Biography

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
DEBRA HOLLY FORD, MD, FACS, FASCRS, MAMSE
Dr. Debra Holly Ford is Associate Professor of Surgery and Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Howard University College of Medicine (HUCM) in Washington, DC. She is the founding Medical Director of the Howard University Health Sciences Simulation and Clinical Skills Center and Chief, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery. Dr. Ford, a native of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, received the Bachelor of Science (Zoology’82) and the Doctor of Medicine degrees from Howard University. After graduating from HUCM in 1986 as the top-ranking medical student, she completed a general surgery residency at Howard University Hospital (HUH) in 1991 followed by a residency in Colon and Rectal Surgery at the University of Texas and Affiliated Hospitals in Houston, Texas. Dr. Ford is board-certified by the American Board of Surgery and is the first African-American woman to obtain board certification in Colon and Rectal Surgery and to become a Fellow of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS). She is an immediate past member of the ASCRS Executive Council. She is a past chair of the National Medical Association-Surgical Section and a past member of the executive board of the Society of Black Academic Surgeons. She is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and Gold Humanism Honor Society. A HUCM faculty since September 1994, she has taught over 2,800 medical students and trained over 155 residents. She has mentored countless students to careers in surgery. A recipient of many teaching awards, Dr. Ford is actively involved in teaching at every level of undergraduate and graduate medical education. For 13 years, she was the Program Director of the HUH General Surgery Residency. Dr. Ford has been instrumental in developing and supporting simulation in healthcare curricula across the Howard University Health Sciences Enterprise. Dr. Ford is a well-respected surgical/medical educator. She takes great pride in her contribution towards educating and mentoring future physicians, surgeons and surgical educators. For recognition of her commitment and contribution to surgical education, Dr. Ford was inducted as a Member of the American College of Surgeons’ Academy of Master Surgeon Educators in 2021. Dr. Ford is a skilled colon and rectal surgeon. She takes care of patients with benign and malignant conditions of the colon, rectum and anus including inflammatory bowel disease. She has been recognized for her clinical acumen and surgical skill by being recognized on many best doctor lists. In November 2024, Dr. Ford will receive the “2024 Excellence in Medicine Award” by the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (DC, MD, VA Chapter). She is married to Dr. Kevin Ford, Sr., an internist. She is mother to Kevin, Jr. (Imani) and Courtney (Sheldon), an Ob/Gyn resident at MedStar Washington Hospital/Georgetown University Hospital. She is grandmother to Kevin, III and John. In her rare spare time, she loves to watch all things Sci-Fi and loves documenting life through photography.