“There comes a time when the world gets quiet and the only thing left is your own heart…,”goes a little-known quote.1
It seems that Richard Rothman, M.D., Ph.D., founder of the Rothman Institute in Philadelphia, learned that lesson early on in life. By all accounts, Dr. Rothman, who passed away on October 21, had an inner calmness that centered him and guided him through the peaks and valleys of his existence.
As the leader of nearly 200 doctors and more than 30 practice locations, Dr. Rothman would have reason to get caught up in multitasking and fall into the modern trap of rushing through human interactions. But he learned that standing amidst the calm in the storm helped open the door to great opportunities.
Alexander Vaccaro, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., president of the iconic group now known as the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, says of his dear friend, “Dick cared deeply about others’ well-being … and ‘held’ each person with his eyes, offering them his presence. He was devoted to his employees and spent time at the end of each day walking around andchatting with people in different departments.”
An internationally renown surgeon and inventor who traveled the globe, Dr. Rothman remained partial to Philadelphia his entire life. Born in nearby Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, he pursued his love of history at the University of Pennsylvania, then obtained a Ph.D. in anatomy from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.After earning an M.D. from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in 1962, Dr. Rothman returned to Jefferson for a residency.
Only seven years out of medical school, Richard Rothman boarded a plane to England and learned how to perform hip replacement surgery from the esteemed John Charnley. So taken was Dr. Charnley with Richard Rothman’s talent that when Walter Annenberg sought out Charnley for hip surgery, Charley pointed him back to his own neighborhood…and to Dr. Rothman.
Greatness would ensue, as Annenberg, pleased with the results of two hip surgeries performed by Dr. Rothman, donated millions of dollars that set the stage for the Rothman Institute.
No starry-eyed youth, this 33-year-old physician had a compelling plan to create a world-class center of patient care. With the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute now established as an extraordinary facility—not to mention the 755,000 patient visits a year—one could say he has succeeded.
Michael G. Ciccotti, M.D.,director of the Sports Medicine Team at the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, had the chance to observe and learn from Richard Rothman for years. “Dr. Rothman started out as chairman of Thomas Jefferson University orthopedics in 1986, my first year of practice. I was his intern, I did my residency with him, and then joined the practice. He was a beacon of wisdom and goodwill for my entire orthopedic career.”
“Not only was he a wonderful, true friend, Dick had the gift of making the most complex issues—whether practice management, medical, or interpersonal—very understandable. He instinctively knew how to remove the emotion from any situation and guide us toward the best solution.”
