And Dr. Rothman, who performed more than 50,000 total hip and knee replacements during his career, had other areas of genius.
Alex Vaccaro says, “Many people don’t know this about Dick, but he was a consummate businessman. Although he retired from the operating room in May 2018, he continued to pursue his passion for helping companies succeed, even working with Wall Street because he was so knowledgeable about the world of orthopedics. He was a senior advisor to The Riverside Company and HealthpointCapital, both located in New York. This was a good fit for personal reasons as well because he children were living in the city…Dick even got an apartment in Brooklyn.”
Richard Rothman was the founder and acting Chairman of the Board of Specialty Care Network, a publicly held company now known as Healthgrades. He served on multiple corporate boards and was an advisor for the Washington, D.C.-based Carlyle Group.
Dr. Rothman also looked beyond the borders of the U.S., devoting many hours to teaching assignments in China, India and Korea. In those and other countries, he saw a need.
Dr. Vaccaro notes, “Dick was determined to establish the Rothman level of quality abroad and was spearheading our efforts to collaborate with health systems in China, Italy, and Dubai.”
These are other topics were on the agenda at an annual Rothman getaway. “Our CEO, Mike West, Dick, and I would bring our wives on a four day ‘vacation’ that amounted to a private retreat where we carved out time to talk about the business of orthopedics. Our brainstorming sessions lent clarity to our plans and helped us ensure that we would persist in holding tight to our vision of the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute.”
“It’s like a cliché,” says Dr. Vaccaro, “but he was truly larger than life, always smiling and full of interesting stories. He drove himself forward with curiosity, had an entertaining persona, and was deeply insightful and calm. And first in order of importance in Dick’s life was his family, his wife Marsha, their four children, and five grandchildren.”
On the professional front, if there was an envelope around, Dick Rothman would be pushing it, says Dr. Ciccotti.
“One of Dick’s top lessons was to that one should never stop asking how to do it better…he was always pushing the envelope so as to facilitate improvement. He understood the importance of giving surgeons responsibility, nurturing our skills, and empowering us—all signs of a true leader.”
“And I was always struck by the wonderful sense of calmness that pervaded him. He was skilled at entering a situation, assessing the core issues, and navigating people toward the best solution.”
A speed reader who consumed three newspapers a day and 1-2 books a week, Dr. Rothman still sought out people who knew more than he did.
Dr. Ciccotti says, “I was so impressed with his humility and how he sought out the absolute best talent. He would say, ‘I want to select people to work with who are smarter than I am and who are better researchers.’”
