PATRICK BROPHY

Says Fond Farewells to a Community that Rallied Around Him

By Jim Miller

Patrick Brophy, MD, outgoing William H. Eilinger Chair of Pediatrics, learned early in his tenure just how special the University of Rochester Medical Center and the Rochester communities are.

While still new in town, Brophy discovered he had a recurrence of lymphoma. He was far from his extended family and existing support networks, yet he found himself among friends. Rochester rallied around him. So did his colleagues, from fellow pediatricians to School of Medicine and Dentistry Dean Mark Taubman, MD

Brophy, who was also physician-in-chief at Golisano Children’s Hospital (GCH), became a patient at the Medical Center, taking part in a clinical trial of CAR T-cell therapy that put him in a coma for two weeks.

“The first person I really remember seeing when I woke up was Dean Taubman, and I was told he’d come quite often to check on me,” Brophy said. “He’d never ask to be acknowledged for that, but when you hear that and see that from a leader, it means a heck of a lot. I’d just arrived in Rochester, and here was this amazing support—from him and from the entire community.”

In the years since, Brophy has amply repaid that debt. Presiding over a period of sustained growth, he emphasized equity and diversity while launching a bold strategic plan that will guide GCH for years to come. He also spearheaded community outreach efforts and embraced new technologies.

And he did it all while leading GCH and the department through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, Brophy is stepping down to become provincial head of Child Health and Pediatrics for the Canadian province of Saskatchewan—a move that will both bring him closer to family and allow him to effect change on a regional scale.

Brophy joined URMC in 2018 after a decade at the University of Iowa. He quickly began work on the new strategic plan, which launched in January of 2020 with emphases on patient care, research, education, culture, digital health, population health, and community outreach.

He and his team ultimately worked with more than 70 community partners, organizing collaborative efforts to secure more than $25 million in public funding for various programs.

“I’ve always believed in reaching out to the people we serve—not just waiting for them to come to the hospital,” Brophy said. “We’ve worked to improve bus routes so kids can get to clinics; reached out to ensure high-risk kids were getting vaccinated, maintaining local rates as they declined nationwide; established an initiative that uses long-active reversible contraception to reduce unwanted pregnancies; and launched partnerships to send nurses out to mothers with newborns. We focus on health—not just health care.”

Those who have worked with Brophy say they’ll remember his extraordinary kindness, creativity, and energy.

Tim Stevens, MD, professor of Pediatrics and chief clinical officer for GCH, said Brophy was known for responding to problems with an understated “I have an idea about that.” He’d then follow up with a novel and effective approach.

Elizabeth McAnarney, MD, former GCH physician-in-chief and Pediatrics chair, called him a change leader and a big thinker.

“He’s really a person for all seasons with regard to the mission of academic pediatrics, with achievements in research and education—as well as in clinical care—that have built on our department’s long-standing legacy of community pediatric excellence,” she said. “He has also made great strides toward equity and inclusivity, appointing a number of women to leadership positions and creating scholarship programs named for Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass.”

For faculty, Brophy became a person to rely on and a source of strength during the difficult pandemic years. When large in-person meetings became inadvisable, he instituted weekly Zoom rounds to keep everyone connected. He led successful fundraising efforts and emphasized growth and recruitment—key factors in the success of a relatively young children’s hospital like GCH.

“The second you meet Pat, it’s clear he’s very personable,” said Kurt Ingalls, CFO for the Department of Pediatrics. “You see, hear, and experience it. He has a fantastic sense of humor, and one of his gifts is that he can really connect with anyone—faculty, staff, donors, the community.”

The results are clear. During his tenure, GCH recruited more than 70 new faculty members and saw significant increases in patient numbers. Efforts to address the pediatric behavioral health crisis were launched, including a new Behavioral Health & Wellness Center, expanded Mobile Crisis Team and school partnerships, and the region’s first pediatric walk-in behavioral health center.

Federal funding for faculty research grew. A first-of-its-kind Division of Breastfeeding and Lactation was established, along with a new residency track in digital health.

“Dr. Brophy is an inspiring leader who always puts children first,” said Jill Halterman, MD, MPH, interim chair of Pediatrics. “It has been exciting to see the department and the Children’s Hospital grow under his leadership to meet the needs of children and families throughout the region. I am personally extremely grateful for his ongoing partnership and support as we aim for a seamless transition to keep all of the good work moving forward.”

Brophy, says Taubman, “has been an exemplary and visionary leader. It speaks volumes about Dr. Brophy’s talent that his work here at the Medical Center led to this extraordinary opportunity. We wish him well.”

A national search is underway for Brophy’s successor. Whoever it is, Brophy sees great potential in the role.

“The soul of a community is reflected in how it cares for its children, and Rochester cares deeply about its kids,” Brophy said. “Whoever takes on my roles is a very lucky person. We’re starting to make headway on the national stage even as we become Upstate’s primary child-health center and research powerhouse. We’re doing that while maintaining our focus on providing access and care for all the children we serve. If we keep that as our North Star, the future is limitlessly bright.”