For the past two years, Phil Smith, M.D., has arguably been the most recognized face at the medical center.
Retirement reception
The campus is invited to attend Dr. Smith’s retirement reception.
When: 1:30-3:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 23
Where: Private Dining Rooms, third floor, University Tower
Remarks: Several speakers, including UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., will deliver remarks beginning at 2 p.m.
It started in 2014 when three patients with Ebola virus disease were brought to the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit at UNMC/Nebraska Medicine.
As medical director of the unit, Dr. Smith was front and center doing a seemingly endless number of media interviews.
“Some people really enjoy the media attention,” he said. “I’m not one of them.”
But Dr. Smith never wavered. He knew how to “calmly report the facts.”
As it turns out, the Ebola chapter served as a magnificent capstone to Dr. Smith’s remarkable career. At the end of this month — five months before he turns 70 — Dr. Smith is retiring.
Oh, how he will be missed. Listen to the words of three of his close colleagues:
Shelly Schwedhelm, executive director, emergency preparedness & infection prevention, Nebraska Medicine: “Phil is an icon, and he doesn’t know it. There isn’t an individual on this campus or in this community who doesn’t see Phil with his endearing personality and think the world of him. In the face of adversity, Phil brings teams together. He commands leadership and calm with his quiet presence and confidence.”
James Armitage, M.D., professor, oncology/hematology and the person who recruited Dr. Smith to UNMC: “This is an amazing person. He’s a wonderful human being. He’s a quiet, humble person, who is an exceedingly skillful infectious diseases physician and an extraordinary researcher.”
Technology not his strong suit
Although preparation was Dr. Smith’s forte, like most people of his generation, learning new technology could be a bit of a struggle.
Shelly Schwedhelm, executive director, emergency preparedness & infection prevention, Nebraska Medicine, shares a story from the Ebola crisis of 2014.
“During activation of the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit for patients with Ebola virus disease, we taught Phil how to text,” she said. “He had just gotten this new smart phone. Watch out world! The day he used an emoji for the first time, we all just smiled.”
Schwedhelm said Dr. Smith was a master at relieving tension.
“Phil is witty,” she said. “He is able to disarm difficult situations many times with his sense of humor and approach to the situation.”
Sharon Medcalf, Ph.D., director, Center for Preparedness Education, College of Public Health: “He’s authentic. He’s fair, gentle and coaches by example. He’s a good judge of ability and potential. He puts people in positions to lead and succeed. He’s the mentor of my lifetime.”
Dr. Smith calls himself a “preparedness nut.”
Who else would have the patience to conduct monthly meetings and quarterly drills for 10 years in the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit while waiting for a major infectious disease outbreak to occur?
He loved being a physician who was immersed in public health. “I loved helping patients one-on-one. I enjoyed getting to know them and earning their trust,” he said. “But, with public health, you can help the whole population.”
Dr. Smith called the past two years “an intense experience you don’t get very often.”
But it took a toll. “My family paid the price.”
More family time, writing poetry, doing yardwork and travel lie ahead.
Trust me, he’s prepared.
Congrats on your upcoming retirement, and how truly blessed to have achieved so much while earning the love and trust of your colleagues. Good luck in the next chapter of life Dr. Smith!
Phil has always been willing to provide me guidance and I will miss this collaborative relationship. I am proud to call him my friend and do wish him and his family all the best in retirement.
Many of us here in the College of Public Health look up to Phil and feel blessed to have had the opportunity to learn from and work with him. We extend our gratitude to him and his family for the sacrifices he has made for public health. We wish him and his family all the very best in his well-deserved retirement!
Dr. Smith has been a great asset to the the Medical Center. It has been my pleasure to work with him and to get to know him over the years.
Congratulations on your retirement. I enjoyed working with you in the past. Your career has been outstanding and thank you for all you have done.