About Us
Pediatric Associates of Jacksonville was founded in 1932 by Dr. J.W. Hayes, one of Wolfson Children's Hospital's original founders. Dr. Hayes practiced for many years by himself, with his competent nurse, Mrs. Elizabeth Gilbert. He dedicated himself to the children of Jacksonville. In the early 1950s, Dr. Hayes added two partners to his group, Drs. McCain and Moss. The three pediatricians practiced together for about ten years, and, in the mid-1960s, the group expanded by three more physicians, Dr. Townsend, Dr. Perlman, and Dr. Hansberry. Well respected by local families, Pediatric Associates of Jacksonville, with the prestigious team of six physicians, made their mark on the medical community with their service and advocacy for Jacksonville's children. Dr. Hayes was one of the founders of Wolfson Children's Hospital, and four of the six original partners ultimately served as presidents of the medical staff at the children's hospital.
In 2001, Dr. Aylin Ozdemir took over the medical practice of Pediatric Associates of Jacksonville. Lovingly referred to as 'Dr. O' by her patients, she transformed the practice to include Integrative Medicine. Dr. Ozdemir was the winner of the 2011 and 2012 Patients' Choice Award, a distinction received by less than five percent of America's practicing physicians. Pediatric Associates of Jacksonville was named Top Pediatric Practice four years in a row by Jacksonville Magazine in 2017-2021. Dr. O is a graduate of the Integrative Medicine fellowship led by Dr. Andrew Weil at The University of Arizona. Today's Integrative Practice, combining traditional and alternative medicine, distinguishes itself from every other general pediatric practice in the State of Florida.