USF Department of Pediatrics

Dr. Jeffrey Lester graduated from the University of South Florida with a bachelor degree in finance in 1996. He returned to USF in 1997 to earn a degree in chemistry, completed in 2004. Dr. Lester attended Ross University School of Medicine and graduated with a doctor of medicine degree in June 2004. In July 2004 he started his internal medicine residency at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa and became board certified in internal medicine in 2007. He completed his training in medical genetics at the University of Miami in 2009. In November 2009 Dr. Lester moved to Maryland and worked for Family Health Centers of Baltimore, a small community health center serving with the National Health Service Corps for three years treating low income, indigent patients in internal medicine. In September 2013 Dr. Lester joined the Tampa General Medical Group to open the Sun City Center location. He is a general internist and sees patients 18 years of age and older.

Dr. Lester treats patients 18 years of age and older.
Dr. Lester is recognized by the NCQA Diabetes Recognition Program.

Dr. Akif Ahmad is a board-certified family medicine physician who has practiced in his medical specialty since 2009. Fluent in English, Hindu and Urdu, Dr. Ahmad earned his medical degree from Dow University of Health Sciences in Pakistan, where he began his medical career after graduating in 2003. He went on to complete his family medicine residency at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

Dr. Ahmad has provided comprehensive family medicine care to the Tampa Bay area community since 2015. Before joining Tampa General Medical Group, he treated patients at Evara Health (formerly known as Community Health Centers of Pinellas) in St. Petersburg. Meanwhile, he served as a clinical assistant professor and clinical preceptor for medical students at Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Ahmad was also a clinical preceptor for medical students at the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville after moving to the United States from Pakistan to begin his family medicine career.

Esmeralda Young is a nurse practitioner certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She graduated from St. Petersburg College with a degree in nursing and received her master of science degree in nursing from South University.

Prior to joining Tampa General Medical Group, Esmeralda worked in Tampa General's Medical and Surgical Oncology Unit providing acute nursing care to medical, surgical and oncology patients. Most recently, she practiced with the Community Health Centers of Pinellas in St. Petersburg, FL, providing primary care services and working to maintain continuity of care for patients by establishing diagnosis and treatment of common acute and chronic illness with health promotion and disease prevention.

Esmeralda is a member of the Florida Nurse Practitioner Network, Tampa Bay Advanced Practice Nurses Council, West Coast Council of Advanced Nursing Practices and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Esmeralda treats patients 18 years of age and older.

Dr. Gadea is a board-certified internal medicine physician. He completed his undergraduate degree in biology at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL. Dr. Gadea went on to complete his medical degree in osteopathic medicine at Nova-Southeastern College of Osteopathic Medicine in Davie, FL and an internal medicine residency at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia, PA.

Dr. Gadea has practiced as a primary care physician in the Tampa Bay area since 1998, providing care for adult and geriatric patients. For over six years, he served as a medical director for a private/public collaboration between the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) and Pfizer pharmaceutical company leading a disease management program specifically designed to help a large group of patients suffering from chronic medical conditions such as congestive heart failure and diabetes to better understand their medical conditions and health needs in order to better care for themselves and improve their quality of life.

Dr. Gadea's professional interests include individualized diabetes care, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and hyperlipidemia. He focuses on preventive health and patient education, and encourages his patients to take an active part in their healthcare plan.

Dr. Gadea has received numerous 'Patients Choice Awards' and was recently recognized as one of 'America's Best Physicians' by the National Consumer Advisory Board. He is a member of the American Osteopathic Association and has received recognition from the National Committee for Quality Assurance for diabetes care. He is fluent in English and Spanish.

Outside of the office, Dr. Gadea enjoys exercising, fishing and travelling with his family.

Dr. Hugo Narvarte completed his undergraduate training at Duke University in 1996, and obtained his MD degree from the University of South Florida in 2000. He then moved to Houston, Texas for residency training in Internal Medicine & Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. He moved back to Tampa and joined the USF faculty in 2005.

His patient care interests include primary care in both general pediatrics and general internal medicine.