Doctors' Day

Contact: Kayci Prince
469.814.2109
kaycipri@baylorhealth.edu

Susan Hall
214.820.1817
susanh@baylorhealth.edu 

BAYLOR REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER AT PLANO RECOGNIZES PHYSICIANS ON NATIONAL DOCTORS’ DAY    

(PLANO, TX – March 29, 2010) – The United States recognizes National Doctors' Day on the 30^th of March each year. The day is designed to celebrate the difference physicians make in the lives of people throughout the country.  

Doctors’ Day was first observed on March 30, 1933 in Winder, Georgia. Eudora Brown Almond, wife of Dr. Charles B. Almond, planned a day to honor physicians. The first celebration involved sending cards to physicians and placing flowers on graves of deceased doctors. Red carnations are commonly used as the symbolic flower for National Doctor's Day.

On March 30, 1958, the United States House of Representatives adopted a resolution commemorating Doctors’ Day. In 1990, legislation was introduced in Congress to establish a national Doctors’ Day. The legislations was overwhelming approved by the United States Senate and the House of Representatives, and on October 30, 1990, President George Bush signed S.J. RES. #366,  which became Public Law 101-473, designating March 30th as "National Doctors’ Day."  

"We are grateful for the many members of the Baylor Plano medical staff for the quality care and service they provide to our patients and their family members,” says Jerri Garison, president, Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano."

In addition, Dale Burleson, M.D., colon and rectal surgeon has been named Baylor Plano’s Physician of the Year for his work both inside and outside of the hospital. Dr. Burleson serves as section serves as section chief of the colon and rectal surgery division at Baylor Plano. A supporter of community initiatives, Dr. Burleson has supported the Heroes Baseball Program and the Mike Modano Foundation, which support underprivileged kids by either providing funding, education or confidence-building training. He also runs in the UNDY 5000, a series of 5,000 meter (5K) runs that began in 2008 by the Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA) to help give colorectal cancer survivors and caregivers a voice.   

For a referral to a physician on the Baylor Plano medical staff, call 1.800.4BAYLOR or visit www.BaylorHealth.com/Plano.  

Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano is a 112-bed acute care hospital committed to serving North Texas residents with personalized care and advanced technology on a beautiful campus with hotel-like amenities and all private rooms. Services at the not-for-profit, fully-accredited facility include treatment for advanced spine deformities at the Baylor Scoliosis Center, neurosciences, orthopaedics, medical and radiation oncology, surgical weight loss, women’s services, gynecology, urology, gastroenterology, pulmonary medicine, sleep disorders, pain management, diabetes management and more. Patients have access to digital imaging onsite at Baylor Plano and at the Baylor Diagnostic Imaging Center at Craig Ranch, an outpatient department of Baylor Plano. The hospital is the first in North Dallas and Collin County to offer minimally invasive robotic surgery for gynecology and prostate procedures through the FDA-approved da Vinci® S Surgical System.  The hospital has won several quality awards including the Texas Health Care Quality Improvement Award of Excellence and is designated a Pathway to Excellence™ hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.  Jerri Garison is president of Baylor Plano. For fiscal year 2009, Baylor recorded $3.9 billion in total assets and $452.4 million in community benefit, which includes providing care for charity patients and patients enrolled in government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, as well as the unreimbursed costs of medical education, research and community programs. For more information, visit www.baylorhealth.com/Plano.