Chapter 18: Retirement Plans and a View of “The Crown Jewel” of the Texas Medical Center

Chapter 18: Retirement Plans and a View of “The Crown Jewel” of the Texas Medical Center

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In this chapter, Dr. Keating then talks about his intention to retire with a twenty percent appointment, as this will enable him to avoid coping with the institution’s bureaucracy but expresses his optimism that the institution will survive. He praises the support staff and states that people at the institution are driven to maintain MD Anderson as the “crown jewel” of the University of Texas.

Identifier

KeatingM_02_20140520_C18

Publication Date

5-20-2014

City

Houston, Texas

Topics Covered

The Interview Subject's Story - View on Career and Accomplishments.Character, Values, Beliefs, Talents; Activities Outside Institution; MD Anderson in the Future Critical Perspectives on MD Anderson; Institutional Mission and Values; MD Anderson Culture; Career and Accomplishments

Transcript

So yesterday I submitted a letter to Dr. Wierda, who’s now the titular head of our CLL Program, and Dr. Kantarjian and Dr. Hohn and Dr. Piotrowski, saying that I plan now to do a semi-retirement and do 20 percent salaried and do the retirement thing. But the only reason for doing that is that I want to continue to do the patient care, I want to do the research, and I want to minimize the time that’s wasted on bureaucracy, and the only way I can see of doing that right now is to retire partially.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Really?

Michael Keating, MD:

So I’ll still see the same number of patients and I’ll still be getting here at five o’clock in the morning and all that sort of stuff, but I’m not going to waste my time and energy on things that I don’t believe in. But the cream always rises to the top and the truth always wins, so you’ve just got to believe that you just have to tough it out through a period of time, and MD Anderson will again triumph because of the quality of the people that work here.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Mm-hmm. What do you think the future of the organization is?

Michael Keating, MD:

I think there has to be someone with enough initiative to be counterculture and do something fairly radical in getting back to what we really believe in or what the faculty and the people that work here. You know, one of the things that really impresses me is that all the support staff around here stay here because they love the mission and they put in extra time. They’re very welcoming to patients, etc., and supportive. They know the fear that goes through them, etc., and they build their own little networks. You know, there are a lot of people that work in the Hematology Clinic, for example. There are a whole bunch of black women that all come from the same sort of churches, etc., but they identify. They don’t just bring their friends along; they bring along quality people that they’ve identified that come and they support each other. The whole atmosphere really is a very, very nice atmosphere, but we’ve somehow become automated and lost the creativity. Too many of our things are now templates that you just fill in, and it’s dumbing us down to being average. I don’t like average. (laughter)

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

That does not surprise me at all.

Michael Keating, MD:

No.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Is there anything else that you’d like to add?

Michael Keating, MD:

Yes, I’d like to add that you’re certainly not an average interviewer, that you have obviously done your homework and you know the questions to ask, and I feel very comfortable telling you whatever I feel like telling you. So, congratulations. You’re terrific.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Thank you.

Michael Keating, MD:

I told people last week and I’ll tell them again this week how much I enjoyed it.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Oh, well, thank you so much for the compliment. It’s been a pleasure. I feel like I have one of the best jobs in the world talking to some of the most interesting people in the world. (laughter) You make me look good.

Michael Keating, MD:

Well, you know, one of the things is that the relationship that you can establish with patients is truly unique, and, you know, I get a whole bunch of advice from different people that they just have to make a phone call if I made an opinion on something and someone there. You know, there’s a thing going on at the present time with University of Texas for the last ten, twelve years, they’ve been looking at foundations, and the law department had some very questionable foundations and questionable activities. So they sent out a generic thing that every foundation was going to be looked at, including CLL Global Foundation, and so the concern was there. So I just asked one of the guys on the Board of Visitors and he asked a few questions and then a few more questions, and then they got clarified because they sorted out what the real intention of the whole process was and etc. So there are people that are running around like that, that are really driven to maintain MD Anderson as the crown jewel of University of Texas, and they do the very best to do it. And I think that Texas is a place to be proud of. There are some funky things like, you know, open carrying of guns and things like that, that really disturb me, and a whole bunch of things like that, but deep down, they really like to get jobs done. And if we can keep on doing that, that’s all right too.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

I’d like to thank you, Dr. Keating.

Michael Keating, MD:

It’s a pleasure. If there’s anything I can do to assist you in this, or you and your friends and family in anything around here or whatever, let me know.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

I shall. Thank you so much, Dr. Keating.

Michael Keating, MD:

Because I’m in a privileged position of having the opportunity to help a whole bunch of people, and in helping them, it helps me. I have this mantra that generosity is an imperative. I don’t think you can have a good life without being generous. So I’d like to die poor.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

That’s a wonderful thing to live by. Thank you very much, Dr. Keating.

Michael Keating, MD:

All right. Faculty Senate is on in twenty minutes.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

All right. Goodbye, and I’m turning off the recorder at 4:43. (end of interview)

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Chapter 18: Retirement Plans and a View of “The Crown Jewel” of the Texas Medical Center

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