May 31, 2017
C.
Leilani Valdes, MD, a Victoria pathologist, was named a Health Hero by the Texas
Medical Association (TMA) for her commitment to improving the health of her
community. She was one of only four physicians TMA honored with the inaugural award
earlier this month during TexMed, TMA’s annual conference, in Houston.
The new award recognizes
TMA members who have led and participated in all three of TMA’s flagship
outreach programs: Be
Wise — ImmunizeSM, a program to educate about
vaccinations and improve vaccination rates in Texas; Hard Hats for Little Heads (HHLH), a bike helmet giveaway program; and Walk With a Doc Texas
(WWAD), a national grassroots movement devoted to encouraging
healthy physical activity. The
award is given by TMA’s Council on Health Promotion, which oversees the outreach
programs, and the TMA Foundation (TMAF), which funds them.
“It is an incredible honor to receive a TMA Health Hero
award, but hosting these events is simply what I want to do — to help my
community be safe and healthy,” said Dr. Valdes. “I have enjoyed all of the
health promotion activities sponsored by the TMA and the TMA Foundation, and I
look forward to continuing this work in the future.”
Dr. Valdes has
sponsored a WWAD walk in her community since January 2016. For the first year
of the program, she invited community members to walk with her at the Citizens
Healthplex outdoor track twice a month. This year, the WWAD program was
expanded to weekly walks on Saturdays at 9 am. Dr. Valdes also has worked with
the Children’s Discovery Museum in Victoria to help educate neighbors about the
importance of vaccinations and to give away bike helmets to children.
The TMA
Foundation, TMA’s philanthropic arm, is committed to connecting the charitable
concerns of physicians with the people of Texas. The three TMAF-funded outreach
initiatives enable physicians to give back to their community and help support
TMA’s mission to “improve the health of all Texans.”
A TMA member for
eight years, Dr. Valdes is a member of TMA’s Council on Health Promotion and
the TMA HPV (human papillomavirus) Working Group. She is a graduate of the TMA
Leadership College for young physicians. She recently served as president of
the Victoria-Goliad-Jackson County Medical society and is a delegate to the TMA
House of Delegates, the association’s policymaking body. In addition, Dr.
Valdes serves on national committees for the College of American Pathologists
advocating for patient and physician improvements in health care management and
delivery.
Dr. Valdes has
practiced as a pathologist in Victoria for almost eight years. She credits her parents
for her passion for giving back to her community. Her father was a pathologist
in Victoria, and her mother has always modeled community involvement.
TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation,
representing more than 50,000 physician and medical student members. It is
located in Austin and has 110 component county medical societies around the
state. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans. TMA
Foundation raises funds to support the public health
and science priority initiatives of TMA and the Family of Medicine.
Contact: Brent Annear (512) 370-1381; cell: (512) 656-7320; email: brent.annear[at]texmed[dot]org
Marcus Cooper (512) 370-1382;
cell: (512) 650-5336; email: marcus.cooper[at]texmed[dot]org
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