ph ysici a n profile
D A V I D P. M A S O N , M . D .
E ar lier this fall, David P. Mason, M.D.
joined Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas as
chief of thoracic surgery and lung transplantation. Dr.
Mason’s specialty is non-cardiac thoracic surgery and
he joins us from the Cleveland Clinic, where he spent
10 years in the Department of Thoracic and
Cardiovascular Surgery. Dr. Mason graduated cum
laude from Harvard University and earned his medical degree from Columbia University College of
Physicians and Surgeons in New York. He has extensive experience in lung transplantation and performs
minimally invasive thoracoscopic, laparoscopic and
robotic surgery.
His vision is twofold: 1) to expand and grow the
expertise in treatment of thoracic diseases at
Baylor Dallas; and 2) to build a comprehensive
Department of Thoracic Surgery that will serve as a
referral center for Dallas and beyond. He is working
to establish nationwide collaborations that will serve
as the foundation for clinical research in
thoracic oncology and lung transplantation.
What brought you to Baylor?
This was a tremendous opportunity for me to join a
high-quality, forward-thinking, compassionate health
care organization that is continuously trying to
improve. The administration shared my enthusiasm for
the tremendous growth potential at Baylor in thoracic
surgery. Additionally, Dallas is a world-class city that is
thriving and seems to be the perfect environment for
the department to grow.
What differentiates Baylor from other health care
organizations?
I think what sets Baylor apart is its dedication to
continuously improve an already great medical center. Most importantly, the administration is sincere
and focused on more than just the immediate bottom line. They are looking at what is best for Baylor
and its patients in the long haul.
What inspires you?
My patients inspire me every day. I am amazed
at the strength and grace with which they handle
difficult news and difficult diagnoses, both for them
and loved ones. I try to put myself in their shoes.
I only hope that I can display the same level of courage when the time comes to confront my own mortality. I am constantly humbled as patients frequently face incredible adversity while staying so
positive. I am continually reminded about the
strength of the human spirit.
The best idea I ever had was … marrying my
beautiful wife, Judith, a pediatric anesthesiologist.
We met in the ICU at Johns Hopkins University in
Baltimore while jointly caring for a patient. I asked
her out to dinner and from then on, we have been
inseparable. We are blessed to have four beautiful
children: James, 8; twins Madeline and Olivia, 6;
and Jonathan, 4. This year is a rough year for us.
Judith and the children are still in Cleveland, and I
am apart from them for the first time. They will be
joining me in Dallas at the end of the school year.
We see each other every two weeks but being apart
from them is the hardest thing I have had to do in
my life. I love my family – being a good husband and
father is the most important thing in the world to
me. Everything else is gravy.
For more information
about heart and
vascular initiatives at
Baylor, contact Elizabeth
Denton at 214.820.4070
or Elizabeth.Denton@
BaylorHealth.edu.
DR. DAVID MASON
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