Mark A. Mozer, MD

Ever since I was a young child, I knew that I wanted to be a pediatrician and cannot see myself doing anything else. I completed my goal when I graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical School and then finished my Pediatric Residency at Vanderbilt University. After my residency was completed, I started working with Cockerell & McIntosh Pediatrics that same year (1991) and have been happily here ever since.

Seeing a sick child get better and watching my patients grow into young adults is what makes the practice of pediatric medicine all worthwhile. Raising my own two children, along with my loving wife, over the years has taught me a lot about the needs of parents from their pediatricians and that not all good pediatric care advice comes from a book.

Our family’s biggest challenge was when our youngest son was diagnosed with a rare form of pediatric cancer in 1998 at only 16 months of age. I learned how important it is as a parent and as a doctor to treat my patients and families as I would expect my own family and children to be treated. Due to his excellent care, he is now a thriving young adult, as is my oldest son whose life was also impacted by this diagnosis.

Since our struggle with my son’s cancer, my family has been very involved in childhood cancer advocacy and fundraising in order to give back and to help other families undergoing what my family has experienced. In 2004, our family started the Kansas City effort for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Pediatric Cancer Research. With the help of many volunteers and donors, over $1.3 million has been raised for this cause in the Kansas City area. This advocacy has also helped me to understand the importance of what I do for a living. It is nice to have a career that I enjoy and that makes me feel like I’m making a difference in someone’s life.