A Health Problem We Can’t Ignore
Nov 11, 2018
On Thursday, the Chamber of Commerce hosted the 11th annual Salute to Healthcare Banquet, where we recognized the importance of the healthcare sector and its role in the local economy ... continue
It Started With Kindergarten
Oct 14, 2018
It started with kindergarten graduation. However cute this photo op may be, it is symptomatic of a much larger problem in our society. We think – no, we demand – ... continue
The True Power of Community
Sep 09, 2018
I have been reminded lately how wonderful our community of Lufkin is! I use the word community intentionally, for Lufkin is more than a city and more than just voting ... continue
There’s Something About a Sabbatical
Aug 12, 2018
As this column is printed, I will be three weeks into a four week sabbatical. Since I am writing ahead of time, I obviously can’t have predicted how it is ... continue
Fewer Women Need Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer
Jul 08, 2018
Less is more. When we find examples of that in medicine, we celebrate. In oncology – at least in fields like early breast cancer, where cure rates are high – ... continue
New Colorectal Cancer Screening Guidelines
Jun 10, 2018
In what has been described as a game-changing recommendation, on May 30, 2018, the American Cancer Society released a new colorectal cancer screening guideline that recommends most adults start regular ... continue
Reflections on the May 5th Election
May 13, 2018
On May 5, 2018, the citizens of Angelina County had the opportunity to participate in what is arguably the bedrock activity of our democracy: a free and fair election. This ... continue
Angelina College: 50 Years and Going Strong
Apr 08, 2018
Angelina College opened its doors to students in the fall of 1968, a momentous year in modern history. The Smithsonian called 1968 the Year that Shattered America. North Vietnamese Communists ... continue
The Seduction of Technology
Mar 11, 2018
For Christmas, my wife gave me and my daughter an Apple TV 4K. Billed as a device to “watch select shows and movies in stunning 4K HDR,” this tiny little ... continue
The Importance of Spirituality in Healing
Feb 11, 2018
Spirituality has gotten a bad rap. This is understandable, given the watering down of and movement away from organized religion in the late 20th century through today. The use ... continue
The Anti-Vaccination Movement is Fake – and Dangerous – News
Jan 14, 2018
Most vaccine-preventable diseases of childhood are at or near record lows. Vaccines prevent the deaths of about 2.5 million children worldwide every year. Yet some highly contagious diseases like measles ... continue
The Truth about Big Tobacco
Dec 10, 2017
There was some big, big news recently that you probably haven’t heard. After years of legal wrangling, the tobacco industry has not only been found guilty of fraud, conspiracy, and ... continue
Why I Shout about Being a Cancer Doctor
Nov 12, 2017
A prestigious oncology journal recently published an opinion piece titled, “Why I Keep Quiet about Being a Cancer Doctor.” I was depressed after reading it, because the author self-identified as ... continue
Palliative Care: Something We All Want
Oct 08, 2017
As a hospice physician – in addition to my role as a doctor who treats cancer – much of my focus is on comfort care. Part of my motivation to ... continue
The Demise of Polite Conversation
Sep 10, 2017
When did the art of pleasant conversation and open dialogue end? Every national new item – it seems – sparks vitriol that demands an alignment in one political camp or ... continue
Moving the Needle on Health in Angelina County
Aug 13, 2017
Back in January, I wrote about the abysmal county health rankings in Deep East Texas and the fact that Angelina County has been named the county with the highest obesity ... continue
The Crockett Hospital’s Painful Demise
Jul 09, 2017
June 30, 2017 was a sad day for Crockett, Texas, our neighbor just 47 miles to the west. Little River Healthcare ended its management affiliation with the Houston County Hospital ... continue
A Truly Community-Wide Cancer Program
Jun 11, 2017
Every three months or so, I chair a meeting at CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial in Lufkin of the Cancer Committee. As an accredited cancer program through the American College ... continue
What I Learned in Medical School That Was Wrong
May 14, 2017
I recently attended my 30th medical school reunion at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. It was a grand time of reminiscing and reconnecting with war buddies from the ... continue
The Grass is Greener in Lufkin!
Apr 09, 2017
Sometimes our medical community gets a bad rap. In any community, there can be a tendency to think the grass is always greener somewhere else. This is true whether ... continue
What I Would Like to See in Healthcare Reform (Part 2)
Mar 12, 2017
Last month, I wrote about the bloated, incredibly inefficient federal bureaucracy that eats up hundreds of billions of dollars annually in administrative costs. I mentioned that Obamacare was not ... continue
Support Raising the Smoking Age to 21
Feb 27, 2017
The 85th Texas Legislative Session is in full swing. On Wednesday, February 15, a bill was filed in the House by Representative (and physician) John Zerwas (R) to raise ... continue
What I Would Like to See in Healthcare Reform (Part 1)
Feb 12, 2017
I often tell people that if all I had to do was take care of patients, life would be grand. It is the countless hours of dealing with the ... continue
Resolve to Improve the Health of our Region
Jan 03, 2017
January is a time of resolution, and often our New Year resolutions focus on diet and exercise. My friends, we need a city, county, and region resolution to lose weight ... continue
Add HPV Vaccination to Your Kids' Christmas List
Dec 06, 2016
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) refers to itself as the nation's health protection agency. Among other things, they monitor infectious disease outbreaks (such as Zika, influenza or ... continue
History and Medicine in Angelina County
Nov 01, 2016
I recently came into possession of Angelina County Medical Society meeting minutes dating back 80 years, from 1936 to 1954. These archives were kept by Dr. W. D. Thames ... continue
Empowered – and Inundated – by Pink
Oct 04, 2016
There is a minor malady that comes around every season. It is characterized by a drop in energy, glazed eyes, and a strong desire just to sit and do ... continue
Prostate Cancer Screening Saves Lives
Sep 06, 2016
Over the last 30 years, I have been witness to a remarkable change in how we diagnose and treat prostate cancer. Prior to the mid-1980s, prostate cancer was detected most ... continue
Colorectal Cancer Screening: 80% by 2018
Aug 02, 2016
Katie Couric has raised awareness of colorectal cancer ever since her husband died of the disease in 1998. Yet colorectal cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death ... continue
The Significance of an Ethical Foundation
Jul 05, 2016
Last month, I wrote about the role of the hospital Ethics Committee and commented that open and honest communication between healthcare professionals, patients and family solves most ethical dilemmas ... continue
Dr. Sid Roberts is an Eagle Scout, a graduate of Rice University, and he received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine, where he also completed his internship and radiation oncology residency. He is board certified in both Radiation Oncology and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. He has practiced in Lufkin, Texas at the Temple Cancer Center at CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial since 1992. He is also a long time medical director for Hospice in the Pines.
He served on the board of Memorial Health System of East Texas (now called CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial Lufkin), chaired the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce board, was President of the Angelina Arts Alliance board, was President of the St. Cyprian’s School Board, served on the Executive Board of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, and was President of the Texas Radiological Society. He served many years on the High Plains Division board of the American Cancer Society and is currently on the board of Angelina College. He is active in Lufkin's First Baptist Church, where he can often be found at the keyboards. He has written a monthly column for the Lufkin News since 2013.