The National Medical Association (NMA), founded in 1895, is the nation’s oldest and largest organization representing African American physicians and health professionals in the United States.
The Pathology Section was founded after Dr. Vivian Pinn, 88th President of the National Medical Association, proposed the need for scientific presentations and continuing medical education in the field of Pathology. With a focus on anatomic and laboratory medicine, NMA members who were practicing Pathologists would have an opportunity to share knowledge of other specialties and concentrate on advancements in their fields. The inaugural Pathology Section meeting in 1990 featured a number of Pathologists with focuses on molecular medicine and anatomic pathology. Soon after the section's inception, Dr. Billy Ballard was elected Section Chair and continued to invite speakers from all sub-specialties of Pathology to facilitate life-long learning and ensure best medical practices.
Dr. Ballard chaired the section for over 25 years and extended speaking opportunities to residents, fellows, and attendings alike. Joint sessions between General Surgery and Women's Health were established to further encourage the exchange of advanced medical knowledge. Dr. Kristinza Giese and Dr. Ekene Okoye were elected Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, in 2019 and the continued vision of excellence in Black Pathology continues to grow. Dr. Nicole Williams was elected Chair in 2021 and Dr. Ogechukwu Eze was elected Vice Chair.
In recent years, speakers representing sub-specialties including breast pathology, OBGYN pathology, cytopathology, dermatopathology, and forensic medicine have contributed to the educational program. The vision of the Pathology section has developed to encourage a vast array of topics in anatomic and clinical pathology with a goal to provide mentorship and continued quality medical education.
The Pathology Section was founded after Dr. Vivian Pinn, 88th President of the National Medical Association, proposed the need for scientific presentations and continuing medical education in the field of Pathology. With a focus on anatomic and laboratory medicine, NMA members who were practicing Pathologists would have an opportunity to share knowledge of other specialties and concentrate on advancements in their fields. The inaugural Pathology Section meeting in 1990 featured a number of Pathologists with focuses on molecular medicine and anatomic pathology. Soon after the section's inception, Dr. Billy Ballard was elected Section Chair and continued to invite speakers from all sub-specialties of Pathology to facilitate life-long learning and ensure best medical practices.
Dr. Ballard chaired the section for over 25 years and extended speaking opportunities to residents, fellows, and attendings alike. Joint sessions between General Surgery and Women's Health were established to further encourage the exchange of advanced medical knowledge. Dr. Kristinza Giese and Dr. Ekene Okoye were elected Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, in 2019 and the continued vision of excellence in Black Pathology continues to grow. Dr. Nicole Williams was elected Chair in 2021 and Dr. Ogechukwu Eze was elected Vice Chair.
In recent years, speakers representing sub-specialties including breast pathology, OBGYN pathology, cytopathology, dermatopathology, and forensic medicine have contributed to the educational program. The vision of the Pathology section has developed to encourage a vast array of topics in anatomic and clinical pathology with a goal to provide mentorship and continued quality medical education.
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Dr. Ballard’s BackgroundDr. Ballard was the former Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Medical School Admissions, at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana and a DDS and MD from Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee. His postdoctoral studies include residency training in pathology at George W. Hubbard Hospital, Nashville, Tennessee; State University of New York at Buffalo; and, Roswell Park Memorial Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York. He completed a Fellowship in Surgical and Cytopathology at Roswell Park Memorial Cancer Institute and the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi. He has received fellowships from the National Cancer Institute, the National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society, New York Division.
Doctor Ballard is a Diplomat of the American Board of Oral Pathology and a Diplomat of the American Board of Pathology. His honors include Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honor Dental Society, Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, Fellow of the College of American Pathologists, and the American Academy of Oral Pathology. |