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Byron E. Crawford, II, MD is a graduate of Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans. He completed his residency in anatomical and clinical pathology at the same institution, and is board certified by the American Board of Pathology in both specialties. After finishing his residency training, Dr. Crawford spent sixteen years in private practice, including the establishment of several full-service laboratories including both an inner-city lab and a lab from a so-called “designer-hospital” with cutting edge, state of the art technology. In 1998, Dr. Crawford returned to an academic environment by joining Tulane University School of Medicine to seek a similar stimulating and gratifying career as private practice had been but also to accept newer and more difficult challenges. Recently, May 1, 2020, Dr. Crawford joined LSU Health Shreveport as the new Chair of the Department of Pathology.While at Tulane University School of Medicine, Dr. Crawford was Professor of Pathology, Medical Director of three HCA-TMC Laboratories, Director of Anatomic Pathology, Co-Director of the Pathology Residency Program, Interim Chair of Pathology, and the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. Dr. Crawford’s primary clinical interest is surgical pathology where he is nationally recognized. He has extensive knowledge in all facets of anatomic and clinical pathology including vast administrative skills with over 40 years of combined experience as a medical director of multiple full-service pathology laboratories. He has managed laboratories with budget/revenues of $60 million and having 80 FTEs running the lab. As a College of American Pathologist (CAP) Team Leader, he has inspected numerous national medical center laboratories for the CAP Commission on Laboratory Accreditation.Dr. Crawford has received small grants as a PI and several larger grants as a co-investigator. However, he utilized his talents and administrative abilities to seek additional funds for Tulane through selling the department’s clinical services to outside healthcare providers. As the Vice Chair and Interim Chair for over 10 years, Dr. Crawford directly obtained or maintained funding through outside relationships amounting to approximately $1,200,000.00 a year. After being instrumental in developing and instituting the Tulane University Pathologists’ Assistant School this past year, it is predicted that over $2 million will be brought into the department per year in the future from programs he ever-saw.Dr. Crawford has been on numerous national and international medical education committees, and he has served in multiple officer positions including President/Chair of national pathology education organizations including the Group for Research in Pathology Education (GRIPE) and Association of Pathology Chairs Undergraduate Medical Education Section (UMEDS) in which he helped found. He is a sought-after speaker for national and international organizations in medical education as evidence of his invitations. At Tulane, as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Dr. Crawford has been instrumental in the development of an integrated basic science curriculum including the introduction of new non-traditional teaching techniques. He over-saw the first two years of the basic science curriculum as the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Tulane University SOM. He was also responsible for the recent development of the Tulane University School of Medicine Pathologist’s Assistant (PA) School. As a member of the College of American Pathologist Surgical Pathology Committee, he participated in the production of the Performance Improvement Program (PIP) and the Virtual Biopsy Program, both very popular national and international continuing medical education programs subscribed by over 8,000 surgical pathologists worldwide.He is the recipient of numerous regional and national teaching awards including Tulane’s “Senior Vice-President Teaching Scholar Award”, “The President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching”, “Philip J. Daroca, MD Excellence in Resident Teaching Award”, “W. Clifford Newman Student Advocacy Award”, and the prestigious national “Michele Raible Distinguished Teaching Award” given by the Association of Pathology Chairs. Dr. Crawford has also been a member of the NBME and USMLE Pathology Test Committee for Step 1 exams. As an education leader in Tulane’s Office of Academic Affairs, he has participated in multiple successful LCME accreditation processes and was a major participant in the moving and re-opening of the medical school to Houston, Texas post-Katrina. As a result, he won an award as “One of Five Who Kept Medical Education Afloat at Tulane Post-Katrina”.In regard to scientific publications and scholarly activities Dr. Crawford has authored or co-authored manuscripts in genitourinary pathology, GI pathology, and bone pathology, including a textbook chapter on bone tumors. He has written other articles related to surgical pathology, cytology, clinical pathology, and medical education. He has received multiple grants supporting anatomic electronic teaching resources. As a resident in 1980, Dr. Crawford co-authored one of the first articles introducing algorithms to medicine. Though not well received at that time, medical algorithms are a necessary tool today both in learning medical knowledge, patient management, and medical administration. In 1983, Drs. Crawford and Stromeyer were one of the first to introduce a second pathway for colorectal carcinoma separate from the well-entrenched adenomatous polyp pathway by reporting on small de novo non-polypoid adenocarcinomas of the colon. This eventually led to the understanding of hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) or the Lynch Syndrome.In conclusion, Dr. Crawford has been successful in all aspects of his career as a team-builder, organizer, problem solver, and a professional. In private practice he established multiple full service clinical and anatomic laboratories that met or exceeded CAP and other national regulatory agencies, and he utilized these skills in the administration of all Tulane pathology laboratories. After returning to academia, he has been successful in becoming a well-respected national leader in medical education, surgical pathology, and medical administration. Dr. Crawford eagerly accepts all challenging environments of pathology, including anatomic and clinical pathology, laboratory/medical/departmental administration, integrated research, and medical education.
