The first Diné (Navajo) to become board certified in surgery.
Lori Alvord is a Native American surgeon and author. Alvord earned a double major in psychology and sociology from Dartmouth in 1979. Attaining her M.D. from Stanford University Medical School in 1985, she became the first Diné (Navajo) woman to become board certified in surgery. Dedicated to giving back to her community, she returned to the Navajo reservation in NM to treat patients at the Indian Health Service. Here, while being technically proficient in surgery, her goal was treating patients psychologically and spiritually in addition to physical treatment. She accounted for patient surroundings when treating people and this approach culminated in her book, The Scalpel and the Silver Bear. Dedicated to making a broader impact, she served as student affairs faculty at Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, Central Michigan University, and the University of Arizona and on various advisory councils. For her contributions to public health, she has received three honorary medical degrees and the American Medical Writers Association Award of Excellence. In 2013, she was also endorsed as Surgeon General of the US by the National Indian Health Board and the National Congress of American Indians.