In January 2023, Holly Pilson, MD, FAAOS, FAOA, assumed the role of Associate Dean for JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) for the Academic Enterprise.
Dr. Pilson is a graduate of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine (‘08), and the Wake Forest Baptist Hospital Orthopaedic Surgery residency (’13). She completed a fellowship in Orthopaedic Trauma surgery at Sonoran Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeons in Scottsdale, AZ. Dr. Pilson is currently a board certified Orthopaedic trauma surgeon and Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Vice Chair of Social Impact for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, and Affiliate faculty, Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity.
Dr. Pilson is a proud member of the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina, and is the first and only Lumbee Orthopaedic Surgeon, from her tribe of over 55,000 members. Dr. Pilson has a passion for health equity and workforce diversity in the field of medicine in general and Orthopaedic Surgery specifically. She is a member of the Diversity Advisory Board of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and serves as an active mentor through various mentorship programs at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, as well as national programs including Nth Dimensions, the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society and the J. Robert Gladden and Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Societies.
Dr. Pilson will play a critical role in the Academic Enterprise’s mission and vision for JEDI, and will be responsible for assisting with the development and implementation of strategic interventions to create and enhance a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion, a climate of belonging, and work toward eradicating structural racism, gender bias and all forms of discrimination across the collective Academic Enterprise. She will work to support aligning efforts across the enterprise to drive impactful equity, gender justice and anti-racism programs for faculty, trainees, and staff with a commitment to improving the health of all persons.
Since beginning in this new role, Dr. Pilson has enjoyed taking inventory of and learning more about the amazing work that is being done across the academic enterprise to ensure justice and improve diversity, equity and inclusion for all of our learners. She along with the other members of the JEDI team are working together to create synergy and leverage collaborations which bridge the community, strengthen and build upon existing JEDI initiatives, and strive for inclusive excellence throughout all of our learning environments.