Balfour Michael Morgan Mount

Dr. Balfour Mount, born on April 14, 1939, in Ottawa, was a pioneering palliative care specialist recognized as the father of palliative care in North America. After initially working as a cancer surgeon, he shifted his focus to improve the quality of life for terminally ill patients, leading to the establishment of the first palliative care unit on the continent at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal. His innovative approach emphasized compassion and dignity in dying, transforming the medical landscape in treating patients at the end of life. Dr. Mount, who passed away on September 25, 2025, leaves behind a legacy of empathy and reform in the field of medicine.