If we were to describe Dr. Tony Reid, CEO, and founder of EpicentRx, whip-smart Professor Emeritus of Gastrointestinal (GI) Oncology at the University of California at San Diego (UCSD), and all-around great, great person, really and truly he is, in a single, solitary word, it would be “care-ismatic”. True, “care-ismatic” is a made-up word – kinda, sorta – but, trust us, it perfectly fits who Dr. Reid is and what he stands for.
The online dictionary defines the non-made-up word, “charismatic”, as the “the exercise of a compelling charm that inspires popular loyalty or enthusiasm…”, which Dr. Reid has in spades and which he inspires from everyone that works with him or that falls into his orbit.
But what differentiates “care-ismatic” from “charismatic” is that the former involves charm and magnetism combined with extreme empathy for others. Dr. Reid, who hails originally from a small farm in Iowa, and was the first in his family to attend college on a scholarship and then go on to graduate with an MD, PhD from Stanford University, is animated by the need to give back and to help others in need – especially patients with cancer; he will go to great lengths to make sure that he delivers on his commitment to stand by them no matter what – and the individuals that he works with at EpicentRx, which explains the loyalty, commitment, and enthusiasm they have for him in return, their team spirit and solidarity, and why patients have consistently nominated him as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor since 2009.
“Physician, heal thyself” is a famous phrase from the Bible, which Dr. Reid has studied and knows well, but, honestly, he would much rather heal his patients – Tony manages to do this not only as a practicing GI oncologist, but also as the champion for the EpicentRx lead small molecule, RRx-001 (nibrozetone), and inventor of its other lead therapy, AdAPT-001, which has managed to “heel” more than one patient after it was injected in tumors, as shown below.
Now that’s what we call care-ismatic!