In honor of Richard Goldberg, MD
Dr. Richard Goldberg is a man with an impressive resume – but to many of the patients he sees, he’s just a very good, extremely compassionate doctor.
They may know that he is a professor in the division of hematology/oncology at UNC, but they may not be aware that he is chief of the division or that he serves as Associate Director for Clinical Research at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
But sometimes he is why they come to UNC Lineberger and the N.C. Cancer Hospital.
Christina Gianoplus from Wilmington, NC, told an audience at a UNC Lineberger event, “My first meeting with Dr. Goldberg was all I needed to give me the reassurance to begin my fight here. When our meeting came to an end, and after listening to my story, I extended my hand to Dr. Goldberg. He said, ‘No, let me give you a hug.’ And boy, did I need one.”
This compassion is behind his passion for outstanding patient care – and his work as the hospital’s top-ranking medical officer.
It’s behind his research into evaluation of new treatments for colorectal cancer, inherited colorectal cancer syndromes, clinical trials methodology, and evidence based medicine.
It’s why he spends his scarce time working to advance the oncology field as a member of multiple national and international professional organizations and reviewer for journals and why he travels – sometimes on an exhausting schedule – to give lectures and invited addresses both in the U.S. and abroad.
And it’s why, at the N.C. Cancer Hospital – excellent care in a compassionate setting starts at the top, with the physician-in-chief.