Susmita Pati, MD, talks about her journey in medicine and her vision to transform pediatrics at UF COMJ
“I have always loved children – their creativity, spontaneity, honesty and their spirit of play.”
That spirit of play was the deciding factor for Susmita Pati, MD, MPH, as she weighed her options between pediatrics and surgery during medical school. In college, she had many interests that would’ve taken her far.
“I was a biochemistry major, but I also had a love for literature,” Pati said. She eventually chose medicine. “I really like to help people,” Pati said. “That’s what motivates me and medicine was my way to do that. I came to that decision later in my collegiate career and applied to medical school.”
Years later, with a full career caring for the earth's smallest humans, Pati is now cultivating a culture of academic excellence in pediatric care as chair of the department of pediatrics at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville. Pati arrived in the River City in July of 2025 with a focus on leveraging assets within the institution to transform pediatrics in our communities.
Assets that promote expert care and future growth
“There is tremendous opportunity here in Jacksonville,” Pati said. “Our pediatrics department has several unique assets that provide a fantastic foundation for growth.”
Access is essential for families with growing children. Primary care facilities across Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia show a growing UF footprint, making for trusted care that is more convenient and accessible for patients. In response to the increasing population, specifically in the Jacksonville area, leadership has prioritized pediatric growth with plans to “expand our primary care sites and locations, including general pediatrics downtown.”
Additionally, specialized teams offer care that is unique to the region and are slim finds across the country. Pati sees this as a growth opportunity.
“The Medically Complex Clinic is a truly specialized, comprehensive, culturally competent resource for children with any level of medical complexity,” Pati said. “They are supported by a team of care coordinators, nurses, and social workers, which is what children and families need to optimize their health and wellbeing.”
Pati confirmed plans to launch a new medically complex track for residents. And it doesn’t stop there.
“Our neurodevelopmental team, which takes care of children with developmental diagnoses, has state-of-the-art facilities and intentional programming that also includes prevention programs like Early Steps, that offers services for children who have or are at-risk for developmental disabilities,” Pati said. “Our genetics team is robust and provides necessary help to families and children concerned about genetic disorders and risks. These are the things we will continue to build on and support.”
As part of an academic health center, the educational foundation is an advantage to both our students and the community we serve. Her objective is to create synergy with our college of nursing and pharmacy and partner across disciplines to optimize academic training.
“There is a real opportunity for interdisciplinary training and education. Giving training doctors, nurses and pharmacists the chance to work with each other so when they graduate, they can properly support their teams, colleagues and most importantly their patients,” Pati said.
The key to collaboration
A partnership with a local children's hospital offers residents and fellows hands-on experience with pediatric patients with varying conditions. The potential to foster collaboration with our sister-campus in Gainesville is something she would like to explore.
“The new regional medical campus is already a significant step as we continue to strengthen the pediatric clerkship experience for medical students in addition to offering a robust medical education program,” Pati said.
Roots in research
Since medical school, research ignited an interest in Pati, specifically population health research. That has lasted the span of her career with an extensive portfolio.
“As a resident in northern Manhattan, many times desk staff would let me know a patient had arrived but couldn’t be seen because their insurance or Medicaid wasn’t active. It was a real tragedy,” Pati said. “Half the battle is getting them to show up.”
That was the catalyst for her to get her master’s in public health and study the gaps in health care access, food insecurity, and eligibility for assistance programs. Now, her research has shifted to the health care workforce.
“Even before the era of electronic medical records, there have always been workload issues and unrealistic expectations for clinicians, medical staff and administrators to perform with no flaws,” Pati said.
In her previous role at the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science® at Stony Brook University in New York, her team developed several modules to improve communication and cultivate a positive workforce by mitigating burnout.
“This research has been ongoing for the last seven to eight years and has been evaluated rigorously,” Pati said. “Our team has studied and published on this and it’s showing positive impact.”
At the core
More than a medical professional, researcher and mentor – at the core Pati is a wife and a mom. Celebrating 20 years of matrimony this year to her husband and enjoying watching her two children grow as young adults is the joy of her life.
Away from the office, she enjoys practicing yoga, a discipline she’s maintained for 25 years now. Her love for humanities keeps her constantly turning pages as she is an avid reader. Pati loves the theater and is interested in joining a local community choir here in Jacksonville.
Featured Faculty
4678
Professor
Chair, Department of Pediatrics