Leading the Next Era of Surgical Excellence

Jason Frischer, MD, always aspired to pursue medicine. His interest began through a mentor relationship with his own pediatrician, and, as a seventh grader, he wrote an essay about wanting to study pediatric cardiology, which he worked toward through high school, college and into his early medical career. However, a fateful softball game pivoted him away from cardiology and towards pediatric surgery.

“My path to pediatric surgery began serendipitously on a softball field in Prospect Park in Brooklyn,” Frischer recalled. “While playing third base in a student-faculty softball game for medical school orientation, a junior faculty member also playing third base invited me to join him in the operating room for an appendectomy. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world; I still remember it today.”

Last year, Frischer joined Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and UT Health Sciences as Surgeon-in-Chief and chief of Pediatric Surgery, bringing more than 17 years of experience from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and a strong belief in the power of lifelong, coordinated, compassionate care.

After graduating from SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Frischer completed post-graduate training in general and pediatric surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital and New York–Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. He took his first job at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and he developed expertise in treating complex colorectal conditions.

At Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Frischer fell in love with the specialization because of his ability to “take care of patients for the better part of a lifetime.”

“I have patients I met when they were tiny and are now nurses, married, parents and I still take care of them today,” said Frischer.

In his new role at Le Bonheur, he plans to unite teams across disciplines to deliver comprehensive care for children with complex surgical needs.

“I am a big believer in multidisciplinary care and more specifically an interdisciplinary approach. When you build teams around coordination, they become leaders in the field,” said Frischer.

At Le Bonheur, Frischer sees an opportunity to unite surgical excellence with the personal, lifelong relationships that have defined his career. With his surgical expertise, global perspective, and dedication to serving patients, Frischer is prepared to guide Le Bonheur’s surgical program into its next era.

“I want to be a surgical leader for the patients and families of Memphis, Tennessee, the Mid-South and the whole Southeast and Southern region,” said Frischer. “I anticipate within the next few years we will be the leaders of surgical care for that area.”