David Yates, MD, DMD, FACS is a board-certified, fellowship-trained Craniomaxillofacial Surgeon whose career has been defined by innovation, leadership, and service to children with craniofacial differences. He has received numerous honors for his work, including the inaugural Physician of the Year award from El Paso Children’s Hospital, the 2025 Emerging Leader Award from the American Cleft Lip and Palate Association, and recognition as a Diplomate Making a Difference by the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Craniomaxillofacial Surgeons and was most recently honored with the Rosa Del Desierto Award, which celebrates individuals making extraordinary contributions to the El Paso and Ciudad Juárez region. This award recognized his dedication to improving care for cleft and craniofacial patients on both sides of the U.S.–Mexico border.
Dr. Yates serves as Division Chief of Cranial and Facial Surgery at El Paso Children’s Hospital, where he has been instrumental in advancing access to complex craniofacial surgery in the region. He directs the hospital’s Craniofacial Clinic and co-directs both the El Paso Cleft & Craniofacial Fellowship and Pediatric Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery program. In addition to his clinical leadership, he has authored numerous publications on craniosynostosis and cleft lip and palate, and his work has been widely featured in news stories highlighting the lives of children he has helped transform. His expertise is sought internationally, as he regularly presents at global conferences and has performed life-changing surgeries for children around the world.
A respected educator and pioneer, Dr. Yates is a founding director of the Cleft Lip and Palate Symposium and the internationally attended Endoscopic Craniosynostosis Symposium. He is internationally recognized for his expertise in endoscopic craniosynostosis, an area where he continues to shape best practices and train the next generation of surgeons.
Above all, Dr. Yates is passionate about serving children with craniofacial differences and considers it a privilege to walk alongside the families whose lives he has touched. He and his wife are happily raising their four children while serving the communities of El Paso, Las Cruces, and Ciudad Juárez.
