Leon L. Haley, Jr., MD, MHSA, CPE, FACEP, was an inspiring member of the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) family, serving as a volunteer for many years and then as a member of the Board of Directors before his accidental death in 2021. The loss of Dr. Haley has been profoundly felt by his family, his colleagues, and the medical community at-large.

Leon L. Haley, Jr., MD, MHSA

Dr. Haley was a dedicated volunteer in both community and medical organizations. He completed medical school at the University of Pittsburgh, Emergency Medicine (EM) residency training at Henry Ford Health in Detroit, and a master’s degree in Health Services Administration from the University of Michigan.

After leaving Michigan, Dr. Haley joined Emory University, where he served as Associate Dean of the Emory School of Medicine, Deputy Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs, and Chief of Emergency Medicine Affairs at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. Subsequently, Dr. Haley’s career trajectory continued upward as he moved to Florida to serve as the first African American Dean at the University of Florida-Jacksonville College of Medicine and the Chief Executive Officer of the University of Florida (UF) Health Jacksonville.

Dr. Haley’s many achievements have created a lasting impact, especially his work promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). He led the charge at UF Health Jacksonville to join TIME’S UP Healthcare, a national initiative dedicated to ensuring safe, fair, and dignified work for women in the healthcare industry. Dr. Haley implemented COVID-19 testing for underserved populations and was the first person in Florida to receive a vaccine. He also led the UF health system to score perfectly on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2019 Healthcare Equality Index Report as an LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader. To show its tremendous gratitude and to commemorate Dr. Haley’s unparalleled contributions to the university as well as the Jacksonville community, the Florida Governor announced secured funding for the

Leon Haley, Jr., MD Trauma Center at UF-Jacksonville and that the center will be renamed to honor Dr. Haley.

To honor Dr. Haley’s legacy and continue his DEI work, ABEM created the

Dr. Leon L. Haley, Jr., Bridge to the Future of Emergency Medicine Academy. In June 2022, ABEM hosted ten rising second-year medical students in East Lansing, Michigan for a two-week intensive educational and hands-on experience. This inaugural ABEM program received 45 applications from medical students across the country, and the 10 students selected (photo) identified as being from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in medicine (URiM).