Retiring after 28 years as a beloved pediatrician serving the Upper and Middle Keys community, Dr. Stan Zuba officially transferred his practice, Florida Keys Pediatrics and Adolescent Center in Tavernier, to pediatrician Dr. Manuel Gomez on June 3.
From his transition to the Keys from an urban environment in 1997, to 2004, when he took up ownership of the practice with his husband, Eric Anderson, and throughout the hardships of the COVID years, Zuba’s experiences as a Keys pediatrician have left him with countless fond memories throughout his decades of service.
“(My transition to the Keys) was challenging, to say the least,” said Zuba, who had his first experiences in outpatient pediatrics in Key Largo. “Not only was I having to learn a whole different aspect of pediatrics (from inpatient pediatrics), I had to go from living as a city boy to living in a very rural area. Fortunately, very quickly we realized our Upper Keys community was accepting of Eric and I, and it’s been a wonderful experience despite our initial anxiety.”
Zuba’s early years in the Keys, replete with “friendships with so many who soon became like family,” fostered an immediate love for the community. The Mariners Hospital of that time had few pediatric services to offer, making it imperative for children who needed hospitalization for minor issues to travel to Miami. Alongside the hospital’s nursing staff, Zuba helped to develop a small, inpatient pediatric unit when the new Mariners building was complete, making accessible, quality inpatient pediatric care locally available.
“It was a big step for the community,” Zuba said. Over the years, his practice steadily expanded, and he went from serving one or two patients a day to several dozen.
Zuba also spent years covering the emergency room for pediatrics, wherein he “helped deliver at least 10 babies that came too quickly to (be received at) the hospital in Miami.” Throughout the COVID epidemic, Zuba and his staff worked tirelessly to help young patients.
“My staff put their lives on the line for the kids of this community,” Zuba reminisced. “I thank my staff for putting our patients and their families ahead of their personal risk to their health. “
Zuba’s fondest memories and most formative experiences as a Keys pediatrician are of the friendships he formed along the way.
“It’s just been a joy to see all the kids grow up to be young adults, and now some of those kids are having their own kids, and I had the honor to take care of them as well,” Zuba said.
While Zuba has decided to step down from his role, he’s proud of the work he’s accomplished alongside his partner Eric and his staff, to whom he feels indebted.
“I like to think that between them, Eric and myself we ran the best medical practice in the Keys for many years. I’m very proud of that. I’m proud that we treated everybody equally,” Zuba said. “It didn’t matter if you had insurance or no insurance or Medicaid or private insurance. When you stepped into my office, the only thing I cared about was helping the child or adolescent.”
The Florida Keys Pediatrics and Adolescent Center practice has been sold to Gomez, a longtime coworker of Zuba, who plans on continuing to provide quality care to patients and expanding available services. Zuba will continue to serve the community and his church family at Coral Isles, and will continue to work on the Florida Keys Mosquito Control Board.
