Longtime CHRISTUS Tyler pediatrician set to retire after 40 years

One of the longest-practicing pediatricians in the Tyler area will soon be hanging up his stethoscope.

Dr. Rick Rogers, a CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic physician, will see his last patient on April 30. This is nine days after he turns 70, putting a capper on a 40-year medical career that began in Tyler in 1984.

“I am from Dallas and I love Dallas, but I got sick of the traffic,” Rogers said. “My wife and I were looking to get out of the city. We came to Tyler and absolutely fell in love with it.”

Rogers originally joined fellow pediatrician Dr. Joe Bates in practicing pediatric medicine in their clinic off Fleishel Avenue. In 1995, he moved to the Turtle Creek location, where he has been ever since.

He emphasized the incredible changes to pediatric care the Tyler area has seen in his four decades, noting that for years he provided newborn care, including emergency care for the critically ill.

The neonatal intensive care unit opening at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances “was a game changer,” he said. “We had been sending patients to Dallas to receive critical care, and we no longer had to do that. It was an absolute blessing.”

Recently, he saw firsthand the impact he’s had: a family bringing their third generation to him.

“You work in medicine long enough, you really build that relationship with the families,” he said. “It has been a joy for me to see kids and even grandkids of my former patients coming back. For me, that is an incredible honor.”

Rogers played a key role in launching the Children’s Miracle Network in Tyler, which raises local funds for critical treatments and health care services, pediatric medical equipment and charitable care. He was recently honored by Bethesda Health Clinic with the 2024 Dr. Luke Society award, which is given to physicians who best represent the writings of Saint Luke in Colossians 4:14, in which Luke was referred to as “the beloved physician.”

“I always wanted to retire when people would be upset, and not when they would say, ‘it is about time,’” he said. “I think I am picking a good time.”

There will be a retirement party for Rogers on Saturday, April 6 from 2-4 p.m. at CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic – Turtle Creek, 706 Turtle Creek Dr., Tyler. The event is open to the public with current and former patients encouraged to attend.