Dr. Sushma (Sue) Sahai has decided to retire from her Webster City pediatrics practice. She opened her practice in 1977, joining her husband, Dr. Subhash Sahai. They are pictured together.

After caring for thousands and thousands of babies and children throughout her 45-year career, Dr. Sushma (Sue) Sahai has decided to retire from her Webster City pediatrics practice.

A reception celebrating Dr. Sue’s many years of service to Van Diest Medical Center and Family Health Clinic was held Tuesday afternoon in the clinic board room. Scores of former patients, coworkers and friends congratulated the physician with cards, flowers and lots of hugs.

She opened her pediatrics practice in 1977, joining her husband, Dr. Subhash Sahai. They started out with offices in Dr. E.F. Brown’s building, but in 1981, they opened the Webster City Medical Clinic on Collins Street. Dr. Anil Sahai, Dr. Subhash’s brother, also joined the clinic that year. The Webster City Medical Clinic later merged with Van Diest Family Health Clinic in 2016.

“We kept growing and we added our PAs, and nurse practitioners. It was a nice family,” she said. “We were so happy that when we moved to Van Diest (Family Health Clinic), we brought along that family and continued to expand.”

She doesn’t have an exact number but estimates that she has seen thousands of babies and children through the years. Many of those children were delivered by her husband and other area providers.

“I’ve seen a few generations – some moms who were patients as babies, and even a few grandmothers,” she said. “So, it’s been a joy caring for those families through the years.”

She’s seen many changes through the years with her practice.

“I really think that parents are taking more interest in medical care. They want to be knowledgeable about things. They are reading more — there’s more information on the internet,” she said. “They ask beautiful questions and that inspires you to help them in many ways.”

One disconcerting trend she’s seen in recent years is the surge in childhood obesity. She said children spending more time inside on video games, smartphones and electronic devices are very much related to the obesity problem. She encouraged parents to be proactive and limit the amount of time children have on their devices, while promoting healthy eating habits, more physical activity and maintaining a regular immunization schedule.

In retirement, she hopes to take a little bit of time for herself and will be home to help care for her mother-in-law. She also hopes to spend more time with her children and grandchildren. Travel is also high on Dr. Sue’s agenda.

“We both enjoy traveling and we haven’t had an opportunity to do that for several years. While I’m in good health and he’s in good health, that will be one of our projects,” she said.

Once the winter is over, she hopes to devote some time to volunteer work.

“I don’t want to sit at home all the time. I haven’t decided yet what that volunteering will be. We’ll see if I can do some time at the hospital or at one of the preschools; I’ll have to think about what will work the best.”

Dr. Sue said she will miss her coworkers and patients.

“When I come here, I have such happy vibrations in me. All the staff in the clinic, I feel they are my expanded family, so I’ll miss that,” she said. “And I’ll miss all the smiles from the kids I see – the two month, four-month-old babies, and the preschoolers who give me high-fives. All of these things are so important, and I will miss them.”