Coming Back Home to Care: Dr. Natalie Abad’s Journey of Service and Heart
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Dr. Natalie Abad joined CHI in 2025 and practices at the Doris Ison Health Center.
From the very beginning of Dr. Natalie Abad’s career, she knew she wanted to work closely with her community and help those in need. That dream first came to life during her medical school rotation at Community Health of South Florida, Inc. (CHI) in 2020.
“I’ve always been passionate about community health,” Dr. Abad said. “I knew this would be the perfect place for me to get well rounded exposure to what life as an OB/GYN would be like.”
Now a pediatrician at CHI, Dr. Abad, originally set out to become an OB/GYN physician at the start of her medical school journey.
However, that quickly changed when she witnessed a baby being born for the first time during her rotation with CHI.
“The first time I saw a baby being born I thought moms are great, but my heart was with the newborns in the delivery room,” she laughed. “I think that’s where my interest in pediatrics sparked.”
Dr. Abad completed her five-week rotation during the height of the 2020 pandemic. It was a time marked with uncertainty and
stress coupled with an already demanding workload. Despite the challenges, Dr. Abad was able to make it to the finish line with the help of the CHI team’s passionate leadership.
“During the pandemic, resources were scarce, and patients were going through a hard time but seeing the relationships the attending had with patients and the compassionate care she was able to give them, was inspiring,” Dr. Abad said. “My clinical experience was very well- rounded. Being at CHI, I really got exposed to everything, and most importantly, I worked a lot with midwives.”
Dr. Abad checks 2-months-old Talia Goodman’s vitals during routine checkup appointment.
Dr. Abad graduated from Florida International University in 2022 and went on to complete her residency in New York City at Columbia University Irvine Medical Center- New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital Manhattan. There, she gained experience working in a hospital for an underserved population, working long 24- hour shifts that shaped her understanding of medicine and patient care.
Her time in New York reinforced her passion for community health and her desire to pursue general pediatrics. With that clarity,
she knew she needed to return to her roots in Miami to give back to the community she knows best.
“I knew that I wanted to come home and work in the community that raised me,” she said. “I always saw myself working at a health center like CHI. My mission in medicine aligned quite nicely with CHI’s.
For Dr. Abad, caring for children means supporting the entire family. She believes that providing quality healthcare involves addressing the full range of patients’ needs.
“Yes, you can have a diagnosis, have an assessment and your plan of action, but if you can’t meet patients where they’re at in the moment, it’s not going to make a difference with their health in the long run,” Dr. Abad stated. “I think it’s the reason why medical homes like CHI are so beneficial because we have all that here to see how to best help the families.”
Dr. Abad joined CHI in October, returning to where it all started for her. Today, she is a fierce advocate for families and believes that if the baby or child is doing well, then the whole family is happy. She is dedicated to making sure that every child receives the best possible care. She also hopes to train and inspire future residents and students at
Dr. Abad during her time as a medical student at Florida International University.
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