Nationally Renowned Ophthalmologist and Healthcare Equity Advocate Named New Associate Dean at Ponce Health Sciences University

Building on an esteemed medical career, Mildred MG Olivier, MD joins PHSU as the Associate Dean of the School of Medicine at the St. Louis campus to advance the university's mission to serve underrepresented students and increase diversity in the medical profession.

ST. LOUIS, Dec. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU) School of Medicine (SOM) announced the appointment of Dr. Mildred MG Olivier as the Associate Dean of the School of Medicine. She will be leading the new four-year Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) program at the St. Louis campus. This announcement follows the recent LCME-supported expansion of PHSU with an M.D. program cohort of 30 students in St. Louis. PHSU has a long history of working to develop a diverse pipeline of highly skilled and culturally competent doctors in the medical profession, beginning with pre-med students all the way through medical specialty training.

"This is an exciting next step for our students in St. Louis, and the communities we seek to serve across the U.S. We welcome her to our institution," said Dr. Olga Rodriguez de Arzola, Dean of the School of Medicine at Ponce Health Sciences University. 

Dr. Olivier brings extensive experience in medical education and healthcare equity to the PHSU community. In her new role, she will oversee the strategic direction and development of the M.D. program on the PHSU St. Louis campus, most notably delivering world-class, culturally-competent health sciences education. Dr. Olivier most recently served as the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Learning Environment and Professor of Ophthalmology at Chicago Medical School of Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Sciences, where she championed efforts to increase medical student diversity, inclusion, and retention.

"Students of color and low-income students are largely underrepresented in health care, which in turn perpetuates healthcare disparities and distrust in medical professionals," said Dr. Mildred Olivier. "PHSU is using data, cutting edge technology, and a singular focus on equity to redefine the way we recruit, train, and deploy healthcare workers here in the U.S. I could not be more honored to be joining this community and look forward to the work we can do together."

Dr. Olivier is a past Board of Trustees member and active in the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), Board member of the American Glaucoma Society Foundation, and past-President of Women in Ophthalmology. As an active participant in the American Glaucoma Society, she is Principal Investigator of the first AGS /AAO IRIS Registry grant reviewing racial and demographic patterns of Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery.  Dr. Olivier is an internationally recognized spokesperson on glaucoma, fighting health care disparities in vulnerable populations, and Haitian medical relief efforts. She is an AAO delegate to the American Medical Association (AMA).

Dr. Mildred Olivier is being honored with an Honorable Mention from the 2021 Pearl Birnbaum Hurwitz Humanism in Healthcare Award for her tremendous work to treat glaucoma and prevent blindness in at-risk communities, specifically those of Black and Afro-Caribbean heritage, as well as her compassion and advocacy in fostering pathways to medical school for underrepresented communities.  She is also the recipient of the 2020 EnergEYES Awardee on Diversity and Inclusion in Ophthalmology. 

Dr. Olivier received her undergraduate degree from Loyola University Chicago and her medical degree from Chicago Medical School. She completed her ophthalmology residency at Columbia University Harlem Hospital Center in New York and her fellowship in Glaucoma at the Kresge Eye Institute, Wayne State University.

"Dr. Olivier is a force to be reckoned with. Her passion for and commitment to increasing diversity in the healthcare profession makes her a perfect fit for PHSU," said Dr. David Lenihan, President of Ponce Health Sciences University.