Keys Pediatrics and Adolescent Middle observe has been bought to Gomez, a longtime coworker of Zuba, who plans on persevering with to offer high quality care to sufferers and increasing out there companies. Zuba will proceed to serve the neighborhood and his church household at Coral Isles, and can proceed to work on the Florida Keys Mosquito Management Board.