In honor of Black History month and throughout February, I will present a few known and not so well known facts of the many pioneers and their achievements contributing to health and medicine:

• Born in Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Benjamin Carson performed the first successful surgical separation of conjoined  twins joined at the top of their heads.
• Otis Boykin invented many noteworthy products.  Born in Dallas, Texas in 1920, he later moved to Paris where his most famous invention was the control unit for the pacemaker.
• Mary Eliza Mahoney:   The first black woman to complete nurse’s training .  She also became one of the first black members of the Nurses Association.