John M. Hiebert, M.D.

Dr. Hiebert is currently Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of Missouri Kansas City. He has held that position for seven years. Previously, he was Jones Professor and Chairman of the section of Plastic Surgery at the University of Kansas for fifteen years. He was also Director of the Sutherland Institute and Executive Director of the Burnett Burn Center. He is Board certified in Plastic Surgery, General Surgery and holds certification in Clinical Nutrition.

Hiebert was born in Wichita, Kansas, and grew up in that city as the son of A.E. Hiebert who was the first plastic surgeon in Kansas. After completing high school, where he graduated with honors, he went on to the University of Kansas where he received his BS degree in philosophy and chemistry. He matriculated to Boston University where he completed his MD degree with honors, and realizing his interest in surgery and the psychology of surgery, he became an NIH trainee in academic surgery while completing his surgical residency. He went on to receive research training at Harvard and at MIT where he carried out training for a Ph.D. in metabolism and clinical nutrition. During that time he was associated with Boston City Hospital, Peter Brigham Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Joslin Clinic in Boston. During this time he was engaged in seminal metabolic and nutrition research which led to a better understanding of protein fueling in the burn and trauma patient as well as in the starving patient. This led to the development of several products in the nutritional industry for external feeding of the trauma patient. Endocrine surgery and its impact on mechanisms of recovery were the prime interest in his clinical work.

Always interested in clinical and metabolic aspects of surgery and surgery recovery, as well as in the psychology of physical appearance, Dr. Hiebert matriculated to the University of Virginia where he completed a residence in Plastic Surgery under the direction of Milton Edgerton. He was invited to join the faculty becoming in two years the youngest Associate Professor in surgery at that institution. After four years at the University of Virginia, he was invited to become Professor and Chairman of Plastic Surgery at the University of Kansas. During his years of training and teaching at the University of Virginia, he continued his interest in metabolism. As Co-Director of the Burn Center, he developed new methods of fueling the burn patient and identified biomarkers of risk, which could be treated nutritionally as it had a direct impact on the ability of the burn patient to withstand infection as a function of a competent immune system. He also became involved in obesity, its etiology and treatment methods, as well as its impact on physiology and physical appearance.

While at the University of Virginia, he developed a keen interest in craniofacial surgery, which stimulated and sustained his conceptual and technical understanding of physical appearance and habilitation in children with congenital anomalies. The relationship of reconstructive craniofacial surgery and cosmetic surgery on physical appearance fueled his interest in cosmetic surgery. At the same time he became increasingly interested in utilizing medical lasers in skin and chemical methods for cosmetic patients.

At the University of Kansas he became the first Jones Professor of Craniofacial Medicine and initiated and completed the vision of the Sutherland Institute which is unique as a multispeciality center dealing with facial anomalies, both congenital as well as traumatic, and those secondary to cancer and degenerative diseases. At this time his primary focus of research was in skin and in the psychology of physical appearance. He published many medical articles at that time reporting his work and the work of other members with which he collaborated.

After fifteen years as Chairman of Plastic Surgery, and with the completion of the Sutherland Institute, he entered private practice where he has continued to develop new concepts of skin care employing laser and mechanical techniques combining chemical and surgical methods. He has continued in his role of teacher, of medical students, residents, nurses, and other health care providers.

Currently Dr. Hiebert has expanded his vision and is in the process of board certification in anti-aging medicine. This combines recent advances in our knowledge of the mechanisms of aging which are hormonal as well as metabolic related to oxidative metabolism and nutrition. New insights into genetic biomarkers are becoming available. Dr. Hiebert is guiding his practice to include an understanding of these principles of physiology in aging as well as the surgical manipulation of the body to adjust for aging.

He maintains at the same time a keen interest in children as the founding director of the Mid-American Cleft and Craniofacial Program at St. Luke’s—Shawnee Mission System which was the first program to be fully accredited in both Kansas and Missouri. He has continued to give back to others having recently participated on a continuing basis serviced through M.A.C.L.A. providing surgical care for needy children in the Dominican Republic.

Over the years, Dr. Hiebert has been and continues to be recognized for his many contributions. He was elected into Alpha Epsilon Delta (a premedical honor society), the Begg Society (medical honor society) and Alpha Omega Alpha (national medical honor society). He received the “Outstanding Resident” award at his graduation from medical training and “Outstanding Medical Research” award from the Southern Surgical Society. In 1989 he received “First Place” (scientific division) award from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. He has been an invited lecturer at numerous universities including UMKC, University of California Davis, University of Kansas, University of Iowa, University of Illinois, University of Virginia, Boston University and Harvard University. He just has been designated to deliver the “Thomas Jefferson Memorial Lecture” at the University of Virginia in 2002 and was recently appointed as Adjunct Professor of Plastic Surgery at the University of Virginia. He has served on a long list of appointed and elected positions in his profession including president of the Midwestern Society of Plastic Surgeons. He recently established a professorship in plastic surgery in the name of his father at the University of Virginia.

All in all, Dr. Hiebert’s scientific accomplishments, broad vision, and extensive academic and clinical experience, qualifies him as an outstanding plastic surgeon in this region.

Education

Medical School
Boston University School of Medicine
Completed: 1967


Residencies
Boston University Medical Center
Completed: 1975

University of Virginia School of Medicine
Completed: 1977

Univ Of Virginia Medical Center
Plastic Surgery

Memberships

Better Business Bureau
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Society of Maxillo Facial Surgeons
American Association of Plastic Surgeons
American Trauma Society
Fellow of American College of Surgeons
American College of Nutrition
American Association for the Surgery of Trauma
American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine
American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery
American Cleft, Palate, and Cranio Facial Association
American Medical Association
American Burn Association
Virginia Burn Federation