Jack Han-Teh Chang, MD, Paediatric Surgeon

Articles written by Dr Chang relating to the history of paediatric surgery, 1976-1991; photograph, 2009; curriculum vitae and publication list, 2009.

Dr. Jack Chang was born in Shanghai, China on March 8, 1942. Immigrating to the United States in 1950, he attended secondary school in South Plainfield, New Jersey. After obtaining a B.A. degree from Duke University, he continued at the Duke University School of Medicine completing a M.D. degree in 1960. During medical school, his surgery attending and advisor was Dr. David C. Sabiston, Jr. who advised him to acquire an interest in medical history as, first, it would be an activity one can carry on at home (as the practice of surgery would demand time away from the family) and two, it would prevent repeating mistakes already made by others. Completing a five years General Surgery residency at the Colorado General Hospital including an American Cancer Society Fellowship in pediatric oncology with Dr. John D. Burrington, he continued with a Fellowship in Pediatric Surgery at the Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital under the aegis of Dr. William Kiesewetter. Upon completion of the Fellowship, Dr. Chang returned to Denver as Chairman of the Department of Pediatric Surgery at the then Denver Children’s Hospital, Denver, Colorado. In 1980, he joined the faculty of the University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Dallas, Texas in order to perform basic laboratory research. Due to his prior training with Dr. Thomas Starzl, Dr. Chang was required to organize a pediatric liver transplantation program which performed the first successful liver transplantation in Texas in 1983. Not being able to return to the laboratory, he relocated back to Denver in private practice. In 1991, he moved his practice to the Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center, Denver. Recruiting other pediatric specialists with a desire for private practice has culminated in the construction of the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children (completion 2010). In 1992, Dr. Chang performed the first open fetal surgery in Colorado for congenital diaphragmatic hernia (the teenager presently lives in New Hampshire). In 1990 and 2000 he received the medal of the International Society for the History of Paediatric Surgery. Dr. Chang retired from practice in 2002 due to a pelvic sarcoma. He continues as an advisor to the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children as well as lecturing, writing, and engraving on scrimshaw, the 19th century whalemen’s art of engraving on whale ivory. He and his wife, Laura, have three children and eight grandchildren. In August 2009 Dr Chang donated his collection of paediatric surgical books to the College Library of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.

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Descriptive list available.

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Dr JHT Chang collection of paediatric surgical books.