Pennsylvania doctor who opened burn center at Crozer-Chester Medical Center credits MLK's legacy
A renowned burn surgeon shares how Martin Luther King's legacy had a profound impact on his career. Meet Dr. Linwood Haith of Crozer-Chester Medical Center.
In the hallways where his legacy was built, Haith is drawn to a window where he reflects on his inspiration. The window overlooks Crozer Theological Seminary, where King graduated as valedictorian in 1951.
"When Martin Luther King was here... his work to help bring equality in this country was instrumental in me being where I am," Haith said.
Haith is at the top of his profession, a renowned burn surgeon with decades of accolades.
"If you love what you do, it's really not work," he said. "So, yeah, I've had a very good career here."
It's a career based on education that includes Yale and Harvard, where Haith said he wasn't exposed to racism.
"Some of the things that happened outside of the ivy-covered walls, I personally didn't have to experience," he said.
Haith landed in Chester, opening one of the first burn centers in the region.
"When a burn patient initially comes here, this is the place they would be decontaminated and initially treated," he said while walking through the burn center.
The burn center provides state-of-the-art treatments that Haith said have evolved remarkably over the decades. He says new antibiotic treatments – clone cells and artificial skin – are much more sophisticated now. However, pain management remains a paramount issue in treating burn victims.
"The patient is going to be absolutely medicated so they don't experience so much pain," Haith said.
Burn patients are often disfigured and treatments are complicated. But understanding how to heal a patient quickly so they can get back to school or work is gratifying.
He shares his accomplishments with the burn team at Crozer-Chester Medical Center.
"The people I work with are the best on Earth," Haith said.
And looking back on his long career, paved by Dr. King, this doctor says this about his legacy.
"I was just a simple surgeon. That's it," Haith said.