A Kid’s Best Friend

by by Carly Hughes - Moses Cone Health System
August 2009

Children need love and attention, even when they don’t ask for it.

Dr. Kenneth Roberts, the Director of the Pediatric Teaching Program at The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, lives his life working to make sure someone is there to care for our children.

"It takes a cheerleader to make sure that the needs of our children are being met efficiently and effectively, and that is what I intend to be," Roberts says.

Roberts stands by his belief that it is important to know who is taking a leadership role in the community to protect the concerns of children.

Roberts is a professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina. He plans to retire in August after 12 years with the program. Roberts says that teaching has allowed him to educate his students, but also learn more each day. "I love to learn, and if you love to learn, being around those who are learning is very exciting. It is a natural part of pediatrics because you can enjoy watching growth and development."

He says that the most important question is, "Who is worrying about the children, and what are they doing about it? Success, to me, is when people say that children are better off in this town because of my wife and me being here."

Roberts has been honored with more than 25 awards, most related to his teaching. He has published 10 books, been published in 50 publications and contributed more than 200 book chapters related to pediatrics.

By devoting his time and labors to improving opportunities for children, Roberts has received the 2009 Joseph W. St. Geme Jr. Leadership Award from the Federation of Pediatric Organizations. The Federation is a group of the seven leading national organizations in pediatrics, representing practitioners, academicians and researchers.

This prestigious award recognizes a leader in pediatrics, a role model and a broad contributor to the field.

Roberts also has played a vital role in the opening of the Pediatric Emergency Department at Moses Cone Hospital. Kathy Haddix-Hill, RN, Emergency Service Director, says that Roberts helped get the appropriate supplies, staffing and equipment in place to care for children needing emergency care. "As a result of his dedication and commitment to children, he became a vigorous proponent for pediatric emergency care," Haddix-Hill says.

Roberts helped put together the steps that children go through once they come into the pediatric emergency department. This makes sure they receive the correct diagnosis and treatment, thus raising the level of care for children, according to Haddix-Hill.

This advocate for kids knows that a child’s mind is just as important as his body. Roberts was instrumental in bringing the Reach Out and Read program to Greensboro. He adopted this idea from a fledgling program in Massachusetts, which gives books to children during visits to the pediatrician rather than balloons or toys.

Roberts notes that financially poor children get a slower start in school due to a lack of book ownership. Since starting the program in 1998, Moses Cone Family Practice and three Guilford Child Health sites have handed out more than 80,000 books. It is the longest running program of its kind in the North Carolina.

In addition to continued lecturing and writing duties, Roberts also talks excitedly about his plans to build more furniture and play music again, particularly guitar. The former rocker has decided to move to more Southern roots and devote his musical talents to the spirit and soul of bluegrass. "Music has always been a big part of my life, so it is thrilling to know that I can dedicate more time to this hobby."

Roberts especially looks forward to spending more time with his grandchildren, which should come as no surprise to those who know that he will forever be a kid’s best friend. "I am very excited about being with my grandchildren more and having the opportunity to continue to watch them grow and mature," Roberts says.

While most grandparents are content to teach children about life, Roberts prefers to be the student.

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