The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) community mourns the passing of Hugh E. Mighty, MD, MBA, FACOG, a pioneering clinician-scientist, esteemed educator, and former Chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, who passed away last month at the age of 69.

Dr. Mighty’s impact on the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the broader field of academic medicine was profound, particularly when it came to fetal and maternal health. Appointed Interim Chair of UMSOM’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2000, and then serving as Chair from 2002 until 2010, he grew the department and reinstated the fellowship program in Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Dr. Mighty mentored more than 200 residents and fellows during his tenure.

“Hugh was a great mentor, colleague, and a remarkable human being,” said Irina Burd, MD, PhD, the Sylvan Frieman, MD Endowed Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and current chair of that department. “Hugh kept in touch and offered his advice when I needed it. When he found out that I was appointed as a Chair here, he called to congratulate me and took me out to lunch. I’m sad to learn of his passing just short of his 70th birthday.”

Dr. Mighty served on the Maryland State Commission on Infant Mortality Prevention, and on the District of Columbia’s Commission on Health Equity. He also developed landmark initiatives, including a statewide telemedicine program to bring high-risk obstetrical care to rural pregnant women in Maryland, and the Tamar’s Children program, which offered alternative sentencing and job training for pregnant women convicted of minor criminal offenses. In 2008, The University of Maryland, Baltimore, awarded Dr. Mighty the Martin Luther King, Jr. Diversity Award for inspiring others to achieve harmony and diversity.

In 2015, Dr. Mighty accepted the position of Dean of the College of Medicine and Vice President of Clinical Affairs at Howard University, and was later named Senior Vice President for Health Affairs in 2021. At Howard, he continued his lifelong work of addressing health inequities, ensuring the delivery of excellent care, and the cultivation of the next generation of physicians. In 2019, Dr. Mighty was appointed to the D.C. Mayor’s Commission on Healthcare Systems Transformation, while also serving on the DC Commission on Health Equity. In 2020, the Washington Business Journal recognized Dr. Mighty as a Minority Business Leader.

 “Hugh was one of the handful of OB-GYN people formally trained in critical care in the late 80s or early 90s at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. He was a superb clinician and a gifted technical surgeon, and operating with him was a real pleasure. When he became chair of OB-GYN, he really transformed the Department,” said Thomas Scalea, MD, the UMSOM Honorable Francis X. Kelly Distinguished Professor of Trauma Surgery, who worked with Dr. Mighty until 2010, when Dr. Mighty accepted the position of Vice Chancellor of Clinical Affairs at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport. “Hugh had been away from the University of Maryland long enough that many here never had the opportunity to know him. It is their loss.”

Dr. Mighty earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Georgetown University in Washington, DC, before receiving his MD from UMSOM. He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) before spending three years serving the Baltimore region with the National Health Service Corps. Dr. Mighty then completed fellowships in maternal-fetal medicine and critical care at UMMC and the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center before joining the UMSOM faculty in 2000.

Dr. Mighty is survived by his wife, Mrs. Meredith Mighty, and their sons, Matthew, Andrew, and Hugh Edward.