A Magazine from Akron Children's
In his 30-year career as a pediatric critical care physician, Dr. Michael Forbes has impacted the lives of thousands of babies and children hospitalized with serious illness or injury. It was a difficult decision to give that up as he accepted an offer to move into an administrative role at Akron Children’s. Now, as the organization’s first-ever chief academic officer, Dr. Forbes’ day-to-day decisions impact more than individual patients. In fact, they have the power to impact patients he will never personally meet. “Our biggest priority is to use research to improve how we take care of patients and to continue to elevate our academic profile through innovative and new medical education programs,” said Dr. Forbes.
Becoming a physician was not a straight path for Dr. Forbes, who was one of 10 children raised in Brooklyn. Everyone needs helpers in their lives, he believes.
As a highly respected clinician during his three decades in the PICU, Dr. Forbes always made time for research. Now he leads it as chief academic officer for the hospital.
From a family of 10 children, Dr. Forbes was born in Jamaica and raised in Brooklyn, New York. His path to becoming a physician leader at a children’s hospital was anything but ordained.
He has been open in telling people that at one point in his youth, he was a “bona fide knucklehead” who got in with a gang and saw the senseless loss of young life and the cycle of retribution.
It took the support of his “village” – a high school counselor who saw his potential; a special program for underachieving students created by Black faculty members at the University of Pittsburgh; his wife, Yolanda, whom he met in a chemistry class; among others – to get him on track for college and medical school success.
After a successful career as a critical care physician at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and Allegheny General Hospital, Dr. Forbes interviewed with the Cleveland Clinic in 2006. While there, a physician recruiter from Akron Children’s contacted him. He didn’t know Akron had a children’s hospital, and as a die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan, was skeptical of any city that didn’t have a professional sports team.
But he came and met with Jim Besunder, MD, and John Pope, MD, who led Akron Children’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). After observing rounds, he knew he would fit in and be challenged by the high acuity. More importantly for his work/life balance, he would be joining a bigger team of attending physicians, promising fewer “on-call” days than the “every-other-week” schedule he was practicing.
During his tenure in the PICU, Dr. Forbes quickly became a doctor known for his compassionate care, his willingness to take on research projects and his concern for the impact of the daily stress of critical care on his fellow doctors and nurses. The PICU team too often cares for children who do not survive childhood, and even more difficult, are the victims of abuse and neglect.
During those years, he gave great thought to the impact of a PICU admission on the entire family. It might be a young child immobilized by dozens of tubes and lifeless in a medically induced coma, but the lives of her parents and siblings were equally traumatized by the experience.
Dr. Forbes coined the phrase “blast radius” to describe this impact of a child’s serious illness on the entire family and even beyond.
There’s no doubt that such sensitivity to his patient’s full story – their ZIP code, socioeconomics and family dynamics – comes not just from classrooms, his pediatric residency and fellowship, but also from life experiences.
And as an ordained minister, it’s in his nature to preach the word that we don’t have to travel difficult paths alone. It’s easy to offer help, to mentor and to value the differences in others.
Pictured with the retired director of pediatric intensive care,
James Besunder, MD, Dr. Forbes is a respected physician leader who has developed close relationships with patients and colleagues alike.
Dr. Forbes says research is the key to finding the most effective treatments and delivering the best care for Akron Children’s patients.
Michael Bigham, MD, who worked alongside Dr. Forbes for years as an attending physician in the PICU, describes him as “one of the most gifted clinicians I’ve had the chance to work alongside.” And, if that wasn’t enough “rarified air,” Dr. Bigham said his colleague had the genuine empathy and communication skills to help families through the worst situations imaginable.
Now, they work together on the hospital leadership team. Dr. Bigham, now chief quality officer, has had a front-row seat watching his friend and mentor move into his leadership roles.
“Dr. Forbes has proven his commitment to teaching across the health care continuum. Whether he is teaching a seasoned physician or nurse, or a student or resident, his passion is exceptional,” he said. “Talented clinicians and educators are tough to find in the same person, but Dr. Forbes also exemplifies a third exceptional skill – that of scientist. Overarching and perhaps driving the unique balance of clinician, educator and scientist is the character that is Mike Forbes. He is one of the finest human beings I know inside or outside of health care.”
Research can keep kids healthy and out of the hospital
After serving as president of Akron Children’s Medical Staff and the associate chair and Noah Miller Chair of Pediatric Medicine, Dr. Forbes was named chief academic officer in 2022. He knows his mission.
From inspiring stories, to medical miracles, the More childhood, pleaseTM magazine will make you appreciate those precious 6,574 days of childhood.
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