DR. JACK BURTON

LKN issue men DR. JACK BURTON

PICTURED: Lake Norman Patio & Game Rooms’ Mayfair Club Chair

Change is awesome, right? Wait…what? You don’t particularly like it? Don’t worry, that simply means you’re like most everyone else—research shows that much of the world’s population fears change. But not Dr. Jack Burton. He, instead, finds that exploring new experiences is the spice of life.

It was this thirst for new experiences, along with the strong pull of family, that led him and his wife, Constance, to Lake Norman. After serving as the director of hematology and oncology at Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, last year Dr. Burton embraced the opportunity to manage the care of patients with cancer and blood disorders at Southern Oncology Specialists in Huntersville, Denver, Mooresville, and North Charlotte.

Dr. Burton’s appreciation for change may have something to do with his lifelong interest in biosciences and the selection of his specialty, because at their core, hematology and oncology are complex and ever changing. And while he thrives on the field’s ongoing requirement for new knowledge and solutions to problems, he recognizes the importance of the individual. “Patient care is complicated and involves many aspects,” Dr. Burton asserts. “I’ve learned that it’s not as one-dimensional as I thought early on in my career.” As a result, Dr. Burton approaches patient care with the goal of not only offering advanced cutting-edge treatment, but collaboration and empathy as well, acknowledging, “I know that I will get the best outcomes by looking not only at textbooks and current, peerreviewed publications, but by getting to the level of the patient.”

Any medical career comes with challenges, but taking care of patients with life-threatening illnesses can be particularly difficult emotionally. Dr. Burton handles the stress by remaining confident in the resiliency of his patients while also acknowledging how devastating their diagnosis has been for them. And though this role requires him to wear many hats, including friend, compassionate guide, and teacher, he has found that he is also a student, learning much about coping strategies that he applies to his own life. Of course, oncology also brings great rewards. “The best part is when treatment works and patients return to good health,” says Dr. Burton with a big smile, adding, “Nothing brings me greater pleasure than

Southern Oncology Specialists

hearing a patient commemorate their final chemo treatment by ringing the bell.”

The coronavirus has modified some aspects of Dr. Burton’s practice of medicine, but despite these recent challenges, he continues to find hope in adversity: “We keep moving forward,” he encourages. “Especially now, when there is a sense of uncertainty, my colleagues and I continue to offer state-of-the-art treatments to help our patients cope and overcome.” After all, as his own journey bears witness, life doesn’t get better by chance, it gets better by change. w