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Dr. Abuhamad honored by Urban League

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The Urban League of Hampton Roads honored Alfred Abuhamad, MD, executive vice president of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University and dean of Eastern Virginia Medical School, at the organization’s 41st annual Martin Luther King celebration.

Dr. Abuhamad received the Urban League of Hampton Roads Health Award at the Jan. 16 event in Virginia Beach that drew more than 1,000 attendees. The Urban League honored six community leaders in all, along with actor Tim Reid.

Dr. Abuhamad is a maternal-fetal medicine physician, researcher and leader who is known internationally for his work in medical ultrasound, prenatal diagnosis, fetal echocardiography, global outreach and patient safety. His impact has been felt throughout the region and around the world.

Early in his medical career, Dr. Abuhamad joined the staff of Eastern Virginia Medical School. He went on to serve as chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, vice dean for Clinical Affairs and medical director of the EVMS Medical Group while earning the title of Mason C. Andrews Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He was president and provost of EVMS for three years prior to the school’s integration in July 2024 with Old Dominion University.

Dr. Abuhamad is a past president of several national organizations, including the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Society of Ultrasound in Medical Education, Perinatal Quality Forum and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

He is also founder and past-chair of the Council for Patient Safety in Women’s Health Care, in Washington DC. He has published more than 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts and authored eight textbooks in fetal echocardiography, ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology, first trimester ultrasound and office procedures. He has received numerous national and international awards including the 2019 Commonwealth of Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award and the 2022 Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Life-Time Achievement Award.

He is the recipient of the National Institute of Health RO1 grant to study “Novel Tools for the Noninvasive Evaluation of the Human Placenta.” Dr. Abuhamad established the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology’s outreach program and has led several ultrasound training missions to the developing world to include Haiti, Ghana and Somaliland.