Lower Keys Medical Center Honors Doctors Day With $3,000 in Local Donations

Lower Keys Medical Center marked its ninth annual National Doctors' Day tradition on March 30 by donating $3,000 across three Lower Keys nonprofits, with medical staff choosing MARC House, Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden, and Samuel's House as this year's recipients.

Each organization received $1,000, contributions made in lieu of personal gifts to physicians and clinical staff. CEO Drew Bigby framed the gesture as a deliberate extension of institutional gratitude. "I believe these donations are the best way to say thank you to all of our medical staff," Bigby said. "We are grateful for their contributions, sacrifices, and unwavering care for thousands of lives we touch in our community. Paying our gratitude forward to support these local organizations improves quality of life for all of us."

The three recipients address distinct corners of Lower Keys community life. MARC House, the Monroe Association for ReMARCable Citizens, provides training, housing support and employment services for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Samuel's House offers long-term, transitional and emergency housing for individuals and families in need. Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden, now in its 90th year, focuses on preservation and environmental education.

Medical staff selected the organizations based on their significant impact across the Lower Keys, tying recognition of clinical work to institutions that operate well beyond the hospital's walls. The decision to redirect gifts toward nonprofits rather than accept them personally is one the hospital has sustained for nearly a decade.

National Doctors' Day is observed annually on March 30 to honor physicians and medical personnel nationwide. For Lower Keys Medical Center, the occasion has become a platform to direct public attention toward organizations addressing housing insecurity, disability services and environmental stewardship throughout Monroe County.