The University of Connecticut remembered rheumatologist Naomi F. Rothfield, MD, who died on July 2, 2023, at the age of 94. Dr. Rothfield was one of the first faculty members of UConn Health’s Division of Rheumatology when the program launched in 1968, and she went on to serve as Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division. She was also the Director of the National Institutes of Health/University of Connecticut Multipurpose Arthritis Center from 1978 to 1998. Throughout her career, she specialized in the treatment of lupus, scleroderma, and Raynaud disease. After 50 years at UConn Health, she retired in 2016. Dr. Rothfield earned the title Master of Rheumatology from the American College of Rheumatology in 1995 and thereafter received a lifetime achievement award from the Arthritis Foundation. A respected member of the rheumatology community, Dr. Rothfield will be remembered by her colleagues as a pioneer in research, education, and patient care. “It is not often that one personally is in the presence of and gets to interact with a legend. I am grateful for that experience, as are many at UConn Health,” emphasized former trainee Santhanam Lakshminarayanan, MD, Chief of the Division of Rheumatology at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. Dr. Rothfield is survived by her four children and six grandchildren.
July 14, 2023