Message from the Chair
The Bobby R. Alford Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) at Baylor College of Medicine is a vibrant dynamic program situated in the Texas Medical Center (TMC), the largest medical complex on a single campus in the world. The department has made numerous contributions to the specialty through compassionate care, research discoveries, and innovative educational programs. The commitment to the “pursuit of excellence” has defined this department ever since its inception in 1967 under the leadership of Dr. Bobby Alford and that pursuit has guided the faculty throughout its existence.
In clinical medicine we try to treat every patient with dignity and respect and to provide the highest quality, evidence-based care available anywhere. In clinical care we have formed subspecialty service lines to avail patients of the latest treatments for ear, nose, throat, head and neck conditions delivered with kindness and compassion. We have developed Centers of Excellence in collaboration with related specialties for patients with complex or life-threatening conditions, e.g. Pituitary Center (Neurosurgery, Endocrinology), Critical Airway Voice and Swallowing Center (GI, Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery), Head and Neck, Thyroid (Radiation Oncology, Medical Oncology, and Endocrinology), Sleep Medicine (Pulmonary, Neurology.) We provide care as a part of BCM’s multispecialty clinical enterprise Baylor Medicine, which operates out of Baylor’s new outpatient facilities in the Jamail Specialty Center and at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center (BSLMC) our primary private adult teaching hospital.
In addition to BSLMC, our faculty cares for patients, supervises and teaches residents and fellows at Baylor’s Affiliated Hospitals throughout the TMC. Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH), the largest pediatric hospital in the U.S. has 30 pediatric otolaryngologists, averages over 60,000 patient visits and 14,000 surgical procedures per year. BSLMC is our flagship private adult teaching hospital and is affiliated with the Texas Heart Institute and the Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of only two NCI designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in Houston. MEDVAMC is one of the largest VA complexes in the nation, serving 27 counties. The ENT service is one of the busiest in the country, as measured by clinic volume, surgical volume, complexity of cases, and quality metrics. The Ben Taub General Hospital is the safety net hospital for Harris County housing one of only two Level I Trauma centers in the county of over 3 million people. Harris Health cares for more than 80,000 emergency patients per year and our faculty provides subspecialty care for all patients regardless of the ability to pay.
In research we have a long and storied history of contribution to the neurosciences in hearing and balance research. In the last eight years we have expanded our portfolio into head and neck cancer basic and translational research. We have an extraordinary group of young clinical faculty who are outstanding surgeons committed not only to the provision of exemplary care to patients but also to the education of students and residents, which is critical to our mission and identity.
Many faculty and graduates of this program have gone on to be leaders in our specialty and their communities. In the past 25 years Baylor OHNS has produced 21 department chairs, 23 division heads and four medical school deans. Four graduates of our training program have served as President of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (3 in the last 14 years). Two of our graduates are CEOs of major health systems in Texas and Maryland. Numerous graduates serve on editorial boards of our specialty journals and four individuals have served as editor-in-chief of each of the four major peer-reviewed journals in OTOHNS.
The department’s mission is to provide compassionate care for patients, educate individuals across the spectrum of learners, and unravel the mysteries of biology that affect the head and neck region. We strive every day to build on the extraordinary legacy of the department. We continue to produce highly skilled clinicians, thoughtful researchers, outstanding academicians and strong otolaryngologists for communities throughout the United States. Our commitment is to make people’s lives better by providing patient centered care, applying cutting edge research to patients and maintaining our focus to be of service to humanity.
Donald T. Donovan, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Olga Keith Wiess Professor and Chair
Bobby R. Alford Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery