Mark Proctor

I specialize in the treatment of pediatric craniofacial abnormalities, spinal disorders, sports-related injuries and trauma to the brain and spine. As chief of Boston Children's Hospital's Department of Neurosurgery, I believe in fostering a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach, and delivering to patients the best possible experiences and outcomes.

My commitment to improving healthcare is reflected the depth and breadth of my education. After an undergraduate degree in French from Dartmouth College, I studied medicine at Columbia University, ultimately concluding my training as a fellow in pediatric neurosurgery at Boston Children's Hospital. I honed my skills as a manager and executive through Harvard Business School's Program for Leadership Development.

I am committed to improving the lives of patients with craniofacial abnormalities, spinal disorders and brain injury. I specialize in endoscopic, or minimally invasive, approaches to neurosurgery. I work closely with Sports Medicine to maintain an active practice in sports-related injuries. I advocate for brain injury awareness beyond Boston Children's Hospital, and am a member of the board of directors of ThinkFirst, the leading national brain and spinal cord injury prevention foundation.

In 2012, I was elected to lead the Physician’s Organization at Children’s Hospital, the umbrella group that directs contracting, billing, benefits and employment issues for over 1,000 doctors. I assumed the presidency in 2014, and have lead a great deal of change. I have been responsible for instituting a shared service center to centralize professional billing, a move that I hope will improve the experiences of families being treated at our hospital.

I have also created several new collaborations between subspecialties at Boston Children's Hospital to deliver care to patients whose needs were previously unmet. I worked with providers from the departments of Gastroenterology, Urology and General Surgery to address incontinence associated with spinal problems. I direct and helped to create the Brain Injury Center, a previously unavailable resource that harnesses the expertise of our Neurosurgery, Trauma Surgery, Neurology, Neurophysiology and Psychiatry departments. We have formed a center for complex pediatric cervical spine problems along with orthopedics, and our multidisciplinary Craniofacial Center remains one of the foremost in the nation.

One of the most extensive collaborative efforts I have participated in has been the development of the unique intra-operative MRI at Boston Children's Hospital, a project for which I facilitated partnership between the hospital administration, anesthesia, radiology, and engineering. This effort has resulted in great clinical success; I moderated a webcast highlighting the technology in a live brain surgery, which received a national “Webby” award.