Dean Henri Ford Honored for Excellence in Pediatric Surgery and Humanitarian Leadership
The Rehbein Medal is presented annually to a pediatric surgeon whose contributions have made a lasting global impact on patient care, surgical education and research.
Henri R. Ford, M.D., M.H.A., dean and chief academic officer of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, has been awarded the 2025 Rehbein Medal by the European Paediatric Surgeons’ Association (EUPSA). This prestigious honor is presented annually to a pediatric surgeon whose contributions have made a lasting global impact on patient care, surgical education and research.
A globally respected leader in pediatric surgery, Dean Ford’s career spans decades of clinical excellence, academic leadership and humanitarian service. Born in Haiti, Dean Ford attended Princeton University, received his medical degree from Harvard and completed his surgical training at New York/Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical College. He also completed a research fellowship in immunology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and a clinical fellowship in pediatric surgery at the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
He was named the Benjamin R. Fisher Chair in Pediatric Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh and surgeon-in-chief at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. In 2005, he was appointed vice president and chief of surgery at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and professor of surgery at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, and later promoted to vice dean of medical education. During this time, Dean Ford also received a Master of Health Administration degree from USC.
Dean Ford’s legacy is amplified by his significant dedication to disaster relief, particularly following the 2010 Haiti earthquake. His work has been recognized worldwide and includes the first successful separation of conjoined twins in Haiti, a procedure he performed alongside surgeons he helped train.
Additionally, Dean Ford is an internationally recognized authority on necrotizing enterocolitis, a lethal disease that causes inflammation of intestinal tissue in premature infants.
The Rehbein Medal is named in honor of Fritz Rehbein, a pioneer of modern pediatric surgery in Europe. In announcing the award, EUPSA — one of the world’s leading pediatric surgical organizations — stated, “This award celebrates Professor Ford’s unwavering commitment to excellence in surgery, education and equity in health care. We are proud to honor a surgeon whose career so clearly reflects the values and legacy of Fritz Rehbein.”
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