Houston gynecologist Carla Ortique, MD, has two issues she holds “closest to her heart”: maternal care and equity and inclusion efforts in medicine.
As President of the Texas Medical Association Foundation and a member of the Texas Medical Association’s Council on Science and Public Health, Dr. Ortique has worked for years to bring attention to these topics during meetings with lawmakers and across TMA events – but thankfully, she never had to work alone, because “Karen Batory was always there.”
“I can’t imagine TMA without her presence,” said Dr. Ortique, past chair of TMA’s Committee on Reproductive, Women’s, and Perinatal Health. “She truly [embodies] TMA’s mission of improving the health of all Texans.”
As TMA’s Vice President for Population Health and Medical Education, Ms. Batory spent more than three decades working with Texas physicians to advance health equity and to address public health challenges across the state. These efforts encompassed maternal health, immunizations, behavioral health care, and nonmedical drivers of health, among other valuable contributions. (See “A Powerful Resume,” below.)
“When I entered the world of population health 35 years ago, conversations about topics like mental health or equity didn’t really exist,” Ms. Batory told Texas Medicine. “Public health, at the time I started, was really seen as something detached from organized medicine. I wanted to change that. I worked to change that.”
“I like to say she helped people find their humanity … to focus on the greater good,” Dr. Ortique said, looking back on how Ms. Batory shaped public health within the association and across Texas.
Initiatives Across Texas
Over the course of her career, Ms. Batory stood by one mission, above all others: to improve the health of all Texans.
This goal led Ms. Batory to some of her most notable work, such as assisting both association members and staff in adopting the TMA’s anti-discrimination principles for policy development and physician education. These policies were foundational to the creation of TMA’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion task force to mitigate disparities and inequalities in medicine – and of which Ms. Batory was deeply involved in facilitating.
“I don’t think the task force would ever have convened had it not been for [Ms. Batory’s] encouragement,” Dr. Ortique said. “She has always been very much able to lead, encourage, and support [others] in a way that allows people to feel comfortable.”
Ms. Batory also contributed significantly to discussions and policymaking efforts aimed at improving maternal health outcomes in Texas.
In 2017, she and other TMA leaders like then-TMA President Carlos Cardenas, MD, instituted the association’s first Maternal Health Congress, at which TMA presented testimony – much like a reference committee – from physicians and educators on maternal care in the state.
The event included proposals from Texas physicians like David Lakey, MD, chief medical officer at the University of Texas System and past commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, on how to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity in Texas. These discussions became instrumental to TMA’s work and ultimately victory in 2023 to extend Texas’ postpartum coverage for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program patients from two to 12 months.
Dr. Lakey says this victory would not have been possible without efforts by Ms. Batory and other TMA staff.
“For many years I’ve sought [Ms. Batory’s] input and wisdom to craft population-based initiatives for Texas. I thank the world for her, and for her meaningful work on maternal mortality and morbidity,” Dr. Lakey said.
Throughout his past role as chair of TMA’s Council on Science and Public Health, Dr. Lakey also witnessed Ms. Batory’s firsthand role in helping to develop the Texas Public Health Coalition (TPHC), which consists of more than 30 medical professional and health-focused organizations that work on public health initiatives such as chronic disease prevention, infectious disease control, and behavioral health awareness.
TPHC Past Chair John Carlo, MD, says Ms. Batory’s leadership both within the group and its partner organization, the Texas Health Improvement Network, was also instrumental in helping Texas shape its response efforts to public health challenges, like the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Her career set the stage for TMA to tackle public health in new ways,” the Dallas public health and general preventative medicine specialist said.
Christina Ly, Ms. Batory’s successor as TMA’s Vice President for Population Health and Medical Education, says Ms. Batory’s influence also extended beyond policy initiatives, and landed somewhere more personal.
“[Ms. Batory] has been a trailblazer and role model for the next generation of female professionals, showing each of us how it’s possible to be a successful leader, mother, and fighter for public health in Texas,” Ms. Ly said.