Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery
As a medical student at Bowman Gray School of Medicine,
Dr. John W. Yarbrough recalls an admonition he got from a cardiologist while making rounds: "John, any doctor can respond to a crisis. It takes a good one to see it coming and prevent it." Dr. Yarborough never forgot those words. In fact, he put them in action. His first stop was the National Institutes of Health. While there, the Burlington, NC, native was taken under the wing of another physician whose mentoring further reinforced the commitment to anticipate and halt the spread of illness. His advocacy of quality care extended to the profession as well, including time spent teaching future surgeons at the University of Nebraska Medical School. He returned to the Columbia and began his association with Providence Hospitals. Dr. Yarbrough served as the hospital's chief of medical staff and was chief of cardiovascular surgery for many years. He says at Providence he's worked with some of the finest professionals in health care, mentioning everyone from the cleaning crew to fellow surgeons. In February of 2007, Dr. Yarbrough retired, leaving more time for his family and his passion: bass fishing.
