Dr. H. David Hall
Hall set to pass reins of Oral/Maxillofacial department to new leader
After nearly three decades of leadership, Dr. H. David Hall, is stepping down as Chair of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
He will be succeeded by Scott B. Boyd, D.D.S., Ph.D., who is currently head of the division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, who will come to VUMC in January, 1997.
"I'm sure it will be a smooth transition," said Hall, professor of Oral Surgery. "We are looking forward to having Dr. Boyd join our department."
After stepping down in January, Hall will continue to practice and work with residents.
Boyd has headed the division at Henry Ford Hospital since 1989 and was previously assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. He received is D.D.S. degree from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry in Ann Arbor, Mich., in 1980 and his Ph.D. from the University of Texas Health Science Center in 1984.
Among Boyd's scholastic awards are the 1980 Chalmers J. Lyons Award in Oral Surgery and the 1980 Max Winslow Award in Periodontics. He is a member of the Michigan Dental Association, the Detroit Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American Cleft Palate Association, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, a fellow in the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the International Association of Dental Research and the American Dental Association.
Hall has been at Vanderbilt since 1968 and was recently honored with the establishment of the H. David Hall Scholarship by some of his former residents.
Hall received his dental degree from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine. He is a founding member of the American Society of TMJ Surgeons and is a member of the American Dental Association, the Nashville Academy of Medicine, the Southern Medical Association, the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American Cleft Palate Association and the International Association for Dental Research.
Hall has served on the executive committee of the American Society of TMJ Surgeons since 1989 and was previously chair of the research and audiovisual committees of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Hall is also currently a consultant in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery to the board of directors of Tennessee Childrens' Special Services.
During his career Hall concentrated on two major areas: research into the growth and development of salivary glands and how the autonomic nervous system influences them; and clinical research in evaluating the success of various surgical treatments. In both these areas he has excelled, bringing leadership to the hospital's Oral Surgery division.
Some of Hall's surgical accomplishments include the recently completed five-year study on titanium fixtures for dentures and exploration into surgery for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. Citing the need for dental care in modern medical centers, Hall was also instrumental in the expansion of VUMC's dental care facilities. Hall has also been named one of the nations best doctors in Town and Country magazine.