Practicing medicine is a demanding and rewarding profession. It not only involves significant challenges and years of training but can bring deep personal satisfaction from positively impacting the lives of patients and making a real difference in their health.
One local doctor here in Hernando County has spent 40 years doing just that — 40 years of developing strong, trusting relationships with his patients. “Building a rapport with my patients can lead to better health outcomes and increased patient satisfaction,” said Dr. Walter Szydlowski Jr., a Board Certified Internist affiliated with HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital and Tampa General Hospital.
Fondly known as “Dr. Szyd” to his patients and local medical specialists, he knew he wanted to become a doctor as early as 8th grade. “Always geared towards the sciences,” he graduated from Wheeling University in West Virginia. From there, he gained his medical degree at St. Georges University of Medicine in Grenada, in the West Indies and then completed his residency at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Brooklyn, New York.
“During my third year of internship, I had to figure out where I wanted to practice and heard about a new hospital in Brooksville,” he said. “That hospital was Oak Hill and it was so new, it hadn’t yet been built,” he laughed.
Nowadays, Oak Hill Hospital accommodates 350 beds and 1,800 staff and Dr. Szyd served as Chairman of the Board for the hospital from June 2003 to December 2017 and as Vice Chairman from June 1999 to May 2003.
Reminiscing about the first day he opened his newly rented medical office all those years ago, he had zero patients. “I wasn’t discouraged as on the second day, George and Mildred came along who became my longtime patients of 40 years until they passed,” he said.
Converse with Dr. Szyd and you know he is exactly where he wants to be in life. Motivated and hard-working, his manner is not as hurried or impatient as you might expect from someone so immersed in his work. His voice is soft, steady and pleasant, yet he’s confident and authoritative as he tells his story to the Hernando Sun.
Working alongside Dr. Szyd and fostering a supportive and comfortable environment is Dr. Szyd’s wife Michelle. His practice is definitely a family affair as his sister Rose also contributes to the running of the practice.
“In the practice, I care for adults who have all manner of ailments but the major conditions I deal with are hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes, obesity, liver disease and osteoporosis,” said Dr. Szydlowski.
“We have had a lot of success with patients and weight loss,” said Michelle. It’s been so successful that we have had many patients come off their diabetes meds,” she said. “We also encourage smoking cessation but ask our patients to do what is realistic for them,” she added. “If they find it too hard to completely stop smoking, then cutting down is good too.”
Michelle added that at the practice we see so many of our patients go through the different progressions of aging. That process is different for everyone but with monitoring and early intervention, we achieve high-quality care at all times.
Dr. Szyd’s practice has had its own private in-house laboratory service since 1989. “We do all our own labs, run all the tests here,” Michelle said. “We also conduct our own ultrasound tests too,” Dr. Szyd said. “Patients appreciate the convenience.”
Dr. Szyd said, “I advise my patients to take responsibility for their health care. Most of my patients have been with me for decades and I encourage them to manage their own health by making informed decisions, adhering to their treatment plans, and understanding the consequences of their lifestyle choices on their well-being.”
“One of my longtime patients is Bill McIlveen,” said Dr. Szyd. “He was born in 1924 and is now a proud centenarian. He loves to play bingo and watch movies and is very careful about his diet.”
Dr. Szyd and Michelle are members of the New Life Christian Church in Spring Hill. Each year, they participate in Night to Shine, a free, prom-like event for people with special needs that’s hosted by local churches globally. Support and resources for the event are provided by the Tim Tebow Foundation. In Hernando County, Night to Shine will take place on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, at the New Life Christian Church. See accompanying article.
“We encourage as many people as possible to get involved,” said Dr. and Mrs. Szydlowski. “I was one young lady’s ‘buddy’ for the evening last year and I was in awe as we strolled down the red carpet runway, arm in arm, to the applause of the other guests.”
Take a moment to look around Dr. Szyd’s office and instantly you know he’s got a sense of humor too. Front and foremost on his office desk is a playful rubber ducky. Now that’s instant stress relief for any patient. The rest of his office is bursting with memorabilia, some gifted from patients and some that Dr. Szyd and his wife’ have collected in their travels.
This is where Dr. Szyd does his listening. He listens to our symptoms, as well as all about our life stresses. He listens for what patients try to avoid telling him. He listens to their heartbeats. This way, he gets to know his patients on a personal level, learning about their aches and pains, their hobbies, interests, and family life.
“By building a strong rapport with my patients and providing the care and support they need, I hope I can make a tangible difference in their lives,” said Dr. Szyd. “I want my patients to be satisfied.”
Dr. Walter Szydlowski is a longstanding physician who clearly finds his work fulfilling. Congratulations and thanks for 40 years of compassion and dedication to patient care in Hernando County.
“I love the work I do and I’m not ready to retire just yet,” he chuckled.
Sue Quigley writes regularly for the Hernando Sun. She can be reached at 727.247.6308.
[Courtesy photo]
