Dad And Mom On Front Page

Dad and Mom’s picture was on the front page of their local newspaper this week. The caption under the picture said, “Dr. Prospero and his wife Dr. Elma Lou Roda are making travel plans now that he has announced his retirement.” The article is as follows:

After working as a general surgeon in Tappahannock for more than 30 years, Dr. Prospero Roda recently announced his retirement.

A native of the Philippines, Dr. Roda earned his medical degree from Manila Central University, before traveling to the United States to do extensive residency rotations in several hospitals throughout New York City and Boston. “My brother was a surgical doctor. He came to the United States and I decided to follow him,” explains Dr. Roda.

In July, 1975, having recently finished a fellowship in hand surgery at the Flower and Fifth Avenue Medical College Hospital in New York City, Dr. Roda was in search of a permanent position. Acting on a tip from a friend, he visited Tidewater Memorial Hospital in Tappahannock.

The hospital administrator advised him to “look for a place where you can stay for a few days.” In time, those few days stretched to more than 30 years.

Dr. Roda came to the region with his wife, Dr. Elma Lou Roda, and two children who had been born in New York, Cheryl and Darrell. A third child, Beryl, was born here in Tappahannock. Today, all three of their children have homes in Maryland. Four grandsons regularly visit the Rodas on weekends.

Dr. Elma Lou Roda is an anesthesiologist. She worked in Tappahannock from 1980 to 1990, before taking a position at Retreat Hospital in Richmond. After many years of the fatigue-inducing commute, Dr. E. Roda retired approximately three years ago.

During his time in Tappahannock, Dr. Prospero Roda has been a prominent member of the medical community. From 1976 to 1983 he served as the medical director and president of the Tidewater Memorial Hospital staff. He was a member of the board of the hospital, chairman of several committees, and was vice president of Riverside Tappahannock Hospital Medical Staff from 1989-1991.

Time spent living on the Rappahannock River has been of particular value to Dr. Roda, whose interests include recreational boating and wildlife preservation. He is keeping an attentive eye on the growth of the Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge. “I am very interested in this,” he states. “God is not going to make anymore rivers. Whatever God has created is what we have.”

After heart bypass surgery in 1994 and a recent heart catheterization, from which he is still recovering, Dr. Roda cites health issues, as well as the rising cost of malpractice insurance, as his reasons for retiring at this time. “Malpractice is so high now,” he states, “I could hardly reach it.”

With their medical practices behind them, the Rodas plan to travel over the next few years. They are actively involved with their university alumni associations, and many of their plans are connected with attending the conventions of these organizations. The couple recently returned from a visit to the Philippines to celebrate the anniversary of their alma mater.

“I’ll be the vagabond of Tappahannock for the next few years,” Dr. Roda jokes of his plans for retirement.