May 6, 2024
Statewide Officers Elected, Reelected at Annual Conference
The Texas Medical Association (TMA) has elected representatives from Amarillo, North Texas, Houston, Temple, and Waco to serve on its Board of Trustees. These physicians will decide and implement TMA policies and deliberate various health care issues that impact the health and lives of Texans.
Physicians from across the state conducted the elections on Saturday during TexMed 2024, TMA’s annual conference, in Dallas.
Physicians elected or reelected to the TMA Board of Trustees (listed alphabetically by city):
Amarillo family physician Rodney B. Young, MD: Newly elected board member Dr. Young joined TMA nearly 30 years ago as a medical student. A recent member of TMA’s Council on Science and Public Health, Dr. Young has chaired multiple councils and committees at TMA including the Council on Socioeconomics, Council on Medical Education, and the Committee on Continuing Education. He also was president of the Potter-Randall County Medical Society. He teaches at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine. Dr. Young is believed to be the first Amarillo physician to serve on the TMA board.
Dallas pediatric cardiologist Lee Ann Pearse, MD: Dr. Pearse has been active in organized medicine her entire career. She was a member of TMA’s Council on Socioeconomics and Council on Legislation, and a district chair of TEXPAC, TMA’s Political Action Committee. She also served as president of the Dallas County Medical Society.
Denton gynecologist Joseph S. Valenti, MD: Dr. Valenti was reelected to the board, and was elected chair after serving as vice chair for the past year. Active in organized medicine, Dr. Valenti has led three important TMA positions as chair – the Council on Socioeconomics, the Council on Constitution and Bylaws, and the Committee on Maternal and Perinatal Health. He also has represented the medical student, resident and fellow, and young physician sections as a delegate in TMA’s House of Delegates. Dr. Valenti also served on the American Medical Association Resident and Fellow Section Governing Council, and as president of the Denton County Medical Society.
Fort Worth medical student Parminder Deo: Mr. Deo was elected to a one-year term as the TMA Medical Student Section (MSS) representative on the board. He is a student at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University. Mr. Deo previously worked as a broadcast journalist for NBC News, producing health and medical content for the TODAY Show, MSNBC, and NBC Nightly News.
Houston surgeon Dexter G. Turnquest, MD: Dr. Turnquest was newly elected to the board, having chaired TMA’s Council on Constitution and Bylaws. He also was a member of TMA’s Committee on Emergency Services and Trauma. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery and holds staff appointments across multiple hospitals in Houston, The Woodlands, and Conroe. Additionally, he serves as an adjunct clinical assistant professor at Texas A&M University School of Medicine. He previously was president of the Harris County Medical Society, of which he is a member.
Little Elm internal medicine specialist John G. Flores, MD: The TMA House of Delegates reelected Dr. Flores as vice speaker, placing him once again on the Board of Trustees. Dr. Flores previously chaired TMA’s Council on Socioeconomics and the Council on Health Service Organizations. Dr. Flores also serves as a TMA alternate delegate to AMA. He is secretary of the AMA Organized Medical Staff Section’s governing council, and he chairs the AMA Election Committee. He also is a former president of the Denton County Medical Society.
Temple physician Pruthali Kulkarni, DO: Dr. Kulkarni was elected to a one-year term as the TMA Resident and Fellow Section (RFS) representative on the board. A specialist in hematology and oncology, Dr. Kulkarni also is the RFS representative on TMA’s Committee on Cancer.
Temple internist Andrew “Jimmy” Widmer, MD: TMA elected Dr. Widmer to the board to represent the Young Physician Section for a 2-year term. He began his leadership role within TMA as a delegate in TMA’s House of Delegates representing the MSS and then the Resident and Fellow Section, and he is an alumnus of the TMA Leadership College. A member of TMA’s Council on Legislation, Dr. Widmer also chaired TEXPAC and is a former president of the Bell County Medical Society.
Waco and Gatesville otolaryngologist Bradford W. Holland, MD: Dr. Holland was reelected speaker of the TMA House of Delegates, the association’s policymaking body, renewing his term on the Board of Trustees. The house first elected Dr. Holland speaker in 2021 and he has been reelected three times. Dr. Holland has held multiple TMA leadership positions including vice speaker of the house, Council on Legislation member, and chair of TEXPAC. He has been an active TMA member for 26 years and was an early graduate of TMA Leadership College. He is a member of the McLennan County Medical Society, of which he was president. He was also president of the Texas Association of Otolaryngology.
TMA Board of Trustees Officer Elections
At the first meeting of the new TMA board held Saturday, members elected these officers:
Chair: Dr. Joseph Valenti
Vice-Chair: Cynthia A. Jumper, MD, a Lubbock internal medicine and pulmonary diseases specialist
(TMA Secretary/Treasurer: Gregory Fuller, MD, a Keller family physician, continues his term in this office.)
TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more than 57,000 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.
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TMA Contacts: Brent Annear (512) 370-1381; cell: (512) 656-7320; email: brent.annear@texmed.org
Swathi Narayanan (512) 370-1382; cell: (408) 987-1318; email: swathi.narayanan@texmed.org
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