The American Dream Story of Ken Rothfield, M.D.

Published on June 05, 2026

By Texas Health Resources

Ken Rothfield, M.D., is living his American Dream as chief quality and medical officer at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital. He knows what it’s like to be a critically ill patient, an experience that gave him powerful insights and deepened his passion for healthcare quality and safety.

After what seemed like an uncomplicated outpatient hernia operation during Thanksgiving week 2015, he was readmitted to a hospital in Baltimore with symptoms Rothfield realized were indicative of sepsis. He gave directions to his care team that likely saved his life. The next day, exploratory surgery revealed that a postoperative small bowel obstruction had resulted in catastrophe.

During almost two weeks in the hospital, Rothfield “learned to see life through the lens of a critically ill patient. I thought I was going to die there. I was overcome by fear and anxiety.”

This episode (it was almost three months before he returned to work) helped him to become more empathetic as a physician leader and, he added, “I learned how hard it is to be a nurse. What patients need most is someone to take time to be compassionate with them. But nurses have to balance that with an endless list of tasks.”

Rothfield came to Texas Health Arlington Memorial five years later, in 2020. Here, he has found the organization he calls “America’s best healthcare system.”

Hospital President Blake Kretz said, “We are blessed to have a chief quality and medical officer of his caliber here. Dr. Rothfield does an excellent job of working with our physicians and staff to promote quality care for our patients.”

If his father hadn’t insisted he become a doctor, Rothfield would have taken his life in a completely different direction.