Physicians spend much of their career, adding value to the lives of others, suddenly with retirement the personal rewards that come with caring for patients and family are suddenly lost.
At the same time, these dedicated men and women still have something to contribute back to their profession. The Legends serve as members of select hospital committees: Philanthropy, PFACQS, CHIC, BY-Laws and Credentialing committees.
Vision
To ensure a robust and healthy future for providers and healthcare facilities through a lifetime commitment in the field of medicine
Mission
To be a non-clinical resource providing education, advice and mentoring to current and future providers and to healthcare facilities.
A significant component of serving on the medical staff of a hospital during one’s professional career is the development of trusted relationships. Relationships with colleagues, patients, staff and administrators. Those relationships often come to a sudden halt with retirement, oftentimes resulting in a sense of loss for the retiree. Even though retirement may be viewed as a welcome reprieve from the daily demands associated with a medical practice, it is not unusual to experience a loss of identity and sense of purpose. Many of our retired physicians have strong emotional ties to “The Square” and have dedicated their entire careers to caring about the hospital, staff and patients. These men and women of diverse backgrounds have first hand knowledge and experience and still have talents and skills to contribute to the hospital and community in a meaningful way. There are needs to be filled for our retired physicians and those nearing retirement as well.
Membership
Any physician that has reached Emeritus status, having served on the medical staff for 10 years. To become a member reach out to Vincent Martorana at vjmartorana@gmail.com or 410-371-7032
Among the benefits of membership are the opportunities to stay connected with colleagues, attend social events and CME activities sponsored by the hospital, and—most importantly—continue to live lives of significance by adding value to the lives of others, one of the reasons we chose our professions.
Committees
Mentoring Committee: Chair, Dr Daniel Harley
Lecture Committee: Chair, Dr John Anderson
Community Outreach: Dr Maia Diaz
Meetings
The Legends’ Business meetings precede the Medical Staff Triannual Meetings.
Live and virtual participation via Microsoft Teams.
3:30 to 4 pm. - Hors d’oeuvres
4 to 5 p.m. - Business meetings precede
5p.m. - Dinner with the active staff
Those retirees that are no longer working for another healthcare organization are welcomed to attend the Triannual Medical Staff meeting.
Mentoring Program
The Legends are a group of engaged physicians that have emeritus status with the medical staff of MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center. The Mentoring Committee members are a diverse group of physicians representing both medical and surgical specialties and subspecialties. Whenever possible, mentees are matched with mentors of similar professional and personal interests. Despite their clinical experience, mentoring is limited to non-clinical areas. Mentors and coaches will be neutral parties, not involved in the role of officially evaluating the individual. This has several advantages including: allowing the mentee to be able to be more open in expressing their concerns, as well as seeking a mentor’s honest opinions and advice. In general, there will be no written records. However, with a mentee’s permission and input, one may be created on a case-by-case basis. Mentoring can be one on one or in a group, depending on the issue and the individual and their specific needs. A hybrid form may also be offered from time to time. This would typically start out as an individual program, but with the mentee’s permission, progress to involve a group of mentors to offer a more diverse set of opinions.
Mentorship Areas
- Navigating the hospital /hospital etiquette
- Handling all types of phone calls
- Dealing with consult requests
- Dealing with disruptive patients / family
- Interactions with nurses, APPs etc.
- When and how to
- ask for help
- Non-clinical malpractice realities
Research
- Clinical
- Laboratory
- Publishing Papers
- Working with Pharmaceuticals and Medical Device Manufacturers
- Advice on obtaining post graduate residencies and practice opportunities.
- Advice on who and where to get recommendations for post graduate residencies and practice positions
- Advice and review of papers for potential publication as well as grant proposals\
- Entrepreneurship and opportunities outside of traditional clinical medicine
Starting a practice
- Private vs employed
- Solo / group / academic / administrative
- Pathways to partnership
- Types of contracts, restrictive covenants
- Practice practicalities, hiring staff, equipping offices, dealing with insurers
- Managing time, working efficiently
- Assembling a team, financial advisor, accountant, attorney, insurance, etc.
- Choosing a location, own or lease, staffing, suppling, furnishing, billing, benefits for staff
- Considerations for contract negotiation.
- Non-clinical malpractice advice, mitigating risk, etc.
Referrals
During the initial stages of our evolving organization, mentoring services for medical students, residents and new to practice physicians will be available through direct referral by Department Chairs to Dr Daniel Harley, Chair, Mentoring Program. Physicians planning retirement will be able to self-refer to the mentoring program. Students who are performing externships at the hospital can be referred to this committee by their sponsoring physician or department chair.
Direct contact with Dr Harley can be made via email, thedpharley@gmail.com, or cell phone, 410-960-0175 and should include the name, position, contact information and area of mentoring / coaching that is requested. Dr Harley will match the mentee with a mentor that possesses the appropriate background.
Past activities
Reunion at Liberatore’s Ristorante
The September 2025 reunion at Liberatore’s Ristorante in Timonium was well attended and thoroughly enjoyed by active and retired physicians. It brought together colleagues who had worked closely for decades, relying on one another as primary care providers and consultants. The gathering offered a welcome opportunity to reconnect and celebrate the professional relationships they had built over the years.
Lectures
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January 2024 - Dr John Anderson: “How physicians have been portrayed on television over the years.”
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April 25, 2024 - Dr. Kerry Stewart: "Exercise as Medicine: The Most Consistent Approach That Protects Against Age-Related Disorders."
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September 27, 2024 - Dr Ed Kraus: “The history of renal transplantation.”
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June 28, 2024 - Dr John Anderson and Dr Stuart Levine: “Franklin Square, past, present and future.”
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March 21, 2026 - Dr John Anderson: “How medicine has changed over the past 50 years.”
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May 15, 2025 - Dr Anthony Sclama: “From scalpel to pen: A physician turns to writing after his clinical years.”
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October 3, 2026 - Dr Vincent J Martorana: “The bridge between faith and medicine, my personal journey..
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March 6, 2026 - Dr John Anderson: “Why do we have prescription drug ads on TV?”
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October 2, 2026 - Dr Justin Martello: “New treatment for Essential tremors,Parkinson’s disease tremors, and other motor symptoms."
Physician profiles
Donovan Dietrick, M.D.
Program Director of the OB/GYN residency at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center (retired)
Professional profile:
Born and raised in the Washington, DC suburbs, Dr. Dietrick is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park (B.S. Biochemistry) and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (M.D.). He was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service and worked in research at the National Cancer Institute, N.I.H. in Bethesda, MD. His post-graduate training was at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center (Obstetrics and Gynecology). In 1984 Dr. Dietrick entered private practice along with what began as a part time teaching and administrative role in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center. During his career at Franklin Square, his roles included Assistant Director, Associate Chairman, and Interim Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In 2005 he became Program Director of the OB/GYN residency at Franklin Square while maintaining his clinical practice of OB/GYN. He was on the staff of both the Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland medical schools and had a leading role in teaching their medical students rotating to Franklin Square. He was a Board member and Treasurer of the Maryland Section of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He served many leadership roles on the Medical Staff of Franklin Square including President from 2000-2002. He served as a member of the Board or Directors and the Foundation Board of MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of MedStar Health and the Board of Directors of its insurance arm, Greenspring Financial Insurance, Limited, Inc. He is the author of numerous professional publications. Dr. Dietrick was honored as one of Baltimore’s Top Docs by Baltimore Magazine. Dr. Dietrick retired from clinical practice in 2017 but maintains a consulting role with MedStar Health.
Personal life:
Dr. Dietrick is married to Joan Dietrick, C.P.A. They both raised two daughters and are blessed with two granddaughters. They split their time between their winter home in Delray Beach, FL and their summer home in Arnold, MD. They enjoy boating on the sparkling blue waters of both the Chesapeake Bay and the coastal waters of Florida. They have enjoyed travel in their retirement from the interior and coastline of Alaska, the low country of the Carolinas and Georgia, and the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains to the continent of Europe.