09/19/2026
The name Herbert Kean is synonymous with greatness at Jefferson. What began as a residency in otolaryngology in 1957 grew into a distinguished tenure as a renowned clinician, surgeon, professor, faculty member, mentor, and generous benefactor.
Not only did Dr. Kean help build the department and create its premier centers for head and neck surgery and plastic surgery, but he has also continued to support efforts to keep Jefferson at the forefront of patient care, research, and physician education through philanthropy.
In 2001, he established the Herbert Kean, MD, Chair in Otolaryngology; in 2006, he created the Herbert Kean, MD, Otolaryngology Residency Education and Research Fund; and in 2008, he started the Herbert Kean, MD, Center for Facial Aesthetics. In 2021, Dr. Kean and his wife, The Hon. Joyce Kean, made a $5 million gift to support the Department of Otolaryngology in Jefferson’s Honickman Center.
Dr. Kean, now 94, recently sat down with Dr. David Cognetti, the Herbert Kean, MD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Jefferson, to reminisce, talk shop, discuss philanthropy, and impart the wisdom he’s garnered throughout his seven decades as a physician.
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