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Parting Thoughts from Dr. Ted Parsons Henry Ford Health System Orthopaedics began a major transition in April with the retirement of Theodore Parsons III, M.D., from his role as Orthopaedic Service Line Medical Director and Chairman of Orthopaedic Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital. Dr. Parsons was recruited to Henry Ford in 2007 after a long career as a surgeon in the U.S. Air Force. During his time here, Dr. Parsons provided leadership through a major period of growth. He has also held the Breech Chair in Bone and Joint Medicine and overseen the William Clay Ford, Sr. Center for Athletic Medicine. Two days prior to his departure, he shared these thoughts on his career, his role as a teacher and the future of orthopedic medicine at Henry Ford. What motivated you to become a physician, and why did you choose orthopedic medicine as your specialty? I spent 30 years in the Air Force and retired in that capacity before coming to Henry Ford. I had to laugh, because when I entered medical school, I wanted to be a cardiothoracic surgeon. That seemed like the pinnacle for me. However, after two months of a general surgery internship and while on the trauma surgery service, I was feeling pretty overwhelmed. I started to notice the orthopaedic surgeons as they arrived at the trauma room. They seemed to cheerfully come in (a bit later than everyone else) and would exclaim, “When you have the patient stabilized, give us a call and we will take a peek,” and then happily leave. I thought, “That is what I want to do!” The rest is history. As I entered orthopaedic training and matured a bit, I began to realize that it’s a wonderful and dynamic field, because it’s a surgical specialty where one can have a very significant impact on a person’s quality of life. As you approach retirement, what has been the most rewarding part of your career? Truly, it’s been the whole package. It’s been rewarding to take care of patients and help them get their lives back. Especially in my sub-specialty—which is orthopaedic oncology (treating cancers of the bone and soft tissue)—you get to help people recover some level of functionality after going through cancer surgery, which is incredibly rewarding. I also am grateful for the chances I’ve had to work with such fine partners both in and out of orthopaedics, and for the opportunity to teach residents and fellows and watch them blossom into respected, capable surgeons in their own right. How did teaching become an important part of your work? I realized how much I enjoyed teaching during my residency. By the time I was a senior resident, I noticed how much I enjoyed helping more junior residents and students learn surgical techniques and how to take care of patients. Following my Fellowship at Harvard, I returned to the Air Force hospital and began my career as a teaching surgeon and just never looked back. It just became a consistent part of my career. In my time as Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery at Henry Ford, I’ve sadly been less involved as a teaching surgeon than I was for many years previously. For my first 25 years or so in practice it was lots of operating, lots of clinic, lots of educational talks, and lots of time with the residents. I have honestly missed that close relationship and engagement with the residents, although I have fortunately been able to maintain some time with them as learners. The last few years have been more about executive leadership and professional development, though I have still played some part in our educational efforts. I still get to meet with and interact with our residents fairly often, which is something I truly enjoy. Is there a consistent piece of advice that you share with young physicians? You need to be a compassionate, caring person with a high sense of integrity. If you do the right thing and treat people with compassion and understanding, good things happen. There are two things I always tell the residents. The first is: “You get more flies with honey than a fly swatter.” And the second is: “Everyone expects you to be a competent, capable surgeon, but the kind of person that you are is far more important to your success in the long run. If you treat people with compassion, your waiting room will be full. But if you don’t listen and don’t extend compassion to your patients, no matter how skilled you are as a surgeon, your waiting room will be empty.”If you treat people with compassion, your waiting room will be full. But if you don’t listen and don’t extend compassion to your patients, no matter how skilled you are as a surgeon, people will not seek you out. What excites you most about the future of orthopedic medicine at Henry Ford? What’s exciting is the enormous growth and the trajectory the service line has been on for years. I just see it continuing to skyrocket in the future. We have some outstanding physicians and surgeons, and they continue to do amazing things. As an example, we are significantly expanding our capacity in Spine Surgery and Sports Medicine, and our relationship with the Professional Sports Teams has truly blossomed. Our Arthroplasty Division has grown significantly and has become very prominent. Our Foot and Ankle Division is expanding. Our Hand and Upper Extremity Division is the largest it has been. We are standing up a new Shoulder and Elbow Division. We’ve recruited a number of very fine physicians over the years, including four more outstanding providers that will start this summer. Additionally, the residency training program and sports fellowships are crown jewels. We have amazing residents and fellows and wonderful teaching staff, and our graduates go on to have great success. I’m sure I’m forgetting something because there are too many things to mention, to be honest. What are your plans for retirement? My wife and I have been called to preside over a mission for Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Northern Peru. We are leaving on June 21 and we will be there for three years. We’ll preside over about 200 missionaries and a few thousand church members and will have many opportunities to engage with people in various communities across the country. About two-thirds of our mission area is up in the Andes and about one-third is on the coast. I was in southern Peru many years ago, and it’s an amazing country with many kind and caring people. Kathryn and I are very excited for this opportunity. Is there a message or thoughts you’d want to share with the HFHS community as you prepare to retire? There are a great deal of outstanding people working in the Henry Ford Health System. It’s been a real honor to work here and serve with so many capable and quality individuals. I guess I would say to them: “Be the best person that you can be and treat others with kindness and compassion.” If we can all be that kind of person, our profession—even our world—will be a much better place. You can celebrate Dr. Parsons’s career by supporting resident education and research in Orthopaedics at Henry Ford. Please click here to make a gift.
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