For a century, Black physicians in Houston have done more than practice medicine. They have challenged inequities, expanded access to care, pioneered medical advances, and invested in the next generation of healthcare professionals.
Founded in 1926 by physicians of African descent, the Houston Medical Forum (HMF) emerged during an era of racial segregation and limited opportunities for Black doctors. One hundred years later, the 501(c)(3) organization continues its mission of advancing healthcare, supporting physicians, and improving community wellness.
Under the leadership of Simbo Chiadika, M.D., M.P.H., HMF is celebrating its centennial by honoring the physicians who built its legacy while strengthening pathways for future medical professionals.
“For 100 years, the Houston Medical Forum has been a trailblazer in medicine, healthcare advocacy, education, and community service throughout Greater Houston,” said Chiadika.
A legacy of breaking barriers
In its early years, HMF provided Black physicians with a collective voice and a means of addressing the healthcare needs of communities often underserved by the broader medical establishment.
Its members helped advance medical education opportunities for Black physicians, including through institutions such as Lone Star Medical College, while contributing to the National Medical Association, scientific innovation, public health, and healthcare policy.
Their work extended beyond professional advocacy into the hospitals and neighborhoods where Black Houstonians needed care.
Dr. Natalie Carroll, a legendary Houston physician who joined HMF in 1980, recalled how Black doctors responded when segregation restricted their patients’ options and limited physicians’ access to hospital facilities.
Historically, St. Elizabeth Hospital and Riverside Hospital, formerly known as Old Negro Hospital, became essential sites of care for Black patients.
“We made sure during the time of segregation that our patients had really good care and equal care,” shared Carroll. “Both of those places were places where amazing things were being done all the time to make sure that our folks were well taken care of.”
The determination of Black physicians sometimes meant bringing specialized equipment into facilities where they could treat patients despite exclusion from majority-white hospital staffs. Carroll recalled cardiovascular surgery being performed by well-trained Black surgeons before Houston had a dedicated cardiovascular surgery unit. Equipment was brought to local hospitals to enable procedures, including a successful heart operation on a pediatric patient by Dr. Katherine Roett.
White physicians even attended to observe the operation, Carroll said, because they had not previously performed that procedure. The episode illustrates how Black physicians not only provided essential care but also demonstrated medical capabilities in a system that frequently denied them equal opportunities.
Meeting community health needs
HMF’s history is also rooted in recognizing health problems that received insufficient attention from the broader medical community.
Carroll recalled Roett organizing a community and medical-sector response when polio affected Houston, helping ensure Black children received appropriate treatment and vaccinations when they became available.
Similarly, Dr. Clarence Higgins, a pediatrician, helped draw attention to sickle cell disease when it was not receiving sufficient recognition in the medical community.
These efforts reflected an enduring principle: Healthcare advocacy requires understanding the particular needs of the people being served and making sure those needs are not ignored. Today, HMF continues that tradition through health fairs, community partnerships, and educational programs addressing conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and cancer.
The organization collaborates with groups, including The Links, and initiatives, such as UPLift Her and African American Male Wellness, to connect residents with preventive care, health information, and resources. HMF has also developed a Community Research Symposium that brings together physicians, researchers, healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers, and residents to discuss health challenges and explore solutions.
Chiadika said meaningful improvements occur when communities are not merely recipients of healthcare but active partners in shaping it.
Investing in future physicians
Developing the next generation of medical professionals is another central part of HMF’s mission. As part of its centennial celebration, the organization awarded 15 $5,000 scholarships to medical students, representing a $75,000 investment in future physicians.
HMF also supports the Student National Medical Association through mentorship, scholarships, professional development, and connections with physicians who can help students navigate their careers. Its growing partnership with Texas Southern University extends that support to premedical students. Programs include mentorship, guidance through the medical school application process, and scholarships for Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) preparation.
For Carroll, encouraging young people to pursue medicine is inseparable from the organization’s commitment to community health.
“We need more of us in medicine to be sure that medicine is fairly treating our folk,” she said, emphasizing the importance of having Black physicians positioned to advocate for their communities.
The organization also builds professional networks among practicing physicians, promoting collaboration, leadership development, and mutual support.
Preserving a century of history
For Carroll, one of the most rewarding aspects of the centennial has been examining and documenting the contributions of Black physicians to Houston’s medical history.
“I’m just so excited about that because I think in our community we have to talk about our history,” she said. “We cannot depend on other people to talk about it.”
The centennial historical exhibit, Houston Medical Forum: 100 Years of Legacy, Leadership, and Healing, offers the public an opportunity to explore that history and recognize physicians whose achievements might otherwise remain overlooked. The exhibit will be featured at The Health Museum through Nov. 15, 2026, with a permanent home planned at the University of Houston–Downtown’s College of Science and Technology.
For Chiadika, preserving that history is part of a broader responsibility to honor the physicians whose sacrifices and achievements made today’s opportunities possible.
She described leading HMF during its centennial as an extraordinary privilege, particularly as the milestone brought members, former presidents, community partners, and supporters together around a renewed sense of purpose.
The celebration, she said, is about more than commemorating the past. It is an opportunity to reaffirm the organization’s commitment to Black health, Black medicine, medical education, and community well-being.
Building the next century
As HMF enters its second century, expanding scholarships and mentorship remain priorities. The organization is encouraging physicians throughout Greater Houston to become involved and inviting businesses, corporations, foundations, and community organizations to support its work.
Chiadika believes collective action will be essential to sustaining HMF’s impact and creating more opportunities for aspiring physicians.
“There is tremendous strength in community, mentorship, collaboration, and collective purpose,” she said. “Together, we can accomplish exponentially more than we can individually.”
For an organization born when racial barriers threatened both Black physicians’ careers and Black patients’ access to quality care, the next century represents an opportunity to build on a remarkable foundation.
“Our history is rich, our legacy is powerful, and our future is full of possibilities,” stated Chiadika. “We invite you to be part of it.”
To learn more about membership, scholarships, partnerships, and upcoming programs, visit www.houstonmedicalforum.org. HMF also shares updates through LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and its monthly newsletter.
