LeadershipThe Founding Executive Director, Randall C. Morgan, Jr., M.D., MBA, serves as President & CEO and the leading visionary of the organization, working with the Board of Directors, Faculty and Staff to further advance the The Cobb Institute's mission. The Board of Directors is led by Board Chairman, Alvin Crawford, MD, to guide the strategic planning activities toward the fulfillment of The Institute’s mission and vision. President and CEO
Randall C. Morgan, Jr., MD, MBA, is the President and CEO of the W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute based in Washington, D.C. In that role he leads a staff of scholars and research specialists who focus upon the elimination of Health Disparities. He is also an active orthopedic surgeon who has practiced in Sarasota and Bradenton, Florida since 2005. He serves as founder and President of University Park Orthopedics in that community. He is also Clinical Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Florida State School of Medicine and is also a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Community Medicine at the University of Connecticut. He is a graduate of Grinnell College with a B.A. in Chemistry. He received the M.D. degree from Howard University. He served as a resident in Orthopedic Surgery at Northwestern University and served a Pediatric Orthopedic Fellowship at Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati. He later received an MBA degree from the University of South Florida. Dr. Morgan served as the 95th President of the National Medical Association during the years 1996 and 1997. He was the first board-certified orthopedic surgeon to hold that position. Dr. Morgan is a true pioneer in his profession and was among the first surgeons to perform total joint replacement surgery at Northwestern University. Dr. Morgan has practiced General Orthopedic Surgery and Pediatric Orthopedics in Evanston, Illinois, and as well in his hometown of Gary, Indiana, for more than 30 years prior to his relocation to Sarasota. With the assistance of his father, Mr. Randall C. Morgan, Sr., he founded the Orthopedic Centers of Northwest Indiana and served as its president from 1975 to 1999. At one time, this was the largest minority-owned orthopedic practice in the United States. He has written and published extensively throughout his career on Orthopedics, Social Responsibility, Health Equity and the Education Pipeline for Underrepresented young scholars. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and the American Board of Managed Care Medicine. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of Alpha Omega Alpha honorary medical society. Board of Directors MALLORY WILLIAMS, MD, MPHHoward University College of Medicine
BOARD CHAIRMAN, 2023-2025 Dr. Williams is a proud cum laude graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA in 1993, where he served as a Presidential Scholar, NIH MARC Scholar, and Ford Foundation Scholar. He received his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD in 1999. He completed his general surgery residency as the Chief Administrative Surgery Resident at Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center in 2006. He also served as a NIH Research Fellow from 2003 to 2005. He completed his surgical critical care fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Williams is a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery. In 2008 The Honorable Governor Bobby Jindal appointed Dr. Williams to serve the state of Louisiana as a board member on the Louisiana Emergency Response Network (LERN). As a LERN board member Dr. Williams played an active role in the strategic planning for the Louisiana trauma system. Dr. Williams is committed to mentoring a diverse physician work force and serves as the Vice Chair of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. Dr. Williams is also a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Reserve Medical Corps and served with distinction during Operation Iraqi Freedom as a trauma surgeon with the 345th Combat Support Hospital. Dr. Williams was recruited to the University of Toledo Medical Center to lead the Division of Trauma, Critical Care, and Acute Care Surgery. He is currently President-elect of the Toledo Surgical Society. He also serves as the current President of the Reede Scholars, Incorporated, a nonprofit organization of alumni from the Mongan Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Minority Health Policy who are committed to health care policy that produces quality, equity, and access for disadvantage populations.  MELANIE GWILLA HANNA-JOHNSON, MD, MHSA
Associate Professor in Clinical Medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSUSOM)
Melanie Hanna-Johnson is an Associate Professor in Clinical Medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSUSOM), Department of Internal Medicine in Detroit, Michigan. She received her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, her medical degree at Wayne State University School of Medicine, and her internship and residency at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Pontiac, Michigan. She subsequently received a Master’s degree in Health Services Administration from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. A Board-Certified Internist with the Wayne Health Practice Group and faculty in the WSUSOM Department of Internal Medicine, she has served in various leadership positions, including Associate Program Director and Chair of the Internal Medicine Search Oversight Committee. At the medical school, she teaches a course (P-4: Population, Patient, Physician, and Professionalism) to first-year medical students. She has served the National Medical Association as Secretary of the House of Delegates, Vice-Speaker of the House of Delegates, and currently Speaker of the House of Delegates. A Fellow in the American College of Physicians, she regularly mentors high school and college students through the summer Biomedical Career Advancement Program at her institution, a pathway for many of these students to pursue careers in medicine.  YOLANDA LAWSON, M.D
Founder, MadeWell OBGYN in Dallas, Associate Attending at Baylor University Medical Center
Yolanda Lawson M.D, Board Certified Obstetrician- Gynecologist, is the founder of MadeWell OBGYN in Dallas, Texas, and an Associate Attending at Baylor University Medical Center. She is the medical director of Abounding Prosperity, a community-based organization that addresses HIV disparities in target, Black communities. Dr. Lawson is also principal investigator of one of twenty-one sites for the EBONI study which is investigating Black women interested in reducing HIV by using PREP. Dr. Lawson leverages her business acumen, strategic thinking, and entrepreneurial skills to contribute to better healthcare for all but especially for the healthcare of women. Dr. Lawson earned her medical degree at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, completed internship at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, and completed residency at St. John Hospital & Medical Center in Detroit, Michigan. As a seasoned leader and strategist, Dr. Lawson has successfully navigated several pivotal roles for the National Medical Association, including serving as vice president and president of the CV Roman Medical Society in Dallas and the Regional secretary, chair, and trustee. Her leadership extends to councils and committees, including as the chair of the Council on Concerns of Women Physicians and is the immediate past chair of the Board of Trustees of the National Medical Association. She is a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, member of the Texas Medical Association where she serves on the Physician Health and Wellness committee, and she is a delegate for the Dallas County Medical Society and serves on the Political Action committee. Adept at recognizing and capitalizing on growth opportunities, Dr. Lawson brings her formidable strategic thinking to the non-profit sector and demonstrates her community engagement and passion by contributing to several boards and committees, including Baylor Scott and White Health and Wellness Center, Uptown Dallas Inc. She has lent her expertise and business acumen in board membership to hospital and recovery center boards, city, and health and wellness boards. She is also a volunteer with many other community activities and organizations including the Links Incorporated.
 TERRENCE M. FULLUM, M.D. M.B.A.
Chief Clinical Officer, Howard University Faculty Practice Plan
Professor of Surgery; Physician Executive of Surgical Services
Medical Director, Howard University Center for Wellness and Weight Loss Surgery
Dr. Fullum is Chief Clinical Officer of the Howard University Faculty Practice Plan; Professor of Surgery; Physician Executive of Surgical Services; and Medical Director of the Howard University Center for Wellness and Weight Loss Surgery, a “Center of Excellence” accredited program. He is one of the country’s premier minimally invasive and bariatric academic surgeons and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and a Fellow of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (FASMBS). LEON MCDOUGLE, MD, MPH
Professor, The Ohio State University Department of Family and Community Medicine
Leon McDougle, M.D., M.P.H., is the 1st African American Professor with tenure in The Ohio State University Department of Family and Community Medicine and he’s the 1st Chief Diversity Officer ‘Aka Chief Collaborating Officer’ for the OSU Wexner Medical Center. A graduate of the University of Toledo and OSU College of Medicine, he completed the family medicine residency at the Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, California, and earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Department of Health Management and Policy. Dr. McDougle’s research career has been focused on eliminating health inequities and increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the biomedical and behavioral science workforce. He’s currently working on projects involving allyship/bystander training, hypertension, cross-cultural communication, anti-racism, and inclusive excellence. Dr McDougle serves on the OSU Women’s Place Advocates and Allies for Equity Advisory Council. As a trained advocate, he convenes evidence-based discussions with male faculty and staff to develop allies for gender equity. As a result while serving as Co-lead of the Training and Careers subcommittee, “enhancing men's allyship to activate opportunities for women” was included among the 50 High-Return Opportunities to Advance Global Women’s Health R&D within the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and NIH Women’s Health, Innovation Opportunity Map 2023. Dr McDougle also served as an inaugural member of the NIH Center Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel, PAR-23-122: RESEARCH WITH ACTIVITIES RELATED TO DIVERSITY (REWARD) November 2, 2023, and served as Chair, December 3-4, 2024. He also serves as inaugural member of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee 2019-present. Dr McDougle served as the 121st President of the National Medical Association (NMA) August 2020 – July 2021 during heights of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also served as the NMA representative on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) COVID-19 Medical Advisory Group 2020-2022. Dr McDougle was elected to serve as the Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Diversity and lnclusion national Chair (2013-2015). Dr McDougle is a Diplomate of the American Board of Family Medicine and Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. He was elected to membership within the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, faculty. He is a member of the Rhema Christian Center and the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States. A native of Sandusky, Ohio, Leon, and his wife, Natasha Jones-McDougle, M.Ed. are the proud parents of two daughters. VIRGINIA A. CAINE, MD
Director and Chief Medical Officer of the Marion County Public Health Department
President, National Medical Association (NMA)
Virginia A. Caine, MD is the Director and Chief Medical Officer of the Marion County Public Health Department. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine Infectious Diseases Division. She is the Past President of American Public Health Association, President Elect of the National Medical Association (NMA), Chair of the Infectious Diseases Section, and member of the NMA and Indiana COVID-19 Task Forces. Recently appointed a member of the federal committee for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Board of Scientific Counselors, Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases. In 2020, the Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ) named her as one of 40 Influential People of the past 40 years, as they celebrated 40 Years of Progress in Indianapolis.
BOARD MEMBER, 2022-2025 Alvin H Crawford MD, FACS graduated Cum Laude in Chemistry and Music from Tennessee State University. In 1964, he became the first African American to graduate from the University Of Tennessee College Of Medicine, began his residency at Boston Naval Hospital and completed it at the combined Harvard University Orthopaedic Program. Postgraduate fellowships included Otto Aufranc Reconstructive Surgery of the Hip; Pediatric Orthopaedics-Spine at Boston Children’s Hospital and the Alfred I. DuPont Institute, Senior Scoliosis Research Society Asian Traveling Fellowship, OREF Carl-Berg Traveling Fellowship, Chief of Clinical service, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Xavier University Physician Management Certificates. He received the Navy Commendation Medal for developing the first Pediatric Orthopaedic and Scoliosis Clinic at San Diego Naval Hospital. He was Director of Orthopaedic Surgery at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for 29 years and upon retirement to Emeritus was awarded endowed Chairs in Pediatric Orthopaedics and Spinal Surgery and the Crawford Spine Center was dedicated in his name. Specializing in treating Scoliosis, he is considered an authority on video-assisted Thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and Neurofibromatosis in children. A prolific author, publishing over 200 peer reviewed articles, more than 63 chapters, and six books. Cited as one of the Top 10 Educators in the first 100 Years of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, (only surgeon), and country’s best doctors since 1996.Presidential Guest Speaker at 77th (2002) Annual meeting of the French Orthopaedic Society (SOFCOT) Awarded honorary medal(s) for work on Neurofibromatosis in Children; and for achievements in field of endoscopic surgery of the spine via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Awards include Founder’s Award from the Cincinnati Pediatric Society and Tennessee State University, past President of the John Robert Gladden Society, which annually presents the “Alvin H Crawford MD mentoring award”, first African American president of the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), Daniel Drake award (2006) from the University of Cincinnati, its highest academic award, 2007 AAOS Diversity Award, 2009 Candle in the dark award from Morehouse college, 2008, Trumpet Award heralding the accomplishment of a Black American who has inspired others in Medicine, business or entertainment, presented the prestigious SRS Paul Harrington, MD Lecture in 2012, Presidential Oration at the Indian Pediatric Orthopaedic Society in 2013. Lifetime Achievement Award (LAA) from Cincinnati Center for Closing the Health Gap, (Mayor Mark Mallory proclaimed May 8, 2013 to be Dr Alvin Crawford day in Cincinnati), the Laurel Wreath Award from Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, its highest award. In 2013, “Great Living Cincinnatian” Award for his medical and civic contributions, 2014. Distinguished Achievement Award and “Hall of Fame” from the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) and Lifetime Achievement Award from the Scoliosis Research Society, 2015 Lifetime Achievement Healthcare Hero Award from the Cincinnati Business Courier;, Cobb Fellow of W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute, a leader for equality in Medicine, increasing access to treatment and care for African Americans and promotion of optimal health, Honoris Causa’s “Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery” Ioannina Greece, Hon Causa University of Cincinnati 2018, Commencement speaker University Of Tennessee College Of Medicine 2015, and University of Cincinnati College Of Medicine 2016, Hibbs Lecturer Scoliosis Research Society. He was POSNA’s first African American member, Presidential guest speaker, Distinguished Achievement Award and now “Hall of Fame” member. He was highlighted by POSNA Diversity Task force on Black History Month 2021. He has been honored with an MPOWER House at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine The houses, named after notable UTHSC alumni and faculty, are the Conyers-York House, Crawford House, Diggs House, and Seddon House. Since mentorship is at the heart of MPOWER, each house has at least seven faculty mentors, who meet one-on-one with M1 students to discuss professional and personal development. Each faculty advisor will also have a support team of 15 to 17 second- through fourth-year medical students, who serve as peer advisers and address the demands and stresses of daily academic life and career choice. Two resident mentors’ help along with several other mentors from various years make up the rest of the mentoring team. Dr. Crawford has had a longstanding commitment to inclusive Orthopaedic education, both domestically and abroad. He has educated hundreds of Orthopaedic surgery residents and 57 pediatric Orthopaedic fellows, including many from outside the United States. Dr. Crawford has been committed to advancing pediatric and scoliosis surgery around the world and has taught and/or operated in 43 countries. In acknowledgement of his tremendous efforts and service, in 2007 he was the recipient of the AAOS Diversity Award for his commitment to increasing diversity in the fields of Orthopaedics, and particularly in scoliosis surgery. He has been admitted to the Hall of Fame of Historical Black Colleges and Universities. In 2022 the American Orthopaedic Association designated Dr. Crawford as an AOA Pillar of the Orthopaedic Profession. This program is a way for those he has mentored and trained throughout his career to honor his leadership and contributions to them and the orthopedic profession. In 2020 he started Black Men in Medicine Cincinnati (BMIMC), a mentoring program for African American male medical students, a diminishing, under-represented and at-risk group. The mentors work with the students and serve as examples of the possibilities - the mentoring philosophy for the kids follows the logic “it’s hard to be what you can’t see”. His passion for music has continued throughout his life. He started playing the clarinet in 7th grade, started college as a Music major, and has continued to play in local community classical and jazz bands. He is a past memory of the Cincinnati Symphony orchestra. He believes that his love of surgery and music have been mutually beneficial and helped him become better in both areas, because “if you’re going to play in a musical group, then everyone (as in the black and white keys on the piano, has to play together) in the same key, rhythm section, bass etc, all of the parts have to play together…and if you’re going to perform orthopedic surgery, you have to have an OR team, surgeon’s, nurses, technicians etc who have to focus (in the same key) and all have to play together. He is a retired 21 year board director for Ohio National Financial Services Insurance Company and a member of AACE. AACE is Major League Baseball’s approach to diversity by recruiting minority owners, I.e. African American Capital Equity Ownership of the Cincinnati Reds National League baseball franchise. He is a board member of Tennis for Charities who sponsor the Western Southern ATP tennis championships in Cincinnati. He currently assists in Jazz history at the College Conservatory of Music, and is a member of its Dean’s Advisory Council. Dr. Crawford is a retired Captain in the US Navy, having received a Secretary of the Navy Commendation Medal for 1987 West African training cruise (Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Senegal, Ghana, and Nigeria). He has been married to Alva Jean for 59 wonderful years, father to (Alvin, Charlotte) daughter Carole, and a proud grandfather to Mia, Elle and Uma. He remains a musician and tennis enthusiast.
DEXTER FREDERICK, MD BOARD MEMBER, 2022-2025 Dexter Frederick, M.D., knew early on that he wanted to be a physician. When, during his adolescent years, he was diagnosed with Osgood-Schlatter disease, a disorder of the lower front of the knee which can cause severe pain, it solidified his desire to enter the world of medicine as an avenue to understand and treat illnesses and provide service to humanity. On the journey toward his chosen profession, Frederick entered then Columbia Union College where he majored in respiratory care with a pre-med emphasis. He kept busy with his studies but still found time to contribute actively to college life and to the surrounding communi- ty. He was part of the pre-med club, vice president for his senior class, a member in the Columbia Union College Brass Choir and an athletic trainer for the basketball and volleyball college sport teams. He also assisted with the weekly soup kitchen ministry in a nearby Cambodian community.
Frederick graduated in 1992 and went on to Loma Linda University. As a student at Loma Linda, he traveled as a volunteer to Mwami Adventist Hospital in Zambia. After graduation in 1997, he did his residency in internal med- icine and pediatrics and has since been board certified. He also served at Loma Linda University Medical Center as chief pediatric resident. The passion for medicine which drove him to medicine in the first place, has only grown through the years and today, Frederick is making a powerful impact in his community. He has served as a physician delivering healthcare to an underserved community in the city of Tampa. One role that Frederick is particularly proud of is that of founder of the Tampa-based B.E.S.T. (Brain Expansions and Scholastic training) program.
BOARD MEMBER, 2021-2024 Dr. Lynne Holden was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. She attended Howard University and Temple University School of Medicine. She served as a chief resident and graduated from the Jacobi-Montefiore Residency Program in 1995. In 2018, Dr. Lynne Holden became a Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (the 5th Black female in the country). Her career is dedicated to patient care, teaching, educational research and diversifying the biomedical workforce. In 2007, she co-founded Mentoring in Medicine, Inc. which is a science and health youth development nonprofit that inspires, educates and empowers low income students from elementary school through medical career to pursue a biomedical career. In July 2020, she helped co-launch the Social Emergency Medicine Program for the Jacobi-Montefiore Emergency Medicine residency. Dr. Holden was elected Chair of the Emergency Medicine Section of the National Medical Association where she oversees academic enrichment, assists with faculty promotion and leads a mentoring program for six hundred EM physicians. Additionally, she was named Chair of the K-Grad Action Group of the Roundtable on Black Men and Women at the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. Dr. Holden has been the recipient of twenty national and local awards and fifty-four press features for her work in helping to build the next generation of diverse biomedical professionals.
BOARD VICE CHAIR, 2022-2025 Dr. Rodney Hood is an honor graduate from Northeastern University School of Pharmacy in Boston earning a BS degree in Pharmacy then enrolled at the UCSF Graduate School of Pharmacology and Toxicology for a year before transferring to the University of California San Diego School of Medicine where he received his MD degree. He then completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at UCSD University Hospital becoming a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and is a Fellow in the American College of Physicians (FACP). Dr. Hood is currently the managing partner and practicing internist in Careview Medical Group in San Diego and expanded his knowledge of the health system by founding and becoming president of an Independent Physician Association (IPA), the Multicultural Medical Group consisting of over 150 primary care physicians and 200 specialists managing health plan and provider contracts. The IPA managed health services to over 25,000 enrollees mostly from underserved communities. In 2012 Dr. Hood spearheaded a CMMI Healthcare Innovation Challenge Award that implemented a community-based social-clinical intervention strategy utilizing the “hot spotting” model referred to as the Patient Health Improvement Initiative (PHII) that focused on high utilizers of emergency rooms and hospitals and demonstrated cost savings of $15 million over 3 years. Dr. Hood has been an active member in organized medicine including the CMA, AMA, AMA-MAC, and American College of Physicians being honored as a Fellow (FACP). However, his passion for medicine has been expressed through his decades long membership in the NMA serving as president of the local San Diego NMA affiliate, Golden State Medical Association president, then served as chairman of the NMA board before being elected as the 101st President of the NMA. He has received many prestigious awards including being honored by UCSD Alumni Award for Excellence as the Outstanding Alumni for Professional Achievement in 2003, the CMA Foundation Adarsh S. Mahal, MD, Access to Health Care and Disparities Award, and the AMA Foundation Pride in the Profession Award. Over the past 30 years Dr. Hood has researched and lectured extensively on the historic aspects of race, ethnicity, genetics, and racism in medicine and the impact on today’s health inequities. He currently serves on several foundation boards that are focused on solutions to eliminate health inequities. He is the president of the Multicultural Health Foundation in San Diego, serves on the board of the Alliance Healthcare Foundation which is a philanthropic foundation financially supporting non-profit organizations serving underserved communities in Imperial and San Diego Counties, and chair of the W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute.
BOARD MEMBER, 2023-2026 Dr. Lonnie Joe is a Pulmonologist at Ascension Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan. In addition to a busy practice, Dr. Joe serves in the following capacities: board member, State Medical Society; board member, University of Michigan Medical Alumni Association, board member, National Medical Association; member, Novo Nordis Advisory Board; member, Southfield Institutional Review Board; board member, American College of Physician Executives; board member, Greater Detroit Health Council; and board member, Health Care Coalition. As evidence of his commitment, to date, Dr. Joe has been the longest-serving president of the Detroit Medical Society. In 2008, Dr. Joe was elected the Physician of the Year by the National Medical Association in Washington D.C., and in 2009 he was elected secretary of the House of Delegates of the NMA. His career has been devoted to patient care and the concerns of the physician community. Dr. Joe is a product of the Detroit public school system and a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Providence Hospital and a fellowship in pulmonary diseases and furthered his career by completing the John Hopkins Business of Medicine Program.
MIRACLE ROGERS National President-Elect: Student National Medical Association (SNMA) Miracle Rogers, a Miami native and current medical student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, serves as the National President-Elect of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA). She holds a Master’s degree in Bioengineering and a Bachelor’s in Health & Exercise Science from Syracuse University, where she was honored as a Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholar, Ronald E. McNair Scholar, and Nth Dimensions Scholar. Miracle is pursuing a career in Orthopedic Surgery with a special focus on reducing health disparities in musculoskeletal care.
KEVIN MCDONALD, J.D., ED.D
University of Virginia
BOARD MEMBER, 2021-2024 Kevin McDonald is the University of Virginia’s vice president for diversity, equity, inclusion, and community partnerships. He joined UVA after serving as the chief diversity officer and vice chancellor for inclusion, diversity, and equity at the University of Missouri System and the University of Missouri – Columbia Prior to the University of Missouri System and Flagship campus, McDonald held positions at several other universities, including as vice president and associate provost for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Rochester Institute of Technology, Vice President for equity and inclusion at Virginia Tech, as associate director for compliance and conflict resolution at Johns Hopkins University, and as campus compliance officer at the University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to his work in higher education, McDonald worked for the U.S. Department of Justice and for Network Solutions, Inc. McDonald holds a law degree from The Ohio State University and a doctoral degree in higher education leadership from the University of Rochester. He received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan.
AUDRA MEADOWS, MD, MPH BOARD SECRETARY, 2023-2026 Audra Robertson Meadows, MD, MPH is a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist who provides comprehensive gynecological care. For nearly 20 years, she has provided compassionate care to women before, during, and after pregnancy to ensure positive pregnancy and birth experiences. She enjoys and values the opportunity to optimize wellness for women and birthing individuals, train learners, and inspire innovation in women's health and pregnancy care. As an obstetrician/gynecologist trained in public health, she is a birth optimizer and health equity champion. She is nationally recognized for her work to innovate prenatal care, promote teaming in maternity care, and develop tools that improve obstetric safety and achieve equity. BOARD MEMBER, 2024-2025 Ja'Nia McPhatter, is a medical student in the Class of 2024 from New Castle, Pennsylvania. She has clinical interests in Dermatology and Internal Medicine with a focus on serving underserved and underinsured populations. Ja’Nia also has an M.B.A. in Health Systems Management and intends to lead and influence how to better shape the future of healthcare.
BOARD MEMBER, 2021-2024 Dr. Elizabeth Ofili is a Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) and Senior Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research at Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia. In this role, Dr. Ofili directs major NIH research awards, totaling over $150 million, supporting discovery science and training across the translational research spectrum from bench to bedside and community, including the Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute and the RCMI Translational Research Network. She is Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of AccuHealth Technologies, with patented technologies that are “Democratizing Discovery Science and Health with N=Me”. As Multi-PI of the Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute (ACTSI), a citywide collaborative at Emory University, Morehouse School of Medicine and Georgia Institute of Technology, along with partnering health systems and statewide research organizations, Dr. Ofili leads innovative collaborations to advance health equity. Since 2007, ACTSI has engaged over 673 investigators and 134 postdoctoral and pre-doctoral trainees in discovery science, training and community engagement. Dr. Ofili is the principal investigator of the NIH funded national collaborative for translational research, the RCMI Translational Research Network (RTRN). RTRN includes 18 historically Black, Hispanic, and Minority Serving Institutions across the continental United States, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, competitively funded by NIH to lead research innovations that impact health disparities, and playing a major role in diversifying the biomedical research workforce. As multi PI of the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) and Director of the Research Resources and Outreach Core, Dr. Ofili engages NIH funded research consortia and academic institutions, to recruit and retain diverse scholars and mentor teams for participation in NRMN. Dr. Ofili is a recipient of over 50 scientific, services and health policy awards, including induction in the National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Ofili graduated with distinction from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, completed internal medicine residency at Oral Roberts University, Tulsa Oklahoma, cardiology fellowship at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri, and Advanced Echocardiography research fellowship at St Louis University, St Louis, Missouri. She completed the Master of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. BOARD TREASURER, 2022-2025 Dr. Sneed is a tenured Professor and the founding Dean of the University of South Florida Taneja College of Pharmacy. He also serves as Senior Associate Vice-President for USF Health. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology with a concentration in Microbiology from the University of Central Florida. Dr. Sneed received his Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from Xavier University of Louisiana College of Pharmacy, where he received numerous clinical and leadership awards. He completed an Ambulatory Care/ Primary Care Pharmacy Practice Specialty Residency at Bay Pines Veteran’s Administration Medical Center. Dr. Sneed remains clinically active as a primary care clinical pharmacist focused on metabolic syndrome disorders. His interprofessional clinical activities occur in the USF Health Department of Family Medicine. He is also a member of the USF Athletics Sports Medicine team. He has earned the distinction of Distinguished Fellow of the National Academies of Practice, and Fellow of the National Pharmaceutical Association. Dr. Sneed’s clinical and research interests include the advanced pharmacological treatment of patients with Cardio- Metabolic Disorders, examining Health Care Disparities, and Emerging Health Technologies. He is a national lecturer on these topics. Recent research interests include the application of mobile health technologies, digital health applications, cardio-metabolic disorders, and applied clinical pharmacogenomics. Dr. Sneed created USF Health Pharmacy Plus, which he touts as “The Pharmacy of the Future!” Dr. Sneed was a Co-Investigator/ Co-Director in a IH-funded Center of Excellence known as the Center for Equal Health (CEH), a partnership between USF Health and the Moffitt Cancer Center. He remains active in numerous community healthcare-focused activities. Dr. Sneed directs an innovative community initiative known as WE-CARE (Workgroup Enhancing Community Advocacy and Research Engagement) to improve underserved communities’ participation in clinical research. WE-CARE focused its activities on providing over 140 Covid-19 virus, therapeutics, and vaccine educational sessions to people from diverse communities. He also directed a program known as IN-SHAPE (Inter-professional Student Health Assessment Project and Evaluation), which addressed cardiovascular disparities in Tampa, FL. Dr. Sneed has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, abstracts, and poster presentations. He has participated in many federal, state, and industry grant projects, and as a Co-Principal Investigator in multiple medication clinical trials. Dr. Sneed serves on the American Heart Association Tampa Metro Board, Board of Directors (2017-present; President 2017-2019), American Heart Association Tampa Metro Board, Health Equity (Chair), Association of Black Cardiologists, Board of Directors (2017-present, Secretary 2020-present); American Heart Association - Council of Clinical Cardiology (Chair); Area Health Education Center- USF (Gulfcoast North), Board of Directors (2007-present); is a past Chairman of the Health Equity Committee for the American Heart Association- Greater Southeast Affiliate- (Board of Directors) He participates in many community endeavors on an annual basis. Dr. Sneed is very active in national and state organizations, among which include AHA, ABC, NPHA, Cobb Institute, Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, Foundation for a Health St. Petersburg, AACP, FPA, FSHP, ASHP, Sigma Pi Phi, and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. RICHARD ALLEN WILLIAMS M.D. BOARD MEMBER, 2023-2026 Dr. Richard Allen Williams founded the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC) in 1974 and served as its president for 10 years. He also became the first chairman of the Board of Directors and started the ABC Newsletter. The ABC established the endowed Dr. Richard Allen Williams Scholarship for Black Medical Students In addition, he is a Past President of the National Medical Association. Recently, he served as President of the Charles R. Drew Medical Society in Los Angeles, and was previously a member of the Board of Directors of the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. Early in his medical career, while an instructor of Cardiology at Harvard Medical School, he founded and directed the Central Recruitment Council of Boston Hospitals, which recruited significant numbers of Black medical trainees to Boston hospitals for the first time in their history. He then served for three years as the inaugural Assistant Medical Director at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital in Watts, California, and was charged with the responsibility of opening the hospital. During this time he and Dr. David Satcher collaborated on writing the grant proposal which was awarded $2.5 million by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish the King-Drew Sickle Cell Center, of which he became the Director. Following this appointment, he took a position as Chief of the Heart Station and Coronary Care Unit at the West Los Angeles VA Hospital, eventually becoming head of Cardiology at that institution as well as the first Black full Professor in the history of the Department of Medicine at the UCLA School of Medicine. Dr. Williams has numerous publications and awards to his credit and is the author of The Textbook of Black-related Diseases published by McGraw-Hill in 1975. Other recent books are The Athlete and Heart Disease: Diagnosis, Evaluation and Management, and Humane Medicine:A New Paradigm in Medical Education and Health Care Delivery. Dr. Richard Allen Williams was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware, the youngest of eight children. Upon graduating from Howard High School at the top of his class with a 4.0 grade-point average, he was awarded a full scholarship to Harvard University from which he graduated with honors as the first African American student at Harvard from Delaware. He received the M.D. degree from the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, performed his internship at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center, Internal Medicine residency at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, and Cardiology fellowship at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. PAST BOARD CHAIRS
BOARD CHAIRMAN, 2022-2025 Alvin H Crawford MD, FACS graduated Cum Laude in Chemistry and Music from Tennessee State University. In 1964, he became the first African American to graduate from the University Of Tennessee College Of Medicine, began his residency at Boston Naval Hospital and completed it at the combined Harvard University Orthopaedic Program. Postgraduate fellowships included Otto Aufranc Reconstructive Surgery of the Hip; Pediatric Orthopaedics-Spine at Boston Children’s Hospital and the Alfred I. DuPont Institute, Senior Scoliosis Research Society Asian Traveling Fellowship, OREF Carl-Berg Traveling Fellowship, Chief of Clinical service, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Xavier University Physician Management Certificates. He received the Navy Commendation Medal for developing the first Pediatric Orthopaedic and Scoliosis Clinic at San Diego Naval Hospital. He was Director of Orthopaedic Surgery at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for 29 years and upon retirement to Emeritus was awarded endowed Chairs in Pediatric Orthopaedics and Spinal Surgery and the Crawford Spine Center was dedicated in his name. Specializing in treating Scoliosis, he is considered an authority on video-assisted Thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and Neurofibromatosis in children. A prolific author, publishing over 200 peer reviewed articles, more than 63 chapters, and six books. Cited as one of the Top 10 Educators in the first 100 Years of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, (only surgeon), and country’s best doctors since 1996.Presidential Guest Speaker at 77th (2002) Annual meeting of the French Orthopaedic Society (SOFCOT) Awarded honorary medal(s) for work on Neurofibromatosis in Children; and for achievements in field of endoscopic surgery of the spine via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Awards include Founder’s Award from the Cincinnati Pediatric Society and Tennessee State University, past President of the John Robert Gladden Society, which annually presents the “Alvin H Crawford MD mentoring award”, first African American president of the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), Daniel Drake award (2006) from the University of Cincinnati, its highest academic award, 2007 AAOS Diversity Award, 2009 Candle in the dark award from Morehouse college, 2008, Trumpet Award heralding the accomplishment of a Black American who has inspired others in Medicine, business or entertainment, presented the prestigious SRS Paul Harrington, MD Lecture in 2012, Presidential Oration at the Indian Pediatric Orthopaedic Society in 2013. Lifetime Achievement Award (LAA) from Cincinnati Center for Closing the Health Gap, (Mayor Mark Mallory proclaimed May 8, 2013 to be Dr Alvin Crawford day in Cincinnati), the Laurel Wreath Award from Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, its highest award. In 2013, “Great Living Cincinnatian” Award for his medical and civic contributions, 2014. Distinguished Achievement Award and “Hall of Fame” from the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) and Lifetime Achievement Award from the Scoliosis Research Society, 2015 Lifetime Achievement Healthcare Hero Award from the Cincinnati Business Courier;, Cobb Fellow of W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute, a leader for equality in Medicine, increasing access to treatment and care for African Americans and promotion of optimal health, Honoris Causa’s “Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery” Ioannina Greece, Hon Causa University of Cincinnati 2018, Commencement speaker University Of Tennessee College Of Medicine 2015, and University of Cincinnati College Of Medicine 2016, Hibbs Lecturer Scoliosis Research Society. He was POSNA’s first African American member, Presidential guest speaker, Distinguished Achievement Award and now “Hall of Fame” member. He was highlighted by POSNA Diversity Task force on Black History Month 2021.
He has been honored with an MPOWER House at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine The houses, named after notable UTHSC alumni and faculty, are the Conyers-York House, Crawford House, Diggs House, and Seddon House. Since mentorship is at the heart of MPOWER, each house has at least seven faculty mentors, who meet one-on-one with M1 students to discuss professional and personal development. Each faculty advisor will also have a support team of 15 to 17 second- through fourth-year medical students, who serve as peer advisers and address the demands and stresses of daily academic life and career choice. Two resident mentors’ help along with several other mentors from various years make up the rest of the mentoring team.
Dr. Crawford has had a longstanding commitment to inclusive Orthopaedic education, both domestically and abroad. He has educated hundreds of Orthopaedic surgery residents and 57 pediatric Orthopaedic fellows, including many from outside the United States. Dr. Crawford has been committed to advancing pediatric and scoliosis surgery around the world and has taught and/or operated in 43 countries. In acknowledgement of his tremendous efforts and service, in 2007 he was the recipient of the AAOS Diversity Award for his commitment to increasing diversity in the fields of Orthopaedics, and particularly in scoliosis surgery. He has been admitted to the Hall of Fame of Historical Black Colleges and Universities. In 2022 the American Orthopaedic Association designated Dr. Crawford as an AOA Pillar of the Orthopaedic Profession. This program is a way for those he has mentored and trained throughout his career to honor his leadership and contributions to them and the orthopedic profession. In 2020 he started Black Men in Medicine Cincinnati (BMIMC), a mentoring program for African American male medical students, a diminishing, under-represented and at-risk group. The mentors work with the students and serve as examples of the possibilities - the mentoring philosophy for the kids follows the logic “it’s hard to be what you can’t see”.
His passion for music has continued throughout his life. He started playing the clarinet in 7th grade, started college as a Music major, and has continued to play in local community classical and jazz bands. He is a past memory of the Cincinnati Symphony orchestra. He believes that his love of surgery and music have been mutually beneficial and helped him become better in both areas, because “if you’re going to play in a musical group, then everyone (as in the black and white keys on the piano, has to play together) in the same key, rhythm section, bass etc, all of the parts have to play together…and if you’re going to perform orthopedic surgery, you have to have an OR team, surgeon’s, nurses, technicians etc who have to focus (in the same key) and all have to play together.
He is a retired 21 year board director for Ohio National Financial Services Insurance Company and a member of AACE. AACE is Major League Baseball’s approach to diversity by recruiting minority owners, I.e. African American Capital Equity Ownership of the Cincinnati Reds National League baseball franchise. He is a board member of Tennis for Charities who sponsor the Western Southern ATP tennis championships in Cincinnati.
He currently assists in Jazz history at the College Conservatory of Music, and is a member of its Dean’s Advisory Council. Dr. Crawford is a retired Captain in the US Navy, having received a Secretary of the Navy Commendation Medal for 1987 West African training cruise (Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Senegal, Ghana, and Nigeria). He has been married to Alva Jean for 59 wonderful years, father to (Alvin, Charlotte) daughter Carole, and a proud grandfather to Mia, Elle and Uma. He remains a musician and tennis enthusiast.
Rahn K. Bailey, M.D.
LSU School of Medicine
CHAIR, 2017-2019 Dr. Rodney Hood is an honor graduate from Northeastern University School of Pharmacy in Boston earning a BS degree in Pharmacy then enrolled at the UCSF Graduate School of Pharmacology and Toxicology for a year before transferring to the University of California San Diego School of Medicine where he received his MD degree. He then completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at UCSD University Hospital becoming a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and is a Fellow in the American College of Physicians (FACP). Dr. Hood is currently the managing partner and practicing internist in Careview Medical Group in San Diego and expanded his knowledge of the health system by founding and becoming president of an Independent Physician Association (IPA), the Multicultural Medical Group consisting of over 150 primary care physicians and 200 specialists managing health plan and provider contracts. The IPA managed health services to over 25,000 enrollees mostly from underserved communities. In 2012 Dr. Hood spearheaded a CMMI Healthcare Innovation Challenge Award that implemented a community-based social-clinical intervention strategy utilizing the “hot spotting” model referred to as the Patient Health Improvement Initiative (PHII) that focused on high utilizers of emergency rooms and hospitals and demonstrated cost savings of $15 million over 3 years. Dr. Hood has been an active member in organized medicine including the CMA, AMA, AMA-MAC, and American College of Physicians being honored as a Fellow (FACP). However, his passion for medicine has been expressed through his decades long membership in the NMA serving as president of the local San Diego NMA affiliate, Golden State Medical Association president, then served as chairman of the NMA board before being elected as the 101st President of the NMA. He has received many prestigious awards including being honored by UCSD Alumni Award for Excellence as the Outstanding Alumni for Professional Achievement in 2003, the CMA Foundation Adarsh S. Mahal, MD, Access to Health Care and Disparities Award, and the AMA Foundation Pride in the Profession Award. Over the past 30 years Dr. Hood has researched and lectured extensively on the historic aspects of race, ethnicity, genetics, and racism in medicine and the impact on today’s health inequities. He currently serves on several foundation boards that are focused on solutions to eliminate health inequities. He is the president of the Multicultural Health Foundation in San Diego, serves on the board of the Alliance Healthcare Foundation which is a philanthropic foundation financially supporting non-profit organizations serving underserved communities in Imperial and San Diego Counties, and chair of the W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute.
FOUNDING CHAIR, 2004-2017 Dr. Cato T. Laurencin is the Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Laurencin is a University Professor — the 8th to be designated in UCONN’s over 130 year history. Dr. Laurencin is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and an elected member of the American Surgical Association membership. A practicing shoulder and knee surgeon, he has been elected to America’s Top Doctors continuously for the past 11 years. He is the winner of the Nicolas Andry Award, the highest honor of the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons. He was named one of the 100 Engineers of the Modern Era by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society, the Biomedical Engineering Society, the Materials Research Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. He has been awarded the Percy Julian Medal by the National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChe). Dr. Laurencin is a member of the editorial boards of 25 journals, and Editor-in-Chief of Regenerative Engineering and Translational Medicine. Dr. Laurencin’s research expertise is in Biomaterials, Nanotechnology, Drug Delivery, Stem Cell Science and a new field he has pioneered, Regenerative Engineering. He has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the past 25 years. The recipient of two Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation Awards from NSF, he received the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award for his transformative work in Regenerative Engineering. Dr. Laurencin works in the areas of social justice and mentoring. He is the Founding Editor of The Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, published by Springer/Nature. In mentoring, Dr. Laurencin has been responsible for guiding generations of students in medicine, science and engineering. He has been awarded the Alvin Crawford Award for Mentoring, the Beckman Mentoring Award, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Mentor Award. Dr. Laurencin has been honored by the White House on three occasions. He received the Presidential Faculty Fellow Award from President Bill Clinton for his work bridging engineering and medicine. He received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Math and Engineering Mentoring from President Barack Obama. More recently, he received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in ceremonies at the White House. Dr. Laurencin has two awards named in his honor: The Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D. Travel Fellowship Award given by the Society for Biomaterials, and The Cato T. Laurencin Lifetime Research Achievement Award given by the W. Montague Cobb/National Medical Association Health Institute and the NMA. Dr. Laurencin is an elected member of both the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, and the National Academy of Engineering. Internationally, he is an elected Fellow (Associate) of the African Academy of Sciences, an elected Fellow (Foreign) of the India National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences. Dr. Laurencin is an Academician and Member (Foreign) of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Dr. Laurencin earned his B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University and his Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he was named a Hugh Hampton Young Fellow. Dr. Laurencin earned his M.D., Magna Cum Laude, from the Harvard Medical School. |
Announcements
Save the date: The Cobb Institute Annual Lecture & Symposium July 20, 2025
At the NMA Annual Convention & Scientific Assembly, July 19 - 23, Chicago
The Student National Medical Association AMEC 2025: AMEC 2025 will be held in person in St. Louis, MO at the America's Center from April 16-20, 2025. This years theme is Higher: Surpassing, Optimizing, Advancing and Reimagining our Purpose. The Cobb Institute will be convening a Cobb Scholars workshop and exhibit. MORE INFORMATION
Save the date: The Cobb Institute Annual Lecture & Symposium July 20, 2025
At the NMA Annual Convention & Scientific Assembly, July 19 - 23, Chicago.
"Code, Context, and Care: AI at the Crossroads of Healthcare, Research, & Workforce Development"
Podcast highlights: Dr. Cedric Bright discusses his journey from Brown to Duke University, the Durham VA, and the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, with podcast host Dr. Randall Morgan.
Heart-to-Heart: Video recording of the webinar with Dr. Quinn Capers (Howard University), Dr. Elizabeth Ofili (Morehouse College), and Dr. Randall Morgan (Cobb Institute) is available here. Get expert insights on heart health, prevention tips, and the latest in cardiovascular care—all in a relaxed and engaging discussion. Don’t miss this important conversation about cardiovascular health.
