Biography of Robert N Jones MD MHA
 
At New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois I was an All American Swimmer. At Williams College (’71) I swam my freshman year, and was elected co-captain of the freshman swim team. By the end of my first year, however, I became very tired of swimming, having swum competitively since grade school and becoming interested in other activities at college. Although pre-med, I decided to major in English Literature, a decision for which I have remained forever grateful.
 
My interest in medicine arose from observations of my father, a phenomenal physician, beloved by his patients and respected by his colleagues. It was from him I developed a desire to practice medicine and attempt to emulate his keen sense of servant leadership in both private and professional life.
 
My third year at Williams sidetracked me. My winter study project in 1970 concerned the British National Healthcare Service and took me to England. There I learned much about over worked physicians and, at the time, an inadequate style of healthcare delivery. One other side effect of the trip was a consuming desire to travel. I returned to Europe that summer to study German in Salzburg Austria, in preparation for a new career, one in international politics. Instead, I developed an international affair: I met Maria Ludovica Moruzzi, nicknamed Mica.
 
Born and raised in Bolzano, Italy, she could not speak English and I did not know Italian, so we spoke German. Growing up in the South Tirol, her German was perfect, but mine was nascent and hatched in the language lab at Williams. As one can imagine, in my efforts to get to know her, my German got very good that summer.
 
We said goodby in August. That Fall she began her studies at the University of Florence, and I went to Vassar for one semester as an exchange student. To make a long story short, we went our separate ways, but managed to reunite the Christmas of 1971. We got married in her hometown in 1974, after she had gotten her Doctorate in Childhood Education.

By that time, I was in my third year at Rush Medical University in Chicago. My reason to return to medicine was partially to reattach myself to my original dream of becoming a doctor, and partially to secure a better future for a life with Mica. The main reason, however, was to allow me to travel the world with a medical degree, caring for the sick of developing countries under the aegis of groups like the World Health Organization. Along the way, I did have opportunities to work in Kenya, Africa in Medical School, as well as Haiti during my residency in surgery. Mica made it quite clear, however, that international travel to developing countries was a non starter and not what she had in mind.

By my third year in medical school I was intrigued by cardiac surgery. From observatory rooms overlooking the operating theaters at Rush, I watched some of the greatest surgeons in the world. I was hooked. All I wanted to do was become a cardiac surgeon.

Duke University has one of the best residency programs in General and Thoracic surgery in the country. I rotated there as a medical student for one month in the Fall of my senior year. Duke’s chief of surgery at the time was David C Sabiston MD, and he offered me a position for the following year. I had done well in medical school, with top marks in my studies and the award of Alpha Omega Alpha, the honorary medical school society. I was also a father to our first child, David, an even bigger honor.

In 1976 Mica and I moved to Durham, North Carolina. We were blessed with our second child, Juliana, in 1978. I finished my residency in 1985. Those 9 years at Duke were grueling, but formative, and meant to groom me for an academic career in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. Two years were spent in the lab of cardiac surgeon Andrew S. Wechsler, MD and the cardiac pathologist Robert B. Jennings MD. I published 37 papers and delivered presentations in several national meetings.

In 1985 we moved back to Chicago where I became an assistant professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Loyola University Medical Center. That year was spent teaching, operating, and organizing a laboratory. It was too much for the family to bear. I was never home. We made the decision to abandon academia and begin private practice.

We wished to remain in the Midwest, and the best opportunity at the time was a newly developed cardio-thoracic group, East Michigan Cardiovascular Surgery, PC. In 1987 we moved to Midland, Michigan, 30 miles north of Saginaw where the practice resided. I broke off from that group the following year, starting my own practice that grew to a 6 member group by 2000. I was the chief surgical officer of the group, Great Lakes Cardiovascular Surgery, PC. It served the entirety of Mid Michigan. The times were busy and productive.

In 2000 our surgical group joined several groups of cardiologists in the Midland/Bay City/Saginaw area to become a large 30 physician member organization called Michigan Cardiovascular Institute. This splintered for a number of reasons in 2010. Prior to that in 2007, I was asked to start a new open heart program at the hospital in Midland, just four minutes by foot from our home. Thanks to a devoted group of professionals, the practice in Midland has grown to become the busiest thoracic and cardiovascular service in the area, with two cardiac surgeons and one general thoracic surgeon. It is incredibly fun to come to work each and every day. I am surrounded by the best. I remain busy operating, but am looking to retire to something different.

I have held a number of leadership positions, such as President of the Saginaw Medical Society (1998-1999) and President of the Michigan Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons (2017-2019). Getting close to retirement, I know full well that if I wish to maintain my relevancy in medicine, I need to know more about the changes in healthcare from an administrative and leadership perspective. As a result I enrolled in the Masters Program in Healthcare and Leadership at Saginaw Valley State University. I received my Masters in Healthcare Administration in 2018. My plan is to eventually work as a consultant in some aspect of team building and the improvement of the patient experience. Both are areas to which I have devoted my professional career.

Our children, David and Julie, went to high school at Detroit Country Day School. From there, David entered the class of ’97 at Williams, and Julie the class of 2000 at Denison. During our time in North Carolina, Mica received her BS in interior design at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. In Midland she quickly became a well known and busy contract designer and artist. She has since abandoned interior design and spends her time with her art work. David has gone on to Hollywood where he is busy cinematographer. Julie has her own Barre 3 studio in Washington DC. Both have wonderful spouses, and Mica and I are the proud grandparents of 2 beautiful, energetic boys from Julie and Peer, and one amazing granddaughter from David and Amy.

My free time is spent enjoying time with Mica, our children and grandchildren. I love fly fishing. In addition, I sing at the top of my voice as a choir member of our church. This fall I will be joining the Midland Community Orchestra as a second section violinist.

At the same time, I keep reminding myself that there is nothing wrong with retirement…as long as it does not interfere with life.