By Joan Tupponce

One of the first encounters Michele Burt had with clinical toxicologist S. Rutherfoord Rose, who goes by the nickname Ruddy, was about 20 years ago when she was caring for a patient with an exotic snake bite. She was new to emergency nursing at the time.

“He made such a great impression on me by rolling up his sleeves and jumping in to help me take care of the patient. Back then, we didn't have a dedicated [emergency department] pharmacy, so the two of us were mixing the vials right there at the bedside to reconstitute the antivenom,” said Burt, RN, MS, CSPI.

The patient ended up experiencing anaphylactic shock, but even under such stressful conditions, “Ruddy remained steady with a smile and good nature,” she said. "He has continued to be just as congenial here at the Virginia Poison Center. We are so fortunate to have worked with him for all these years and are really going to miss him.”

Rose, PharmD, who served as director of the Virginia Poison Center for 27 years, recently retired. For a man who wanted a profession where he could make a difference, Rose hopes that he has made a difference for people across the state.

Scott Gullquist, M.D., pediatric cardiologist at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, is “amazed” at what his close friend – who was awarded the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology’s Distinguished Service Award in 2019 for his achievements at Virginia Commonwealth University, VCU Health, and the poison center – has accomplished in the field of toxicology.

“He very smartly associated with the emergency medicine department in the VCU School of Medicine and now has created what is a modern powerhouse in the toxicology world,” Gullquist said. “That's just a testimony to his hard work and commitment to the job that he knew he wanted to accomplish.”

Finding a special path in life

A very active and inquisitive child, Rose became interested in the medical field when his father fell ill and passed away unexpectedly in 1973.

A senior at St. Christopher’s School in Richmond at the time, Rose quickly recognized the importance of prompt, good health care and decided to join the West End Volunteer Rescue Squad (now the Richmond Volunteer Rescue Squad) for a school project, which eventually led to his interest in emergency medicine and a lifetime membership with the squad.

While attending the University of Virginia, he took advanced training to become a cardiac emergency medical technician and was selected as his rescue squad’s representative to the Richmond EMS drug box committee, which was charged with selecting the medications that would be housed in the drug box on rescue vehicles. It was an appointment he proudly accepted.

Like ripples in a pond, I can't imagine how many lives have been saved, not just by Ruddy, but by the many caregivers who follow in his footsteps.

Tammy Scott, RN, CSPI, a certified specialist in poison information at VCU Health 

“Just after college, I advanced to vice president with the rescue squad,” said Rose, who is past chair of the VCU School of Medicine’s Division of Clinical Toxicology.

Two years after his 1978 graduation from UVa, Rose returned to Richmond to attend the VCU School of Pharmacy. After graduation, he realized working as a hospital or community pharmacist wasn’t his “cup of tea.”

A few years later he completed his Doctor of Pharmacy at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy where he discovered the field of clinical toxicology and accepted a fellowship in clinical toxicology at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, working at the Maryland Poison Center.

To Rose, clinical toxicology opened up a world of possibilities. The field married his passions for teaching, research, and direct patient care – areas where he could use his hands-on experience and expertise.

“It was a field that allowed me to do many things,” he said, adding that his time on the rescue squad taught him the value of working with people in need who are vulnerable. “You can make a difference.”

As a teacher and a leader, Rose’s scientific, analytical mind coupled with his social persona helped him make complex issues understandable to students, residents and the EMS community. He strongly believes that learning never stops for professionals in his field.

“I have learned how to be a better teacher,” he said. “I have learned there are not many things in healthcare that are so dogmatic that there’s only one way to do it. I appreciate that people can have different approaches and that’s ok.”

Second-year medical toxicology fellow Oyeyimika Oyekanmi, D.O., found Rose to be an inspirational mentor who welcomes everyone with an open heart.

“His passion and dedication to educating fellows has truly been one of the highlights of my time here at VCU. He has truly left a mark in my life and the fabric of the Virginia Poison Center,” Oyekanmi said. “I am extremely grateful for his leadership, compassion and encouragement throughout my fellowship training, which has helped me evolve as an individual as well as a medical toxicologist.”

Paving the way for a career at the Virginia Poison Center

After completing his toxicology fellowship, Rose spent three years working in emergency medicine in Jacksonville, Florida as a clinical toxicologist before moving to Charlotte, North Carolina to start what would become the State Poison Center for North Carolina.

He returned to Richmond several years later to join the faculty of the Department of Emergency Medicine in the VCU School of Medicine and serve as the director of the Virginia Poison Center.

Established in 1958, the poison center, a component of VCU Health, is the oldest in the state and one of the oldest in the country. It is a telephone resource for the public and providers, operating seven days a week, 24 hours a day. The center provides free information on all types of poisonings, snake and spider bites, and promotes poison prevention, and the safe storage of chemical products.

“Poison centers save hundreds of millions of dollars a year by preventing unnecessary medical costs,” said Rose, who has become an expert on the care of snake bites. “I get a great sense of satisfaction to the value we bring to the medical center in our outreach efforts and the education we bring to everyone from residents to physicians.”

One of his joys was watching the nurses who staff the center’s phone become frontline poison specialists.

If there is any legacy, it would be that something I said or they learned from me has helped them in taking care of their patients.

 S. Rutherfoord "Ruddy" Rose, PharmD, former director of the Virginia Poison Center

“Even a veteran [emergency room] nurse takes six months to learn this,” he said. “I enjoy seeing them develop and how they handle the callers to prevent unnecessary drama and trauma. To watch them go on and be successful at their work has been rewarding.”

Tammy Scott, RN, CSPI, a certified specialist in poison information, met Rose when she came to the poison center as a new nurse almost 13 years ago.

“As I think of him, the picture that comes to mind the most is his patience and love for teaching. He has mentored and trained so many doctors, pharmacists, nurses and EMS providers,” Scott said. “Like ripples in a pond, I can't imagine how many lives have been saved, not just by Ruddy, but by the many caregivers who follow in his footsteps.”

A strong advocate of the field of emergency medicine, Rose values the growth of emergency medicine as a department at VCU and the establishment of a residency and subsequent fellowships in the field.

“Watching the department develop and grow over my tenure and seeing the amazing skills of our ED faculty has been great,” said Rose, who served as the chairman of the promotion and tenure committee within the emergency medicine department for 15 years and found it “incredibly rewarding.”

“That has been a big part of my role on the faculty,” he said.

Stepping into the next phase of life

Married for the past 40 years with two daughters and two grandsons, Rose is looking forward to spending more time with family, traveling, and playing racquet sports.

In addition to pickleball, he also plays golf, a sport he started playing as a teenager, as well as pop and platform tennis.

“I tell myself I don’t have the discipline to go to the gym as much as I should, but I will chase a ball all day,” he said. “I enjoy the competition, and I enjoy the fact that you are with other people. I like the social aspect.”

Known as a teacher and leader students and colleagues, Rose believes learning never stops for medical professionals. (Kevin Morley, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Rose is always committed to the “things he chooses to do and he does them at a very high level of accomplishment,” said Gullquist, who plays pickleball with Rose. “Whether it's being a toxicologist, golfer, racket sports player, polar bear swimmer, or wine aficionado, he finds success with anything he does.”

Failure is not in Rose’s vocabulary. Resoluteness is.

“If you know that what you are doing is the right thing, that is the motivation for you to overcome challenges and see things through,” he said. “If you take on a job, you do your best at it. Never do it half-heartedly."

In reflecting on his career, Rose said he is grateful that the VCU Health System has recognized the value of the service the poison center provides and for supporting the center for years. He hopes he will be known for teaching clinical toxicology to all levels of providers.

“If there is any legacy, it would be that something I said or they learned from me has helped them in taking care of their patients,” he said.