Press Releases
Kathie-Ann Joseph Promotion & Inaugural Vice Chair for Diversity & Health Equity (Department of Surgery & Transplant Institute)
New York, NY – March 1, 2021 – It is with a great sense of pride and commitment for a better future that I would like to make two important announcements regarding Kathie-Ann Joseph, MD, MPH. Dr. Joseph has become the first African American woman to be promoted to the rank of Professor in Surgery at NYU Langone/NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She also assumes the rank of Professor in Population Health where she holds a dual appointment. With the achievement of this long overdue milestone for our Department, Dr. Joseph sets the stage for a more inclusive and equitable future for our faculty while underscoring the importance of careful and thoughtful attention to faculty development and mentoring. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), as well as promotion, mentoring and faculty development are critical components of our vision for the TI and Department of Surgery.
Dr. Joseph has also been named the inaugural Vice Chair for Diversity and Health Equity for the Department of Surgery and the Transplant Institute. Dr. Joseph is the first ever Vice Chair of Diversity and Health Equity in the NYU Langone Health System. The Vice Chair designation signals our recognition of the importance of DEI in our culture in order to achieve the highest levels of excellence across our mission areas. A diverse workforce at all levels of the organization leads to greater success and innovation. In addition, Dr. Joseph will serve as Collaborating Faculty within the Clinical and Community Pillars of the Institute for Excellence in Health Equity (IEHE) under the leadership of Institute Director, Gbenga Ogedegbe, MD, MPH. Finally, Dr. Fritz François has chosen Dr. Joseph to be the new inaugural Medical Director of Kimmel Pavilion Unit 3 (KP3) which stands as one of our busiest and most pivotal areas for patient care. She will continue to serve as the Co-Director of the Beatrice W. Welters Breast Health Outreach and Navigation Program.
About Dr. Joseph: For the past 10 years she has served as the Chief of Breast Services at Bellevue Hospital. She has also worked as the Director of the NYC Health + Hospitals Breast Surgery Council. Dr. Joseph is a graduate of Harvard College and received her medical degree and master’s in public health degree from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians of Surgeons and Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health respectively. She completed her internship and general surgery residency training at NYU Langone Medical Center and her breast surgical oncology fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Joseph chairs several regional and national committees including the American Society of Breast Surgeons’ Health Equity and Selected Reading Committees, the NRG Oncology Health Disparities Group, and the Education/Training/Mentorship Working Group to mention a few. She is dedicated to improving the care of underserved women and eliminating inequity in health care. She was recently named H+H/Bellevue Physician of the Year and one of the top 10 Caribbean born female doctors in the US.
We are extremely proud to serve as leaders in the space of diversity and health equity within NYU Langone Health. I congratulate Kathie, commend her on her tremendous success, and look forward to her additional accomplishments. The TI and Department of Surgery are excited about joining forces with Dr. Joseph, Dr. Ogedegbe and the Institute for Excellence in Health Equity, and Dr. Joseph Ravenell and the Office of Diversity Affairs, to collaborate on a more fair and equitable future for our faculty, staff, trainees, students and patients.
Respectfully,
Robert Montgomery, MD, DPhil, FACS
H. Leon Pachter Chair and Professor of Surgery, NYU Langone Health Director,
NYU Langone Transplant Institute