He had already given his best for many a patient in Kenya and Romania. But when Dr. David P. Roye, Jr., learned that there were hundreds of orphans in China with little hope of receiving proper orthopedic care, he had to get involved. Dr. Roye, winner of the 2009 Humanitarian Award from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), is the Executive Medical Director of the Children of China Pediatrics Foundation, an organization that provides orthopedic care to special needs Chinese orphans. Over the years, Dr. Roye has recruited 150 individuals to offer medical and other services to these children.
Born in Oklahoma, Dr. Roye, whose “day job” is as Chief of the Pediatric Orthopedic service at Children’s Hospital of New York, is indeed a proud “Okie from Muskogee.” Dr. Roye: “I was born in Oklahoma, where the people are extremely genuine. I soon had a chance to experience other locales, however, because my dad was stationed in France during the Korean War. He remained in the service, and we moved a lot, something that was positive because it meant that I had to be open and communicative in order to succeed. I thrived on all of this and developed a real wanderlust.”
Regardless of where the young David Roye unpacked his suitcase, his Okie roots were always there. “The openness that I learned early on has truly enhanced my relationships with patients.”
“I love New York, though interpersonal relationships are different here. But, my patients feel that I genuinely focus on them, and they can see that I really care about them. The fact that I traveled and lived in several countries has left me with better insight into what motivates different kinds of people.”
Whether talking across cultures or across generations, Dr. Roye draws on his unusual life experiences. “In 1967 I went to Vietnam as an engineer officer. I was a 20-year-old company commander giving orders to people old enough to be my father, meaning that diplomacy and communication skills were essential. I understood for example, that you don’t tell the equipment operator what to do without getting on the equipment yourself and having him show you what he does.”
Reflecting on his years of training to be a physician, Dr. Roye notes, “My general surgery residency at Roosevelt Hospital was particularly difficult. We were on call every other night, and I wasn’t available much for my wife and two young children. I was completely exhausted, so much so that I literally fell asleep and walked into a wall at the hospital. It was also no piece of cake when we packed our four kids up and headed to Toronto for my fellowship. Although being at ‘Sick Kids’ was clinically rewarding, my wife couldn’t work in Canada and we had virtually no money. I had been offered a job at Columbia University, and was glad to return to the States and begin work in 1981.”
Offering some wisdom to future fellows, Dr. Roye says, “Too often people select a fellowship based on the institution’s fame. You should also consider the long-term effects of your choice. Ask, ‘Is this the best place to develop an academic career? Am I going to learn how to do great research here? Will I develop mentorship skills at this institution?’”
A thoughtful planner and an adventurer, Dr. Roye struck out on his own early in life. “I left home when I was 16; I wasn’t thrown out, but in fact left with my parents’ blessing. We were living in Philadelphia and I wanted to work in Oklahoma and then attend the University of Oklahoma. They bought me a Greyhound bus ticket, and I was officially on my own. I recall the excitement of traveling across the country…I get the same ‘charge’ even nowadays when I hop on a flight for Beijing.”
Two years after starting at Columbia, Dr. Roye dove into his passion—international work. “I began volunteering with Operation Smile, and went to Kenya several times. They were totally under resourced, but had talented young doctors. While the early experience in Romania was rewarding, I was increasingly frustrated by the fact that many surgeons were corrupt and not interested in learning. When my wife and I adopted our sixth child (from Romania), I closed the door on my work there. Following this I was recruited to join a new group which was formed to help Chinese orphans. We have done hundreds of surgeries and lectures, and have established a fellowship program that brings surgeons—and management personnel—to New York each year.”
With one hand focused on his current work, and the other daring to reach forward, Dr. Roye took charge.
While I really loved the delivery of clinical care, it was a drip, drip, drip situation. So, I formed a new organization that would expand the delivery of care via policy and management…‘International Healthcare Leadership’ was born. We tested our curriculum in Beijing this summer and held a symposium where the U.S. Ambassador to China gave the introductory remarks.
“Our immediate goal is to introduce Chinese hospital administrators to evidence-based management. In my lectures I discuss how physician-based leadership in the U.S. has changed to leadership based on professional management teams. In China, management is still largely a top down affair, and is being done primarily by people who don’t have management experience.”
For those who might want to share their orthopedic talents globally, Dr. Roye advises, “Ensure that the organization has connections with the government and is well established. You don’t want to be associated with an entity that is flying below the radar because government officials may put roadblocks up. I also encourage associating oneself with an organization that has continuity. For example, we return to the same hospital for several years and perform staged surgeries. Lastly, you must think of your personal safety. You have a lot to offer and shouldn’t jeopardize your talents by working in unsafe or unstable situations.”
The parents who greet Dr. Roye when he walks out of the OR in New York would surely agree…they want him to be available for their little ones. When asked about what has made him a success, Dr. Roye says, “The ‘simple’ ability to talk to people. “
“If parents see that you are approaching the depth of their emotions that they have about their child then they will feel ‘heard.’ When I have to come out of the OR and tell a parent about a complication like neurological damage or paralysis, I try to do it with as much feeling and respect as possible. Most times, I end up crying with the parents. That vulnerability has been a significant part of my success as a clinician.”
And he wants future orthopedists to be equally as empathic and involved. “After a surgery I bring the resident with me to talk to the family. I make sure they know that the family wants to hear the truth…and they want to hear that you are sorry this happened—even though it is not your fault.”
In addition to his open heart, Dr. Roye also brings a mirror to the job. “I can ‘stand outside’ of myself and look in and say, ‘Such and such is or isn’t true.’ Also, the ability to see both sides of an argument has slowed me up on a couple of occasions when I could have ‘gone for the jugular.’ As I built my division, I was careful to do so via consensus. Those who lead with respect for those they are leading—something displayed via consensus building—tend to get farther.”
While Dr. Roye could see that was true, and has built an impressive department, he didn’t have perfect vision at first. “We now have five pediatric orthopedists, we are nationally known, and are publishing peer-reviewed literature. But at first, as with many young academicians, I was shocked that the administration didn’t share my vision. Over time I learned to communicate my vision in an organized, purposeful way. I try to tell ambitious residents and fellows that to get what you want, say, additional faculty, you don’t tell the powers that be, ‘We need more pediatric orthopedists.’ That doesn’t work…you have to put some thought into it and be an intelligent salesperson.”
To keep his department on track as his field moves ahead, Dr. Roye will likely be doing a lot of selling. And, says Dr. Roye, the growth of pediatric orthopedics lies in, well, “growth”. “The wave of the future is in genetics and bone physiology. There is an increasing focus on ways to modulate growth on a molecular basis. Now, there is either too much growth, not enough growth, or asymmetrical growth. One of the things we are considering is, ‘What if instead of doing an osteotomy we put a catheter into the distal femoral growth plate?’ There is much that will change…I don’t expect that anyone a generation from now will be doing scoliosis surgery the way we do now.”
Despite his many accomplishments in the professional realm, Dr. Roye says that his “44 year bi-professional marriage” is the pièce de résistance. “My wife is a nurse practitioner and is the Associate Dean of Research at the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing; she also has a clinical practice in female adolescent medicine. We have a lot in common, including similar career paths, something that has been important for keeping our marriage solid.”
“We have six kids and twelve grandkids, all of whom live close by. We eat Sunday dinners together each week, and had 30 people for last week’s meal. My role is to do the majority of shopping and cooking for the meal. In my free time I do triathlons, with my main interest being the biking. I can’t maintain a strict training regimen because of my work schedule, but I enjoy the process nonetheless.”
Dr. David Roye…stepping back in self-examination and stepping up for kids.
