The 2026 edition of “Haynes-Glasscock-Shambaugh Surgery of the Ear,” a textbook co-created by a Vanderbilt Health surgeon that is renowned in the field of otology, has been made open access, meaning it is free and available to anyone, thanks to the support of Herbert Christopher.
Christopher is a grateful patient and generous donor to Vanderbilt Health, having established several funds through outright gifts and gift planning with his estate. The Herbert O. and Vineta Christopher Directorship, in memory of his late wife, is held by Angela L. Jefferson, PhD, Director of the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center. Christopher also created the Herbert O. and Vineta Christopher Fellowship to support otolaryngology and neurotology fellows, and funds the Haynes Innovation Award in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, which recognizes program leaders annually from institutions across the country with developing potential breakthrough changes in the field.
The namesake of this award, David Haynes, MD, MMHC, Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Service Chief of Otology and Neurotology, is a co-creator of the textbook which publisher Springer Nature calls “the preeminent text for surgeons with an interest in hearing, ear infections, balance, the facial nerve and skull base tumors.”
Now, the leadership and clinical excellence Haynes has honed at Vanderbilt Health and Christopher’s passion for funding educational advancements in medicine converge once more as Christopher, a longtime patient of Haynes, has made it possible for the latest edition of “Haynes-Glasscock-Shambaugh Surgery of the Ear” to be available with open access.
In addition to Haynes’ contributions, the textbook’s connection to Vanderbilt Health is evident in its homage to the late Michael E. Glasscock III, MD, who in 1970 founded the Otology Group, a Nashville ear practice that eventually merged with the Vanderbilt Department of Otolaryngology in 2004, forming The Otology Group of Vanderbilt.
“It means a great deal to me to make sure others will receive care for hearing issues,” said Christopher. “I am proud to help get this resource in the hands of doctors and clinicians who will reach those patients.”
Haynes noted that it is relatively uncommon for such a text to be open access.
“This is only possible through the generosity of Herbert Christopher,” Haynes said. “His desire has been realized, as the book has been accessed nearly 600,000 times in two months since it was published. Mr. Christopher’s support has had a tremendous impact on our institution and on medicine at large.”
