After being set to close at the end of the month, the MedCenter will live on.  

Dr. Jesus Fandino, a Santa Barbara native and MedCenter physician, will take over for Dr. William Meller and Dr. Richard Huffard who will retire at the end of April. 

Meller and Huffard opened the MedCenter in 1983 at 2954 State St. as the first urgent care facility in Santa Barbara. They also provide some primary care medical services.

They planned to close the facility when they retired, but after that announcement, Fandino approached them with interest to keep the MedCenter going, Meller said.

“I wanted the practice to continue, and I just couldn’t figure out some way to do it and then he stepped up, and he’s really the perfect solution, because he’s much younger,” Meller said. “He’s the next generation. He’s going to take over and run it for another 40 years, I hope. I’m very, very happy about it.”

Meller said he will retire slowly as he helps Fandino get established and then act as a consultant. 

Fandino has been with the MedCenter for a year and is finishing his residency in internal medicine at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

“I’m deeply committed to this practice and to serving the community I call home,” Fandino said in a statement. “We’re here to provide the care you need — now and in the future.’”

MedCenter previously had two other offices, one on Milpas street in Santa Barbara and one on Fairview Avenue in Goleta, but they consolidated the practices a few years ago and closed the other locations. 

Meller said Fandino has expressed interest in serving the Milpas community and they hope to open back up on Milpas Street in the future.