Our Founder

Founder of Central Florida Pulmonary Group, P.A. in 1982 Orlando, Florida

Dr. Robert “Buddy” Bast, President and founder of Central Florida Pulmonary Group, P.A., in Orlando, Florida was inspirational throughout his career. Although we all felt enormous loss by his passing, we share the deepest gratitude to have been lead by his insight and unfailing dedication to the practice of medicine.

Before his untimely death in 2002 from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s disease,” he was a brilliant physician, and enjoyed teaching and interacting with all kinds of people – staff, patients, friends and family.

Dr. Bast was board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine. Throughout his professional career, he served on numerous medical committees at Orlando Regional Medical Center, Florida Hospital, and Winter Park Memorial, as well as, serving as a member for countless prominent national medical societies. Additionally, he served as Chief of the Pulmonary Division, Chairman of the Department of Medicine and Medical Director of Critical Care for Orlando Regional Healthcare Systems.

On the 27th day of August 2003 we held a ceremony in his honor to dedicate and rename our business office in his memory. In attendance to help us in the celebration of his professional and personal life was his wife, Carol Bast, his two children, Christopher and Kathryn, and numerous other family members, friends and colleagues.

Dr. Bast’s dream to build one of the finest pulmonary practices in Orlando still continues in all of us today as Central Florida Pulmonary Group remains committed to the community and to the fight against ALS, which we do in his honor.

University of Wisconsin 1968-1972

University of Wisconsin 1972-1976

University of Florida 1976-1977

University of Florida 1977-1979

New York University Medical Center 1979-1981
Bellevue Hospital Medical Center