Mission:
The mission of the Committee on Professional Diversity is to promote membership, networking, mentoring and wellness amongst members of diverse backgrounds which include race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, etc. The Committee strives to address implicit bias; advocate for a reduction in health care disparities and ensure the highest standards of care are met for all patients. 

African-American Pioneers of Medicine

Rebecca Lee Crumpler​

An American physician and author. After studying at the New England Female Medical College, in 1864 she became the first African-American woman to become a doctor of medicine in the United States.

Daniel Hale Williams​

Northwestern's first African-American medical school graduate in 1883. Dr. Hale became one of the founders of Provident Hospital, which provided opportunities for African-American medical students and nurses to further their studies. He also performed the world's first successful heart surgery, in 1893. 

Charles R. Drew ​

African-American surgeon and researcher who organized America's first large-scale blood bank and trained a generation of black physicians at Howard University.

Evelyn E. Henley​

The first ABA certified African-American female in the United States.​ As her career progressed, she advanced into the role of Chief of the Division of Anesthesiology at Howard University.

Committee Chair: Chantal Pyram-Vincent, M.D., M.P.H., FASA