Roger A. Mitchell, Jr. has been appointed president of Howard University Hospital. The hospital, a partnership between historically Black Howard University in Washington, D.C., and Adventist HealthCare, will welcome its new leader on September 13.
Currently, Dr. Mitchell serves as chief medical officer for the Howard University Faculty Practice Plan, director of Howard’s Center of Excellence for Trauma and Violence Prevention, and chair of Howard University Hospital’s performance improvement committee. Throughout his tenure with Howard, he has held several key positions within the HBCU’s hospital and College of Medicine. During the pandemic, he served as director of the COVID-19 testing laboratory. Previously, he was chair of the department of pathology. He currently serves as a professor of pathology, but will take a leave of absence from his teaching role as he transitions to his new presidency.
Before joining the Howard University community, Dr. Mitchell spent seven years within the District of Columbia government. He held several leadership roles including chief medical examiner and interim director of the department of forensic sciences. Additionally, he had a stint as interim deputy mayor for public safety and justice, overseeing multiple departments during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Mitchell is an alumnus of Howard University, where he majored in biology. He earned his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, which has since merged with the medical school at Rutgers University.
