This year sees the retirement of a true legend here at MPTF: Dr. Saeed Humayun, who has had a profound impact on the lives of countless patients and coworkers. Whether caring for resident in our Long Term Care or in our Age Well program, he has exhibited truly inspiring and remarkable compassion and concern for everyone he meets. We will truly miss him, and below are some thoughts and memories from those who worked alongside him since the mid-1990s. Happy retirement, Dr. Humayun, and thank you for everything!
Norma Carranza | Clinical Supervisor, Long Term Care
I came to MPTF in 1993, and he arrived a couple of years later. He’s always available; even if he’s not on call or heading out on vacation, he’ll respond because that’s the way he is. When people tell him to take time off, he just smiles and it shows how dedicated he is. We’ve worked with so many doctors and providers, but he’s really special.When we first opened J-wing during the Covid outbreak, I was the only one in the unit and then he came in and asked me where the rest of the protective equipment was and I told him “this is all we have.” I imagine he expected to see the suit with oxygen attached to it for us; he then said, “God help us”, and started working.
When I was asked to say something about him, I felt a lump in my throat thinking about him retiring. Dr. Humayun means so much to MPTF, he will do whatever it takes to bring residents from the community to live in this wonderful place; the industry really got lucky when he came here. He is always there for the industry member 100%. I don’t know how he even has time to ask about our families with everything he does. We need to clone him! He can’t retire!
Jessica Caughey, LCSW | Director, Campus and Community Based Service
I started here at MPTF in 2007. My job was a Elder Connection social worker in the Age Well clinic. Up until that time I had always been intimidated by doctors, until I met Dr. Humayun. From the moment I met him, he was welcoming of me as a new employee– but what always astonished me from the get go is that he always wanted me or another social worker to be involved in his patients’ lives and valued what we had to say about the individual. He works with social workers like he works with another doctor; he integrates us into every element of his practice with patients and looks to us for guidance in some situations. He is a fiercely loyal and intelligent man who has a way of making every patient feel like they’re the only patient in the world. He takes a keen interest in their personal lives, what makes them happy, what makes them sad, what motivates them, and he uses this knowledge to guide how he works with them. He exudes kindness. There are actually many examples I can pull from but the below are ones that have had a profound impact on me.
In 2009 I got pregnant with my second child. I was still working in Age Well along side Dr. Humayun. As my pregnancy progressed he would get more and more excited, checking in with me very regularly about how I was feeling and how the prenatal visits were going. I experienced some morning sickness with Malcolm (my son, who I did not know was a boy at the time ?) and Dr. Humayun would always tell me that it was a good thing, means the baby is healthy and growing. We would talk about my cravings and one of them was fruit so he would regularly bring me fresh fruit as a snack. He just was so excited about my pregnancy, like a friend would be.
In 2018/19 my mom was out here visiting and got really sick. Ended up in West Hills hospital and was septic. I called Dr. H from the hospital and the next day he came to see her. He ended up managing her care in the hospital and then post hospitalization. He was determined to figure out what caused the sepsis in the first place and linked her with top notch doctors in the area. He saved her life.
In 2021 my mom was diagnosed with cancer, at this time she was in Connecticut. He was the first person I called when she called me to tell me what they had told her in the ER, that she had ascites and needed to see an oncologist.. the night she called me with this news, I texted Dr. H to see if he could talk. He got on the phone with my sister and I (probably like at 10pm) and talked us through the diagnosis, what we could expect, questions to ask, etc etc. He called and spoke with my mom, he has followed her through her cancer journey and continues to follow her. He calls her to check in on her, speaks with oncologists on her behalf and anytime he sees me wants to hear how she is doing. Through my moms cancer journey he has been honest and up front with what we can expect but he does it with grace and compassion.
I am so fortunate to have worked with him. He is someone I admire and who has taught me so many things about working with the older population. He has taught me the importance of interdisciplinary work and the beauty that can bring to a client/patients life. He has been my teacher, my colleague and a friend. I will miss him terribly but am so happy that he is able to have time to travel, read, play tennis and be with his lovely wife and family. MPTF was lucky to have him.
Suzanne Hackett, RN, BS, MS, CIC | Director, Infection Control & Education
After years of tirelessly caring for our residents and supporting our staff it is finally time for our dear colleague Dr. Humayun to retire. To me he has been a mentor, friend, and go-to individual for wisdom and knowledge of all things infectious! Our mini-consult sessions over the years have sustained me though many outbreaks on campus and the Covid pandemic. We’ve laughed together many times and also commiserated when Covid came to MPTF, but through all the stress and grief his steadfastness has sustained me.
Words cannot express how appreciative I am of all the support Dr. Humayun has provided to me over the years. His dedication to our organization is unparalleled and he will be sorely missed, most especially by me. I wish him many years of enjoying the life he so richly deserves.
Linda Healy, MSN, FNP, GNP, ACHPN | Vice President, Chief Innovation Officer
I started at MPTF in September, 2000, and I’ve worked with him ever since going on 23 years. Darn it, he’s going to retire so we won’t make it to 25! He embodies the spirit of this place, all about the people we serve. It’s not just a job or a responsibility. He truly cares about those he works alongside and the patients we care for. I’ve seen him when things have gone well and not gone well. He embodies collaboration and being a colleague with everyone. He was the Medical Director for Long Term Care when I started, the primary physician (PCP) for all the residents with me stepping in as the Nurse Practitioner working alongside and under him. I’d never worked in a nursing home before, so it was a bit of a learning curve for me. He was fabulous and very supportive, and not afraid of having an honest conversation looking for my feedback.
Before we started the Palliative Care program and were talking about end of life care, he said, “We only get one chance to do it right” to give them a comfortable transition and support the family. You get one shot, and that’s the memory the family will have and the experience that person has as they leave this world. We made we were doing the best we could possibly do. He was part of the steering committee with me when the Palliative Care program started here, and he really embraced it. He was a big part forming it from the ground up. When he told me he was retiring, I just teared up and said I was so happy for him because he works so hard. He makes himself so available. Not everybody can live by putting others first, but he really can. When my mom was dying in 2009 and I was going back and forth to Arizona, he said something that stuck with me even though it wasn’t a great time to be away: “You will never regret the time you spent there with your family. Just go. It’s what you need to do.” I know we’ll still be in each other’s lives, and I feel so grateful to have met him when I did.
Lorena Soria | Director, Residential Living
When I met Dr. Humayun, I realized right away he was a mentor and an inspiration. There are no words to describe him exactly, He’s so humble, compassionate, and caring. The way he cares for his patients is beyond belief. He called me from the airport once just before takeoff to reiterate a resident’s situation, and he genuinely worries for his resident’s well-being. I‘ve received calls at night and while he’s on vacation to check up or ask about a certain case. I remember receiving a call late on a Saturday night once, about a resident’s medication not being covered by insurance. He wanted to make sure that I would approve the co-pay. These are just a few of so many stories and memories.
I had to work on J-wing during an outbreak and remember covering the 3/11 shift on a Friday night. It was about 7pm; when I looked up, there he was on a Friday night making rounds after finishing his clinic visits at Age Well and visiting community clients. He was on J wing making rounds before he was off on the weekend, staying there till 11pm that night. He’s a true hero– this man breathes for his residents.
I’ve been here 36 years, and I’ve met a lot of good, caring doctors. But Dr. Humayun is a very special individual. I’ve been privileged to have met him because only once in a lifetime do you meet someone like that with the ability to love and care. I’ve been blessed to work with him. He lives the mission at MPTF. He is the mission, caring for the industry members with such compassion and dignity. He advocates for people to be admitted at the right level of care like no other, and at times as a Director of Residential Services, when he calls me, I know what that means. I’m not going to win! I’ll be bringing that person in because I know he won’t give up.
He genuinely cares about you the person, When I was going to nursing school, he would recommend vitamins and supplements and gave me lots of advice of personal wellness to make sure I took care of myself during that stressful time.
He’s wonderful.
