Dr. Glaze Vaughan Named East Tennessee Children's Hospital's First Chief Surgical Officer

Dr. Glaze Vaughan has been appointed East Tennessee Children’s Hospital’s first Chief Surgical Officer (CSO). He is responsible for leading the hospital’s surgical services enterprise - balancing clinical excellence with operational efficiency and ensuring the hospital delivers top-tier pediatric surgical care for the patients and families of this region and beyond.

Embracing his Southern roots and love for pediatric surgery, you will find Dr. Glaze Vaughan in scrubs and western boots in an operating room at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. Dr. Vaughan’s pediatric surgical career has taken him across the country from Georgia to Texas to Indianapolis but ultimately landed him here, in the heart of East Tennessee. He completed medical school at Georgia Health Sciences University followed by residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in general surgery. He then relocated to Indiana University Medical Center for fellowship but returned to Texas and practiced pediatric surgery there for 16 years.

As someone who grew up in a small town with a big emphasis on family, Dr. Vaughan and his wife knew they wanted to be closer to family again, which led him to look for opportunities in the southeast. Originally from Georgia, Dr. Vaughan quickly fell in love with the southern charm and community in Knoxville. He immediately felt a sense of family, togetherness and belonging at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, a place where he could continue to do what he loved while also making a difference in the community.

Thirteen years later, Dr. Vaughan has completed thousands of successful surgeries and is now known as the ‘boot doctor’ by patients and families. "Children have great attitudes and it’s infectious getting to work in this environment. Being able to restore a child to good health and correct a disorder is a true privilege." When Dr. Vaughan isn’t seeing patients or in surgery, he’s on Children’s Hospital’s board helping provide the community at large with the best possible care to the region and surrounding counties. He and the other board members ensure the hospital is moving in the right direction from a clinical, quality and safety perspective.

To Dr. Vaughan, children’s hospitals are unlike any other. “We have the expertise to provide the most cutting-edge care for infants, children and adolescents. There is a lot of growth that is happening in Knoxville right now and it brings a lot of exciting opportunities. Children’s Hospital works to provide state-of-the-art, expert care that will help support this growth and the children in our region.”

A lifetime of helping others, Dr. Vaughan never loses sight of his life philosophy as he serves his community. “Be humble, live simply, love earnestly, care deeply, speak kindly and never cease in attempting to do good. Above all, may my thoughts, words and actions be pleasing to God. I want to spread this message and joy to others whom I have the privilege of taking care of and work with.”