HealthHBCU

HBCU Health Leaders

The proof is already walking the halls.

A signature feature of the platform: celebrating HBCU graduates working throughout healthcare, and showing students exactly what's possible.

PhysiciansNursesResearchersPublic Health LeadersHealthcare ExecutivesBiotechnologyMedical DevicesPharmacyBehavioral HealthSubmit your profile
Portrait of Dr. Alina Carter, MD

Physicians

Dr. Alina Carter, MD

Chief of Cardiology · Metro General Health System

HBCU attended
Howard University
Career journey
Started as a first-generation biology major, matched into internal medicine, and now leads a cardiology service treating 20,000 patients a year.
Community impact
Founded a church-based blood pressure screening program across 40 congregations.
Advice for students
"Find the people who look like where you're going, then ask them the uncomfortable questions."
Portrait of Dr. Marcus Boyd, PhD

Researchers

Dr. Marcus Boyd, PhD

Director of Population Health Research · National Institute for Community Health

HBCU attended
Morehouse College
Career journey
Undergraduate research fellowship turned into a doctorate in epidemiology and a career studying why zip code predicts lifespan.
Community impact
His diabetes data work reshaped funding for three southern health districts.
Advice for students
"Your community's questions are legitimate research questions. Take them seriously."
Portrait of Vanessa Hill, DNP, RN

Nurses

Vanessa Hill, DNP, RN

System Chief Nursing Officer · Riverbend Health

HBCU attended
Florida A&M University
Career journey
Bedside nurse for eleven years before earning a doctorate in nursing practice and stepping into system leadership.
Community impact
Built a nurse residency pipeline that recruits directly from four HBCU nursing programs.
Advice for students
"Nursing is leadership. Walk into every room already knowing that."

Know someone who belongs here?

Nominate an HBCU graduate working anywhere in health — bedside, bench, boardroom or block. Every profile we publish becomes a map for a student who can't yet picture the route.

Nominate a leaderStudents: find a mentor
70%
Of Black physicians with HBCU roots
80%
Of Black nurses trained at HBCU programs or their pipelines
107
Institutions producing them
1
Mentor is often all it takes