Dr. Edmonson, also known as the Vegan Doctor, is a graduate of Texas Southwestern Medical School. He completed his Cardiology fellowships at Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas, TX, and at New York University Medical Center in New York, NY. He was a Captain in the USAF and Chief of Internal Medicine at Ellsworth Air Force Base, Rapid City, South Dakota from 1967 – 1969. He entered private practice in New Orleans where he developed a cardiac cauterization laboratory, helped develop and co-directed the noninvasive cardiac laboratory, and helped in the initiation of a heart surgery program at the Methodist Hospital of New Orleans. He was awarded the Certificate of Merit by the Mayor of New Orleans.
He moved to Dallas in 1980 and served as Medical Director of Cardiology at Methodist Hospital of Dallas for 23 years. With his colleagues, he introduced thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction, and coronary angioplasty and stenting for acute intervention. He was instrumental in developing an electrophysiology program, and worked closely with Dr. Lonnnie Whiddon who performed the first successful heart transplant in Dallas. He remains on the Dallas Methodist Hospital Foundation Board.
Dr. Edmonson’s practice has evolved from invasive/interventional cardiology to diagnosis and treatment in a primarily office based practice. His strongest interest is in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. He founded the Cardiology Disease Prevention Center to provide early screening, management and treatment for cardiovascular disease, implementing a plant based diet as a vital component of the treatment.