Maryland Heights, Mo (March 30, 2026) Ranken Jordan’s Care Beyond the Bedside® model is only possible because of a diverse and qualified team, always willing to think outside the box for the good of our patients.
Prior to joining Ranken Jordan as the Infection Prevention and Occupational Health Medical Director, Dr. Duha Al-Zubeidi immigrated from the country of Jordan. She completed her pediatric residency in Iowa, subspecializing in infectious diseases, before first arriving in St. Louis for a fellowship at WashU. It was at WashU where she met the man who would become her husband. One of her coworkers played matchmaker once she realized that Dr. Duha might get along well with a colleague from another specialty. The matchmaking CRNA invited both doctors to a dinner party, where they met and naturally clicked. After her fellowship, Dr. Duha remained in Missouri and began working at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City.
Life took an unexpected turn when the young couple became parents to a son and a daughter, both of whom were born prematurely. According to Dr. Duha, being on the other side of healthcare was “so interesting and eye-opening… That NICU experience by itself probably shaped who I am and how I am with my patients.” It was around this time that she made the decision to stay home from work to focus on being a mother, supporting her son, who had more demanding medical complexities.
Dr. Duha discovered Ranken Jordan after meeting our hospitalist, Dr. Kaufman, while out doing activities with her kids. Dr. Kaufman believed that Dr. Duha’s background and training would be ideal for our patient population. This led Dr. Duha to connect with Dr. Nick Holekamp and schedule a tour of the hospital. The rest, as they say, was history.
Arabic is Dr. Duha’s primary language, not English. So, in her words, “I’m translating 24/7!” There are actually three languages bouncing around her diverse household. Originally from Pakistan, Dr. Duha’s husband speaks Urdu, and her U.S.-born children’s native language is English.
Because she has worked at WashU and currently also works with SSM Health Cardinal Glennon, Dr. Duha has unparalleled knowledge about the landscape of St. Louis pediatric complex healthcare. “I feel like I might know 50% of the complex patients!” She jokes. These different roles also mean that no two days are ever the same. One day could be spent ordering and reviewing labs for the long-term care of individual patients. The next day, Dr. Duha could be addressing a norovirus outbreak on the units, making sure that frontline staff have the correct protective equipment and protocols for infection prevention.
She proudly recounts a story where one of her patients shared with her how Ranken Jordan was the only place that figured out the correct prosthetic plan to stop getting infections.
During her six years at Ranken Jordan, Dr. Duha has learned that the job requires creativity and collaborative teamwork, a core hospital value. She is constantly required to use her expertise to come up with unique solutions, then to work with multiple departments to implement them. Beyond patient safety, a large part of Dr. Duha’s role is occupational health. She works alongside Jenny Bahr to maintain the well-being of Ranken Jordan’s dedicated employees.
In the effort to educate the workforce, Dr. Duha’s main message is that “It’s okay if you stay home a couple of days to heal. We want employees to get vaccinated, not because it’s mandatory, but because it’s for their health as much as it is for the health of the patients.”
When not at work, Dr. Duha loves to play with her children. Currently 12 and 9 years old, they still enjoy playing with their mom. So, the family savors every opportunity to get together for volleyball and pickleball with the young ones. Dr. Duha also enjoys watching movies with her husband. During the few moments of solitude, you can find her making her way through various books and podcasts about, unsurprisingly, infection prevention.
Thank you Dr. Duha Al-Zubeidi for contributing your incredible story and world-class expertise to help Ranken Jordan create a world where every child with complex medical needs lives their best life.
