Henri R. Ford, MD, MHA, FACS, was installed during Clinical Congress as the 2023-2024 ACS President, succeeding E. Christopher Ellison, MD, FACS. At the end of Convocation, he delivered his Presidential Address and promoted his theme, Achieving Our Best Together: #Inclusive Excellence.
“The past 3 decades have not only reinforced the concept that we achieve our best together but have also demonstrated convincingly and unequivocally that inclusive excellence is essential to accelerate progress and heal all patients with skill and trust,” Dr. Ford said. “It is our pledge to carry the mantle in the struggle for health equity and never waver from our core values as surgeons. This is our duty, this is our purpose, this is our calling.”
Dr. Ford is the dean and chief academic officer of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, where he has focused on developing the next generation of surgeon leaders, increased research funding, and worked to make the Miller School one of the most diverse medical schools in the US.
An ACS Fellow since 1996, Dr. Ford has a long and distinguished history of service with the College. He was on the ACS Board of Regents from 2012 to 2021. He also served for 4 years as Chair of the ACS Program Committee, which is responsible for planning and implementing ACS continuing educational offerings presented during Clinical Congress. Additionally, he was a liaison for the ACS Advisory Council for Pediatric Surgery and Chair of the ACS Ethics Committee, as well as the Past-Chair of the Nominating Committee and Past-Vice-Chair of the ACS Board of Governors. In 2022, he received the prestigious Owen H. Wangensteen Scientific Forum Award.