By Vanessa Orr

Austin Boyd, D.O., a new general pediatrician with KIDZ Medical Services, hadn’t planned to be a doctor until a trip to Haiti changed his mind.

“It’s funny how life works,” he said. “My mother was an internist, and her patients sometimes had rough nights where she had to stay overnight at the hospital. And there was so much documentation she had to do—I didn’t want to become a doctor because of that.

“After I took a couple of trips to Haiti during high school and college, everything changed,” he continued. “Two medical situations occurred—one trauma and one suicide attempt—and I had no idea what to do. I wished then that I had more knowledge so I could help.”

Through the power of modern medicine, both young patients survived, and Dr. Boyd was convinced. While he originally planned to go into emergency medicine, he found his calling working with pediatric patients.

“I feel like kids keep you young; they are joyous when you walk in the room, even if they’re crying,” he said. “They almost always get better, and to watch the progression as they go from being sick to getting well is huge. That doesn’t always happen on the adult side of things.”

Dr. Boyd also enjoys developing partnerships with parents as they learn to trust each other. He adds that by building relationships, he can help reduce the mistrust some people feel toward medical care.

“I noticed in residency that there is a lot of hesitancy and mistrust that people feel toward the medical body as a whole, particularly after Covid,” he explained. “That’s understandable. As a physician, my goal is to thoroughly review the evidence and recommend what is safest for their children.

“I am willing to have those discussions, particularly about vaccines, and medicines in general versus more holistic care,” he added. “I am honored that they give me that trust with their children.”

At the KIDZ Pediatric Multispecialty Practice in Naples, FL, Dr. Boyd specializes in general pediatrics and treats patients for everything ranging from ADHD to outpatient circumcisions to sports injuries. A graduate of the Kansas City University of Medicine, he completed his pediatric residency at the University of Florida College of Medicine–Pensacola at Ascension Sacred Heart before joining the Naples pediatric team.

“Before I took the position, I didn’t even know that there were kids in Naples; I thought it was a retirement area,” he laughed. “But there are many high schools and double-digit middle schools and elementary schools here, and it’s a really growing area.”

Dr. Boyd, who began working for KIDZ Medical Services in August, is helping to meet a growing need for more pediatricians in the state. According to the American Board of Pediatrics, there are only 70 general pediatricians for every 100,000 children in Florida, and they are especially scarce in southwest Florida.

He said that one of the things he likes most about working for KIDZ Medical Services is the opportunity to work with other doctors in different medical fields.

“Because KIDZ is a multispecialty group, I get to work side-by-side with subspecialists,” he said. “We’re working shoulder to shoulder, and that’s important to me.”

As a strong proponent of community service, Dr. Boyd is already seeking opportunities to become involved in the Naples community. While living in San Diego, he and his wife volunteered at soup kitchens and, after they moved to Pensacola, FL, provided foster care services through their church. He has also traveled to Haiti five times to work on fundraising projects and the H3KIDZ Education Initiative.

“I really enjoy volunteering and being a part of the community,” he says. “It gives me fuel and fire, especially when I’m helping kids.”