Balfour Mount

Who is Balfour Mount?

Balfour M. Mount, OC OQ is a Canadian physician, surgeon, and academic. He is considered the father of palliative care in North America.

Born in Ottawa, Ontario, he received his medical degree from Queen's University in 1963 and studied surgery and urology at McGill University. In January 1973, Dr. Mount, a urologic-cancer surgeon, was influenced by a discussion group of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross' book On Death and Dying to lead a study at the conditions at Montreal's Royal Victoria Hospital. In September 1973, after visiting Cicely Saunders' St. Christopher's Hospice he helped to create a similar ward within the Royal Victoria Hospital and coined the term "palliative care". He became the founding Director of the Royal Victoria Hospital Palliative Care Service, the Palliative Care McGill in 1990 and the McGill Programs in Integrated Whole Person Care in 1999. Dr. Mount is the Eric M. Flanders Emeritus Professor of Palliative Care at McGill University.