From Brooklyn and back
Dr. Ebarb was born in Brooklyn and currently resides in Sayville, New York, but his journey from Long Island and back had an international flair. He received his B.S. in biochemistry from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Then, armed with only his high school Spanish, Dr. Ebarb attended medical school in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, where all coursework and examinations were in Spanish. Dr. Ebarb still speaks Spanish at his practice nearly every day.
He completed his residency in Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, under the tutelage of Dr. Richard Bonanno. Soon after completing residency, he founded the Great South Bay Family Medical Group, where he practiced for over 30 years. He’s now a family medicine specialist at St. Francis the Heart Center and an attending physician at the Good Samaritan Medical Center. Through the People’s Arc of Suffolk (formerly known as the AHRC), he works with special needs patients and their families on a weekly basis.
Leadership
Throughout his career, Dr. Ebarb has advocated for Family Physicians and championed their ability to impact policy. He served as president of the NYSAFP from 2013 to 2014, and he continues to represent the Empire State as president of the Suffolk County chapter and as a New York delegate to the AAFP.
As a leader, his priorities are to advance support networks for marginalized communities, and to empower physicians to overcome bureaucratic barriers. When physician needs are heard and answered, their patients benefit directly.
Disaster Relief
A physician’s responsibility to heal extends beyond the walls of their family practice. This is especially true in times of dire need. Dr. Ebarb has partnered with FEMA and Heart to Heart International to provide medical care in disaster-stricken areas, including New Orleans after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. In 2020, Dr. Ebarb worked on the frontlines and in the trenches during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Medical Improv
Collaboration is a core component of a patient-centered medical home. Medical improvisation teaches the arts of communication, empathy, and teamwork, helping medical students navigate challenges in the exam room and better coordinate with the medical care team. Dr. Ebarb received his training in medical improv from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He has since led workshops on the subject for the Wisconsin and New York State Academy Chapters of the AAFP. He has also conducted medical improv classes at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra University.
Dr. Ebarb resides with Therese Connors, his wife of 35 years. They have two sons, both of whom have successful acting careers in the Midwest.
Dr. Ebarb is also an avid adventurer, and often takes his family along on hiking, climbing, and biking, kayaking, and white water rafting trips. Notable achievements include summiting Mt. Shasta in Northern California (14,100 ft. elevation), Mt. Whitney in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range in Eastern California (14,500 ft. elevation), and a live volcano in Pucon, Chile (9,341 ft. elevation).
He dabbles in photography, with a particular interest in scenic and astrophotography.
Beyond the exam room
Timelapse of the Aurora Borealis, captured from the northern shores of Iceland.
Straight from the source:
Dr. Ebarb on why he values the AAFP and the NYSAFP