Norman Gottlieb was a mentor who became a colleague. "Roy was my first rheumatology fellow when I joined the faculty at the University of Miami. We have worked together ever since. I have known and worked with him for 40 years," said Dr. Gottleib, who has retired to Black Mountain, S.C.
Calling Dr. Altman an extremely hard working, even driven, individual, Dr. Gottleib noted that for Dr. Altman, teaching was not confined to the medical school. Rather, he regularly had students to his house to view his clinical slide collection.
One of Dr. Altman’s former fellows, Dr. Rafael Rivas-Chacon recalls a time when he was a newly arrived rheumatology fellow from El Salvador, Dr. Rivas-Chacon felt a long way from home and homesick. Dr. Altman "used to take care of us. We did not have any family here, so he would invite us to his house for Thanksgiving and for Christmas."
Dr. Rivas-Chacon also remembers Dr. Altman as being available at any time for consultation. "He was very strict, with a very strong character. He was a very clinically oriented physician," whose first question when a fellow approached him was, "How can I help you?" And help Dr. Rivas-Chacon he did. In part on the strength of Dr. Altman’s recommendation, Dr. Rivas-Chacon went to Northwestern University in Chicago to do an additional year of training in pediatric rheumatology. Dr. Rivas-Chacon is now chief of pediatric rheumatology at Children’s Hospital in Miami.
According to Dr. Rivas-Chacon, physicians liked to consult Dr. Altman on difficult cases because "he was very definitive in his opinions and advice, which made him more useful.
"We had a dinner when he retired from the University of Miami. Almost every rheumatologist in Miami and Broward County was there," having either been trained by Dr. Altman or consulted with him on a case.
Dr. Altman’s achievements and awards could fill a ledger. He has received the Osteoarthritis Research Society International Clinical Science Award and Lifetime Achievement Award in Osteoarthritis, the American College of Rheumatology Distinguished Service Award, the Veterans Affairs Special Advancement for Achievement three times; the Physicians Recognition Award seven times; the Certificate of Merit from the Disabled American Veterans; Alumnus Membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha, Honor Medical Society; was listed in Best Doctors in America three times; won the Certificate of Appreciation from the AMA’s Division of Drug and Toxicology; won the Essence of GRECC Award; was named an Honorary Member of the Czech Republic Rheumatism Association; was named an Honorary Member Italian Rheumatism Association; was made an Honorary Member National Directory of Who’s Who, 1994–present; received the John B. Johnson Award for contributions to Paget’s Disease; won the Award on the Reunion of the Medical Faculty, Krakow, Poland; and won the Help & Hope Excellence in Rheumatology Award from the Arthritis Foundation.