Robert Thomason III, MD

I am thankful to be a part of a great team of healthcare professionals in our vascular surgery office. From the front desk to the nursing team to the vascular lab crew, it is a topnotch group of people. \n Born in Lexington, I grew up in the North Davidson area, and at a young age, I began working with my father, who was a plumbing and heating contractor. I learned well the ethic of hard work and the virtue of a life spent in service to others. I observed this in his professional life, his church life and his personal life. After graduating from N.C. State University with a degree in mechanical engineering, I applied to medical school and was fortunate enough to be admitted. I completed a residency in general surgeon and worked for several years with Salem Surgical Associates, then went back to do a fellowship in vascular surgery, which is still my field of specialty. I returned to my roots, in plumbing and fluid dynamics. Since our Salem Vascular Specialist group arose from Salem Surgical, I have been in the same office for these many years, engaged in the practice of vascular surgery, vascular lab testing and endovascular procedures. Over this time, I have also been involved in surgical critical care, the wound center and the wound care team at the hospital, and helped develop our limb preservation program at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center. \n With each of these ventures, I stressed the importance of the team approach. This includes my partners in the group, our team of vascular surgery physician assistants, our teams in the office, in the operating room, in the intensive care unit, on the surgical floor, our colleagues in foot and ankle, in the rehab departments, the case management teams and others. This is essential for our success in taking care of patients. It's all about the team. \n As I mentioned, I have been fortunate in many aspects of my life, and for that I am forever grateful. One of the most important facets of my life has been family, and we have been blessed with two wonderful children, a daughter and a son, now both adults. As parents, we tried to raise them with an understanding of the importance of helping others. We tried to show by example that paying it forward is probably the best we can do, to repay those people who helped us when we were at a stage in life when we needed a hand. I continue doing volunteer work in Winston-Salem at the Samaritan Ministries/Soup Kitchen, Crisis Control Ministry and the Community Care Center.