Honoring the life of Dr. Balfour Mount

Honoring the life of Dr. Balfour Mount
[Additional information at the link above; obituary link will be shared when available]; Ira Byock; 9/28/25
Dr. Balfour Mount died on September 25th in Montreal. Dr. Mount was one of the true founders of the field of hospice and palliative care. After his own experience with testicular cancer as a young man, he trained as a urologic oncologist. Early in his clinical career, Dr. Mount became aware of Dr. Cicely Saunders’ development of hospice in England. He visited St. Christopher’s to learn from Dr. Saunders and brought back the concept of hospice care to McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He coined “palliative care” as a more acceptable term to French speaking Quebec. He went on to develop Palliative Care McGill, the first academic palliative care program in North America. He directed this clinical and research program for decades. Dr. Mount’s prolific writings and compelling lectures on care of people with life-limiting conditions helped spark the nascent field. He served on the Board of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Dr. Mount mentored many of the next generation of leaders of the field. It is a fitting culmination of his life-long work that he was cared for in the final days of life in the palliative care unit of the McGill’s Royal Victoria Hospital that he developed and led for many years.
Guest Editor Note, Ira Byock, MD: As a physician-in-training in the mid-1970s, Balfour Mount’s articles on care of dying people electrified me. He was one of the very few physicians who was articulating both the need and explaining how to care well for dying patients. I had the privilege of becoming one of his mentees and of having Bal as a friend for many years. He was a truly remarkable man who leaves a legacy that we are all continuing to fulfill.
Addendum from AAHPM Leadership: A Message of Condolence - Dr. Mount’s legacy is not only in the programs he built or the accolades he received, but in the lives he touched—patients, families, clinicians, and communities. His vision challenged us to see beyond the illness, to embrace the person, and to lead with empathy and integrity. We extend our deepest condolences to Dr. Mount’s family, colleagues, and all who mourn his loss. May we continue to carry forward his mission with the same grace and conviction that defined his life’s work. With gratitude and reverence, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine