Francis-McBarnette, Yvette Fay
1926-2016 · Contribution: 1950s-1970s
Pediatrician
Pediatric treatment of sickle cell anemia; pioneered prophylactic antibiotic therapy in children with sickle cell disease and ran large-scale pediatric screening programs
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Quick facts
- Born
- 1926, Jamaica
- Active since
- 1950
- Category
- Science & Medicine
- Best known for
- Pioneering preventive treatment of sickle cell disease
Impact on the world
Francis-McBarnette's early advocacy for preventive antibiotics anticipated a standard of care that would later save children's lives, and her policy work helped make sickle cell a national health priority.
An alternative history
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Sources
- Source lookupFind
American Society of Hematology
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Related visionaries
Ferguson, Angella D.
1925-2026
Pediatric research on sickle cell disease in Black infants; developed a blood test to detect the disease at birth and clinical guidelines for diagnosing/treating it in children; found that daily water intake reduced sickle-cell crises and recommended increased oxygen during surgery
Scott, Roland B.
1909-2002
Pioneering pediatric research on sickle cell disease; authored a landmark 1948 study on red-cell sickling in newborns that led toward routine newborn screening; 250+ publications on sickle cell, allergy, and child development
Wethers, Doris L.
1927-2019
Pediatrics and sickle cell disease; established hospital sickle cell programs and led the national push for universal newborn screening
Benjamin, Regina
1956-present
Family medicine and public health; as Surgeon General, championed prevention, healthy/fit-nation initiatives, breastfeeding support, and health equity for underserved communities