JOHN FLAKE ANDERSON, MD: a conversation with the editor

John F. Anderson, MD, and William C. Roberts, MD

John Anderson was born at Baylor University Medical Center (BUMC) on November 29, 1948, and grew up in McKinney, Texas. In high school he was both a star athlete (in football, basketball, and baseball) and a top student. He entered Baylor University in Waco, Texas, in 1967 and after 3 years entered Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, graduating in 1973. Both his internship and residency in surgery were at BUMC. He finished the 5-year program in June 1978 and then did a fellowship in vascular surgery at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis under Dr. H. Edward Garrett, who did the first coronary bypass operation when he was in Houston with Dr. Michael DeBakey. After his fellowship, Dr. Anderson returned to BUMC, entering the private practice of vascular and general surgery beginning in July 1979.
By 1985-1986, Dr. Anderson was an at-large member of the medical board of BUMC. The next year, he served as chairman of the credentialing committee of Baylor Physician Associates. In the 3-year period from 1991 to the end of 1993, Dr. Anderson served as the elected president of the BUMC staff and chaired its executive committee and medical board. In January 1994, he became a part-time internal consultant to Baylor Health Care System (BHCS) and served on the System Integration Action Team, chaired by the newly arrived chief operating officer for BHCS, Joel T. Allison, who now serves as the system chief executive officer. In July 1995, he assumed his current role as the senior vice president for clinical integration, taking overall responsibility for coordination of clinical and medical staff affairs across the system. In July 2002, his role was expanded to become the chief medical officer for BUMC.
He continues his private practice on a limited basis. In December 1999, Dr. Anderson became a member of the board of stewardship trustees for Catholic Health Initiatives, the country's fifth-largest health care system; in addition, he serves on the board of Catholic Healthcare Federation. He and his lovely wife, Rachel, are the parents of 4 offspring. John also is a great guy and a major credit to BUMC and this community.