SouthPark Sit-down with Dr. Richard White
December 30, 2024
The renowned surgical oncologist reflects on his “remarkable adventure” and the lasting relationships he’s made with cancer patients and their families.
by Natalie Dick | photographs by Richard Israel
Have you ever had someone come into your life at just the right place and just the right moment? Their presence may be brief, yet the impact on your life is profound.
For me, that person is Dr. Richard White. He was my father’s surgical oncologist from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. At the time, White was relatively new to Charlotte, recruited by Carolinas HealthCare System (now Atrium Health) for his expertise in the then-emerging field of immunotherapy. My dad was battling metastatic kidney cancer, and Dr. White’s innovative trials offered us hope. But it wasn’t just his medical skills that touched my family — it was Richard White, the man, that meant the most. Turns out, we aren’t alone.
“Nobody was interested in immunotherapy in the beginning,” White tells me over lunch at Reid’s Fine Foods SouthPark. It’s rare for White to take time for a meal in the middle of the day. “In the last 10 years, it has taken off,” he continues between bites of his Cobb salad. “It’s changed the entire landscape of cancer care in ways we never imagined. Now, immune-based therapies are widespread throughout the cancer field.”
Center: Cobb salad with romaine lettuce, bacon, hardboiled eggs, tomatoes, blue cheese, avocado and buttermilk ranch.
White’s career has also changed considerably in his 30 years at Atrium Health. He is now the chief of surgical oncology, an endowed professor of surgery, and co-director of the Barbara Levine Breast Center and the Cutaneous Malignancy Program at Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute. And that’s just scratching the surface of his exhaustive list of responsibilities.
While we’ve run into each other once or twice in the 22 years since my father passed away, we’ve never had the opportunity to catch up properly. It feels like just yesterday that he and my dad were playfully sparring over something between discussions about his treatment. White has a talent for that — making each patient feel special.
“One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that it’s relationships that matter most. That’s why I chose to become a cancer surgeon,” he explains. “I get to know people in one of the most important times in their lives, and it’s an absolute honor and privilege to share those experiences with them.”
The human touch
White’s credentials are impressive. He earned his medical degree from Columbia University and completed his residency at Georgetown University before pursuing a fellowship in surgical oncology and immunotherapy at the National Cancer Institute. He’s served on numerous boards and received countless awards, including the American Cancer Society’s St. George National Award for his contributions to combating cancer.
While patients often come to White for his surgical prowess, many are equally moved by his bedside manner. Kind and considerate, he takes a genuine interest in each patient as an individual, not just a case. Often described as a “masterful listener,” White ensures that all his patients’ questions are answered — he calls them personally if he senses they need reassurance.
“I always make it a point to be there when the patient is being put under anesthesia, and in certain circumstances, I will hold their hand,” he says. “When you are lying there and staring at the ceiling, it’s one of the most terrifying moments of your life. I remind my residents and students that what we do in those four walls is one of the most sacred things that can happen between humans. We’re about to change this person’s life forever. That is an incredible gift that should never be taken for granted.”
Left: Turkey bacon avocado sandwich with cheddar, lettuce, tomato and roasted garlic aioli on baguette.
A rarity among surgeons, White has the uncanny ability to clearly explain complex issues even in the most unsettling circumstances while instilling confidence and optimism in his patients.
“It’s critically important to break that tension and to relate to people. Humor does a lot of that,” he says. “It turns the temperature down in the room and humanizes everybody.”
Humor also provides comfort during uneasy times. White has a routine riff he shares with patients just as they are about to undergo a procedure under local anesthesia. “There is lots of numbing medicine with a needle followed by a scalpel,” he says. “No one wants surprises then, so I like to start by saying that there will be no surprises here. As far as I can tell, there are only three good surprises. If you can name another one, we’ll add it. The list consists of an unanticipated tax refund, the sex of a child at birth and a hole-in-one.”
Called to oncology
Growing up in Tenafly, New Jersey, White was inspired to pursue surgical oncology by his parents’ battles with cancer. His father was an attending surgeon at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons before he died of metastatic melanoma when White was only 5 years old. His mother, who raised him along with his younger brother and sister as a single parent, was diagnosed with breast cancer at 47.
“I think about my parents all the time. I don’t remember much about my dad, but from what I have read and what his friends have told me, he had a good sense of humor. So did my mom,” White recalls. “My mother worked a lot, but she was incredibly generous. It was important to her that we received the best education possible and aspired to achieve our goals.”
He inherited their strong work ethic and was focused on his future from the time he was a young boy. His mom made sure of it.
“Every morning after waking up, my mom would ask, ‘What’s the plan for today?’” he tells me with a big grin.
His current plans include continuing to lead his division as the Richard L. White, Jr., MD Distinguished Chair in Surgical Oncology at Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute. It was established in 2019 through a $1 million anonymous gift from one of his grateful patient families. The donors have since doubled their contribution, and White recently had the opportunity to meet and thank them personally.
“I had no idea who it was from. They didn’t expect anything in return. They just wanted to help make a difference,” he explains. “It’s enabled us to expand our innovative research, educational opportunities and special projects that may lead to new therapies.”
Immunotherapy trials have increased significantly during White’s tenure at Atrium Health. That’s led to improved survival rates, White says.
“When I first started, most patients assumed they were going to die. Now, we have options for the vast majority of individuals,” he says optimistically. “In the 1960s, the five-year survival rate for most cancers was about 40%; today, it’s well over 70%. This is a remarkable shift, and immunotherapy has played a significant role, especially for diseases that are resistant to chemotherapy.”
This year, White begins a new professional chapter as he focuses on the growth of the cancer program throughout the combined Atrium Health/Advocate Aurora Health system. The groups merged in 2022 to form Advocate Health, the fifth-largest nonprofit health system in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, the combined organization operates in six states: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Wisconsin and the Carolinas. Wake Forest University School of Medicine is the academic core of the new system.
“We are extremely fortunate. With our new relationship with Wake Forest, we’re adding a layer of basic science research and medical school education that puts us in a terrific position for the future,” White says. “There are very few reasons one would ever need to leave Charlotte for healthcare. That’s transformational for our community.”
A remarkable adventure
“I didn’t know where Charlotte was when I was recruited in the mid-1990s,” White admits, sheepishly. Three decades later, he can’t imagine living or working anywhere else and considers his time in Charlotte a “remarkable adventure.”
“When I first got here, we were trying to build a comprehensive cancer program. We’re now part of a National Cancer Institute-approved cancer program and one of the largest breast cancer care programs in the United States,” he says. “I took a chance, and it turned out to be the best decision I could have ever made because it has allowed me to teach, conduct research and provide clinical care in ways I couldn’t have done anywhere else.”
Through the years, White has received plenty of plush offers to take on leadership roles elsewhere but says he’s never given it a second thought.
“Gene Woods, the president and CEO of Atrium Health, asked me a few years ago why I’ve stayed. I told him it’s because of our mission for all,” White says. He pauses to reflect and then continues emphatically, “Unquestionably, we take care of everyone. That commitment isn’t found everywhere in the country.
“What’s the saying: Do something you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life? I love what I’m doing. It is an absolute blessing and gift to intersect with people’s lives and help them through cancer. I hope to continue doing this for as long as my wife and boss will allow me.” SP
WATCH: Here’s what Dr. White believes is the toughest part of his job.
TAKE FIVE
Music in the OR: I always tell the circulating nurse, CRNA and scrub tech to choose the music, as long as it isn’t heavy metal. We listen to a fair amount of country music.
Any bad habits you can’t seem to break? Working. A couple of years ago, my wife said, “You’ve been working 80-hour weeks since we met. Do you think you can dial that back now?” So now, I work about 60-65 hours a week. In the last couple of years, I have focused much more on spending time with my family and relaxing on weekends.
Favorite food: Anything sweet! I eat my meals just to have dessert afterward. My wife makes mind-blowing chocolate cakes.
Time off: My wife and I love to travel and see how other people live. This summer, we’re going to the Canadian Rockies. We’ve also been discussing a trip that starts in Anchorage, goes around the Aleutians, enters the Bering Strait and ends up in Nome. It would be an opportunity to experience Alaska, complete with zodiacs, microscopes and scientific discussions about ice flows.
Something about you that would surprise people: I’m considered a world expert on French fries. I taste-test French fries from all over the world. So far, the best ones I’ve had were in New Zealand and Australia; they were made with fresh oil, super crispy and served piping hot. Café Monte in SouthPark also makes fantastic “string” variety fries.
