David W. Roberson, MD

David Roberson, MD, MBA, FACS, FRCS, specializes in otolaryngology, commonly known as ENT, which deals with conditions of the ear, nose, and throat, as well as disorders related to the head and neck. He sees patients of all ages, with a special interest in pediatric ENT and chronic ear disease.

A love of science and wanting to serve others first led him to the Peace Corps, where he taught math and science in Nepal. This solidified his interest in pursuing medicine, a field where he could work one on one with people to help improve their lives.

Through a successful career in academic medicine for more than 20 years at world-renowned Boston Children’s Hospital and on the faculty at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Roberson honed his expertise in pediatric ENT and served in many leadership roles to advance patient quality and safety. It was a desire to be more engaged in direct patient care and community health that drew him to Bayhealth.

With a straightforward and compassionate style, Dr. Roberson wants his patients to walk away from their appointments with a strong understanding of their condition and the various treatment options available. He underscores the importance of working together with patients and their families, and openly sharing information, in order to get the best possible outcome. He especially enjoys engaging with children and offering clear explanations to help them feel more at ease at doctor visits and with the medical procedures or operations they face. 

The Global Tracheostomy Collaborative, an international quality improvement collective with 45 member hospitals worldwide, is Dr. Roberson’s passion project. He founded it in 2012 to share best practices related to tracheostomy, a procedure where an incision is made through the neck into the trachea (windpipe) to open the airway and aid breathing. He devotes much of his spare time to this effort, working with physicians, nurses and speech pathologists around the world to improve systems of care. Hospitals that have participated have seen remarkable reductions in costs and improved health outcomes.