The National Medical Association (NMA) inducted Howard University Hospital President Dr. Roger A. Mitchell Jr. as its 126th president during the organization’s 2025 Annual Convention and Scientific Assembly in Chicago.
Mitchell, who is also a Howard College of Medicine scholar-practitioner, succeeds Dr. Virginia A. Caine in leading NMA, the largest and oldest organization representing the interests of Black physicians and their patients in the United States,. The theme for Mitchell’s year-long presidency is “The New Reconstruction: Mobilizing Healthcare Justice for A New America— Our Patients, Providers and Policy.”
The board-certified anatomic and forensic pathologist is a tenured professor of pathology at Howard University. He also serves as the director of the Howard University Center of Excellence for Trauma and Violence Prevention, leading outreach efforts to decrease gun violence in the District.
When he was tapped to lead Howard University Hospital in August 2024, John Sackett, president and CEO of Adventist HealthCare described him as someone who brings “decades of strong leadership experience and insight from regional, national and international health care roles.”
Prior to his service at Howard University, Mitchell worked in the District government for seven years, including as the chief medical examiner, interim director of the Department of Forensic Sciences and interim deputy mayor for Public Safety and Justice. He worked closely with emergency health care services during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and led a multidisciplinary group of departments, including Fire, Police and 911/311 during his tenure as deputy mayor.
“I humbly and graciously step into my new role as president of the National Medical Association, where a legacy of excellence meets a commitment to equity and justice in health care,” Mitchell said. “I am grateful for the foundation that was laid by Dr. Virginia A. Caine and am prepared and excited to take the NMA to new heights. With the current national changes to public health, medical education and vaccine recommendations, the NMA stands ready, willing, and able to advocate for truth and fairness.”
