{"id":200969,"date":"2023-07-07T10:21:40","date_gmt":"2023-07-07T14:21:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=200969"},"modified":"2023-07-07T15:50:34","modified_gmt":"2023-07-07T19:50:34","slug":"remembering-dr-naomi-f-rothfield","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2023\/07\/remembering-dr-naomi-f-rothfield\/","title":{"rendered":"Remembering Dr. Naomi F. Rothfield"},"content":{"rendered":"

Naomi F. Rothfield, MD, one of the UConn School of Medicine\u2019s first women faculty, passed away on Sunday, July 2, 2023.<\/p>\n

Rothfield,\u00a0 a professor of medicine who retired in 2016, was an internationally renowned rheumatologist. She led UConn Health’s Division of Rheumatology, training dozens of the world\u2019s leading rheumatologists and specialized in lupus, scleroderma, and Raynaud disease. She was a Master of The American College of Rheumatology and received a lifetime achievement award from the Arthritis Foundation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are sorry to hear of Naomi\u2019s passing. She cared deeply about UConn Health and we always deeply cared about her,\u201d shared Dr. Bruce T. Liang, UConn Health Interim CEO and dean of the School of Medicine.<\/p>\n

A 1950 graduate of Bard College, Rothfield received her medical degree from NYU School of Medicine in 1955. She served her internship at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and completed a fellowship in rheumatology at NYU. She held several teaching positions at NYU, becoming assistant professor in 1964. She was a member of the first faculty of UConn School of Medicine, coming to UConn in 1968 as associate professor in the Department of Medicine. She became full professor in 1973. From 1973 to 1999, she served as chief of the Division of Rheumatology. She also directed the NIH\/University of Connecticut Multipurpose Arthritis Center for 20 years, beginning in 1978.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not often that one personally is in the presence of and gets to interact with a legend,\u201d shared her trainee Dr. Santhanam Lakshminarayanan, chief Division of Rheumatology at UConn School of Medicine. \u201cI am grateful for that experience as are many at UConn Health.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Dr. Naomi Rothfield<\/div>
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Dr. Naomi Rothfield<\/div>
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Rheumatologist Dr. Naomi Rothfield, front row center, with some of the first students and others at UConn Health, then known as the UConn Health Center.<\/div>
Dr. Naomi Rothfield<\/div>
Rheumatologist Dr. Naomi Rothfield, front row center, with some of the first students at UConn Health and others, then known as the UConn Health Center.<\/div><\/div>\"Rheumatologist<\/a>
Rheumatologist Dr. Naomi Rothfield at UConn Health.<\/div>
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Rheumatologist Dr. Naomi Rothfield at UConn Health.<\/div><\/div>\"Some<\/a>
Some of UConn Health Center's Top Docs 2012 as named by Connecticut Magazine.<\/div>
Connecticut Magazine - Top Docs 2012<\/div>
First row: Peter Schulman, David Hager, Nancy Adams, Naomi Rothfield, Denis LaFreniere, Jeffrey Spiro, Pamela Taxel. Second row: Upendra Hegde, Patrick Coll, Kevin Dieckhaus, Carl Malchoff, Micha Abeles, Jane Grant-Kels, Douglas Albreski, Peter Albertsen and Robert Bona. Not pictured: Robert Arciero, Mary Chang, James Egan, Anne Kenny, Lynn Kosowicz, Hilary Onyiuke, Craig Rodner, Kevin Shea, Michael Steinberg. (Janine Gelineau\/UConn Health Center Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"(Left<\/a>
(Left to right) Health Center Board of Directors Chairman Sanford Cloud Jr., GWIMS Chair Dr. Marja Hurley, former UConn President Phil Austin, Dr. Martha Lepow, Dr. Naomi Rothfield, Dr. Bruce Liang, and UConn President Susan Herbst. (Tina Encarnacion\/UConn Health Center Photo)<\/div>
GWIMS Inaugural Ceremony<\/div>
(Left to right) Health Center Board of Directors Chairman Sanford Cloud Jr., GWIMS Chair Dr. Marja Hurley, former UConn President Phil Austin, Dr. Martha Lepow, Dr. Naomi Rothfield, Dr. Bruce Liang, and UConn President Susan Herbst. (Tina Encarnacion\/UConn Health Center Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"Left<\/a>
Left to Right - Dr. Mary Jane Osborn, Dr. Marta Lepow, Dr. Naomi Rothfield and Dr. Marja Hurley. (Jennifer Huber\/UConn Foundation Photo)<\/div>
Dr. Naomi Rothfield<\/div>
Left to Right - Dr. Mary Jane Osborn, Dr. Marta Lepow, Dr. Naomi Rothfield and Dr. Marja Hurley. (Jennifer Huber\/UConn Foundation Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"Founding<\/a>
Founding faculty members, Drs. Martha Lepow and Naomi Rothfield, were honored during the School of Medicine\u00d5s Group on Women in Medicine and Science Inaugural Ceremony April 30, 2012. (Tina Encarnacion\/UConn Health Center Photo)<\/div>
GWIMS Inaugural Ceremony<\/div>
Founding faculty members, Drs. Martha Lepow and Naomi Rothfield, were honored during the School of Medicine's Group on Women in Medicine and Science Inaugural Ceremony April 30, 2012. (Tina Encarnacion\/UConn Health Center Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"Rheumatologist<\/a>
Rheumatologist Dr. Naomi Rothfield at UConn Health.<\/div>
Dr. Naomi Rothfield<\/div>
Rheumatologist Dr. Naomi Rothfield at UConn Health.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>