The chief of surgery, Richard Webber is the man in charge of the surgery department at Seattle Grace but has his own issues. Richard has some significant problems balancing his work and home lives. He has a loving wife Adele, who has always supported her husband through thick and thin but is growing impatient with his inability to let go of some of his tasks at work. Webber has a history with several of the residents and interns, having served as a mentor to Bailey and apparently having taught Derek and Addison earlier in their careers. He also watched Meredith grow up while working with Meredith's mother Ellis. Webber has a fatherly relationship with Meredith.Webber is a very good surgeon, having done all this stuff for so many years that he once demonstrated a surgery with his eyes closed. Webber has high expectations of his surgeons and of his program, seeking to make it one of the best in the country and excitedly looking to bring in new surgeons who are pushing the envelope and trying new and creative approaches to medicine.Webber is focused on his work, but enjoys his time outside of the hospital