Practicing Much More Than Just Medicine
A couple gives back to the Miller School’s Wolfson DOCS Program
By Debby Teich
Photography by Colin Lenton
The Drs. Greene: Son Joseph, with parents, Barry and Madalene, and daughter Ilana Margulies.
F
or Barry and Madalene Greene, the Miller School of Medicine was more than just the school where they earned their medical degrees in 1985. They met their first year and were married two years later, surrounded by their classmates and friends. Since then, the Greenes have dedicated their lives not just to helping patients, but also to advancing medicine for the next generation of physicians through their philanthropic support.
After medical school, the Greenes served together in the United States Air Force and later settled in Maryland, where Barry, a general and bariatric surgeon, and Madalene, a rheumatologist, worked in private practice. They shared their passion for medicine with their two children, who became physicians: Joseph A. Greene, M.D. ’12, M.B.A. ’11, also a Miller School graduate, is a bariatric and advanced laparoscopic surgeon, and Ilana Margulies, M.D., is a plastic surgery resident at Georgetown University.
“Our kids saw how much we loved the intellectual pursuit of medicine and the ultimate reward of helping your fellow man,” said Madalene, who recently retired. “They foresaw the privilege and honor of being a physician, as well as the responsibility.”
Barry is especially grateful for the gift and opportunity of collaborating with his son, who is taking over his practice. He uses the extra time to focus on developing a surgical robot intended to maximize visualization, precision and control of instruments in robotic assisted minimally invasive surgery.
“Surgeons will feel like they have been transported into the abdomen with the ability to reach anywhere and look in any direction with true 3D vision and natural motion,” explained Barry, co-founder and chief medical officer of Vicarious Surgical. “I love helping each of my patients. When I help other doctors care for patients, however, I am taking care of hundreds of patients.”
Of his experience at the Miller School, he added, “I learned how to think about complex medical problems and experienced how fulfilling it is to help patients, including those who lack access to quality health care,”
The Greenes have enhanced their efforts to provide health care for the underserved through their generous contributions to the Dale Matza Endowed Memorial Fund, which they, along with Fred Telischi, M.D. ’85, the chair of otolaryngology and the James R. Chandler Chair in Otolaryngology at the Miller School, established in memory of classmate Dale Matza, M.D. ’85. The fund supports students’ involvement in the Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Department of Community Service (Wolfson DOCS) program, a student-run organization that provides health screenings and educational services to medically underserved populations in South Florida.
“Dale was very dedicated to the program, and it gives us great pleasure to honor his legacy,” Barry said. 
