Black surgeons make history leading Johns Hopkins Trauma Service

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Baltimore — The first time in its history, Johns Hopkins Hospital’s trauma service is led entirely by Black surgeons. The shift marks a major milestone for one of the nation’s most influential medical institutions and places Black surgeons at the center of Johns Hopkins’ most demanding surgical unit.

ABC News confirmed that the Halsted Service in trauma and acute care surgery is now directed by five Black senior residents and fellows. Their leadership highlights both progress and the persistent lack of diversity in surgical training nationwide.

Black Surgeons at Johns Hopkins Form First All‑Black Trauma Leadership Team

The historic team includes:

• Valentine S. Alia, M.D., second‑year resident
• Lawrence B. Brown, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., seventh‑year resident
• Ivy Mannoh, M.D., third‑year resident
• Zachary Obinna Enumah, M.D., Ph.D., M.A., ninth‑year resident and critical care fellow
• Ifeoluwa “Ife” Shoyombo, M.D., M.P.H., M.S., third‑year resident

These Black surgeons at Johns Hopkins emphasized their shared purpose in a joint Instagram statement.

“Between us, there are five MDs, two PhDs, and six master’s degrees—but more importantly, a shared commitment to serving the people of Baltimore,” Alia and Brown wrote. “We are Black history. We are our ancestors’ wildest dreams. And we’re just getting started.”

Equity and Representation Drive the Work

Brown told ABC News that his mission centers on fairness in health care. As the first physician in his family, he said equity must guide patient care, research, and program development. He stressed that representation strengthens outcomes and builds trust in communities that have long faced barriers in medicine.

Enumah reflected on the influence of his parents, both of whom worked in medicine. “Growing up in Columbus, Georgia, in the 1990s, I watched my parents, my mom, a family medicine doc, my dad, a general surgeon, show up to serve patients every day,” he said. Their example shaped his path and continues to guide his work as one of the Black surgeons leading Johns Hopkins’ trauma service.

Black Surgeons at Johns Hopkins Inspire Future Physicians

Shoyombo offered encouragement to young people who may see themselves in this historic moment. “The best part is that I get to save lives and have an impact every single day,” he said. He urged future Black surgeons to trust their potential. “To anyone who’s watching, realize that your dream and capacity can only be limited by you. And if you can think it, see it, then you can absolutely reach it.”

A Defining Moment

The rise of Black surgeons at Johns Hopkins marks a shift in a field that has long struggled with representation. The trauma service handles some of the hospital’s most urgent and complex cases. With this new leadership, Johns Hopkins enters a new chapter—one defined by excellence, visibility, and a renewed commitment to equity.

This milestone ensures that Black surgeons at Johns Hopkins are not only making history but also shaping the future of trauma care and academic medicine.