100 Most Influential People in Healthcare - 2024

In 2004, Hayes Dixon was the first Black woman in the U.S. to get board certified in pediatric surgery. She has continued blazing a trail two decades later as the first woman dean at Howard University College of Medicine, where she oversees academic and administrative affairs. She is also the vice president of clinical affairs. This year, the college of medicine received a $175 million gift from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative, which Hayes Dixon said will enable many students of color to concentrate on their training without worrying about how they will pay for it. Hayes Dixon this year was also appointed chair of the Scientific Management Review Board, which supervises and reviews programs within the Health and Human Services Department.