Daniel Hale Williams, MD
In 1895, Dr. Williams was a charter member of the National Medical Association and served as vice president.
Daniel Hale Williams, MD Heading link
The Department of Medicine Inclusion Council honors and celebrates the life of Daniel Hale Williams, M.D. (January 18, 1856 – August 4, 1931). Daniel Hale Williams pursued a pioneering career in medicine. An African American doctor, in 1891, Williams opened Provident Hospital in Chicago, IL, (known today as Provident Hospital of Cook County) the first medical facility to have an interracial staff. He was also one of the first physicians to successfully complete pericardial surgery on a patient.
Daniel Hale Williams, MD Heading link
In 1894, Williams moved to Washington, D.C., and was appointed the chief surgeon of the Freedmen’s Hospital (known today as Howard University Hospital), which provided care for formerly enslaved African Americans. The facility had fallen into neglect and had a high mortality rate. Williams worked diligently on revitalization, improving surgical procedures, increasing specialization, launching ambulance services and continuing to provide opportunities for Black medical professionals, among other feats. In 1895, he co-founded the National Medical Association, a professional organization for Black medical practitioners, as an alternative to the American Medical Association, which didn’t allow African-American membership.