Dr. Harvey Rothberg ends 40-year career
By: Jane Karlicek
A familiar face in the local medical field will soon be leaving practice.
Dr. Harvey Rothberg is retiring at the end of this month, after 40 years with the Princeton Medical Group, as an internist and oncologist.
In a letter Dr. Rothberg sent to friends and patients, he wrote, in part, "It is kind of sad to contemplate leaving this practice. But now it is time for me to move on. I am looking forward to a busy life in which I will be teaching medicine, working in the University Art Museum, and having more time for travel, gardening, golf, and my family. I also hope to do some volunteer work. And I do know how to relax."
Dr. Rothberg said he and his wife, Nancy, will remain Princeton Township residents. His wife, he said, is ready for his retirement.
"She’s prepared for the change and happy to find supper will be at 6:30 p.m. instead of 7:30 p.m.," he said.
A 1949 magna cum laude graduate of Princeton University, Dr. Rothberg first came to Princeton from his hometown of Plainfield as a university undergraduate. He left to attend Harvard Medical School, where he graduated cum laude in 1953.
After graduating from medical school, Dr. Rothberg completed two years of his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston before heading to Washington to serve in the Army. He served as an internist, a civilian position, for the department of hematology at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research for three years.
Dr. Rothberg said he returned to Princeton in 1960 for three reasons.
"I liked the idea of living in a university town with all the cultural advantages," he said. "As an alumnus, I felt quite at home here and the Princeton Medical Group is a fine group of doctors."
Besides working for the Princeton Medical Group, Dr. Rothberg has served as president of The Medical Center at Princeton’s medical staff, the first Princeton Regional Board of Education and the Oncology Society of New Jersey.
A resolution honoring Dr. Rothberg was unanimously adopted at a June 10 staff meeting of The Medical Center at Princeton. The resolution reads, in part, "…the Medical and Dental Staff of the Medical Center at Princeton acknowledges with deep gratitude the outstanding contributions that Dr. Harvey Rothberg has made to this hospital and community, contributions that have brought honor not only to Dr. Rothberg but also to this institution and to the profession of medicine."
After 40 years in medicine, Dr. Rothberg has seen many changes.
"I’ve really seen the growth of Princeton to a much more densely populated area," he said. "I’ve also seen changes in the medical practice. I’ve seen the development of the hospital into a modern hospital with modern technology. That has been a source of inspiration for me."
Dr. Rothberg said he has also seen some negative aspects of the growth of the medical field.
"With the advent of managed care, barriers have grown between doctors and patients," he said. "Insurance companies create their own rules that are designed to save money for (their administrators). They’re not necessarily directed at benefiting the care of patients. There are financial barriers constructed which make medical care harder to come by."
Along his path to retirement, Dr. Rothberg said he has learned there is an "unwritten contract between doctor and patient."
"Doctors promote the well-being of the patient with the knowledge of the patient and their individual situation," he said. "Communication is the most important (thing) in internal medicine. I’m aware of the limitations of medical intervention and know when to do many things and not do certain things when it won’t promote the well-being of the patient.
"Patients have to participate in their own health care decisions," he continued. "I believe the doctor has to provide guidance to the patient but avoid an excess of paternalism at the same time."
Dr. Rothberg said he’ll miss caring for local residents.
"Princeton is blessed with an unusual amount of interesting people," he said, later adding: "It’s been a great source of pleasure to have so many patients. Many patients I have cared for more than 30 years.
"Practicing medicine in Princeton has been a really wonderful and rewarding experience," he said. "I feel so fortunate to have been able to have this career in this place."