Rose Marie Toussaint

While graduating from Howard University in 1983,^[2] she also maintained high honors within the program. Following her schooling she interned at the Howard University Hospital. Toussaint then became the chief surgeon at Howard University for the liver transplant center. Prior to this, she trained under Thomas Starzl at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School for three years. Starzl also has more liver transplants than anyone else in the world. In 1997, she left Howard University Hospital.^{[citation needed]}

Toussaint is now the only black woman who is a practicing liver transplant surgeon in the United States. Toussaint is highly regarded by her co-workers. She is an experienced liver surgeon.^[3] She is even commended by Dr. Clive Callender, the Howard University Medical Center Director.^{[citation needed]} She is highly regarded as a "seven-day-a-week professional,"^{[citation needed]} and often visits patients in-between.

Toussaint very quickly became a strong advocate for those who donate organs. Her patients often weren't able to kept alive long enough to see a liver or kidney transplant. She speaks on this sad reality of the shortage of donators... "Twelve patients die [nationwide] every day waiting for an organ," said Toussaint, who lives in North Laurel with her husband, Michael. "This is not acceptable. I want to do something to change this.".^[4] After some consideration she decided to found the National Transplant Foundation to increase overall donation size.