Highlighting HCMS physicians who have changed medicine in Texas through public policy.

Dr. Umair Shah and Dr. David Persse

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, two of the most prominent figures in Houston and Harris County have served as our local health authorities, Dr. David Persse, Houston Health Department and Dr. Umair Shah, former Harris County Public Health.

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Dr. George W. Williams II

George Williams, II, MD, Associate Professor & Vice Chair for Critical Care Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology at UT Health, and team consisting of research assistants, PhDs, and physicians, set out to create a face shield for healthcare professionals to use in the fight against the virus to combat the PPE shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Susan Rossmann

As the Chief Medical Officer of the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, Dr. Susan Rossmann has been working on increasing convalescent plasma donations since the treatment began to show promising results during the early stages of the pandemic.

Dr. Rashmi Kudesia

Not all physicians have been on the front lines of the COVID-19 fight. Some specialties were not allowed to conduct treatment due to the mass “stay at home” ordersenacted by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and the restrictions on elective procedures ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott. Dr. Rashmi Kudesia, a reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist at CCRM Fertility Houston and clinical faculty at Houston Methodist Hospital,  knew that one of the best ways to help her patients was to keep them informed.

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Dr. John Zerwas

Advocacy provides physicians with a powerful means to affect patient care and change the course of medicine. One name has been at the forefront of the myriad attempts to improve healthcare in Texas over the past 13 years – Dr. John Zerwas. Dr. Zerwas, an anesthesiologist, served in the Texas House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019 and was a key player in passing several bills which had a tremendous impact on medicine in Texas.

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Dr. Louise Bethea

Louise Bethea, MD HCMS and Texas Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Society President, was a leading advocate to provide students with access to life saving epinephrine and to properly train personnel to administer the injection to those suffering a life-threatening allergic reaction.

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Dr. Robert E. Jackson

Robert E. Jackson, MD, MACP, an internist at Houston Methodist Hospital and researcher and professor at two medical colleges, realized graduate medical education (GME) needed consistent and proper funding to ensure top quality physicians remain in Texas. Texas GME funds are some of the first cut after the state suffers an economic downturn.

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Dr. Kim Monday and Dr. Ori Hampel

The maintenance of certification (MOC) is a process that requires physicians to renew their certification every 10 years. This process is not only expensive but also time consuming. In 2016, neurologist Kim Monday, MD and urologist Ori Hampel, MD, drafted separate resolutions regarding the MOC process for the TMA House of Delegates, which resulted in new Texas Medical Association (TMA) policy and new state law.

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Dr. John Bertini

Many physicians are frustrated by health plans’ misuse of prior authorizations. John Bertini, MD, was one of the HCMS physicians who stepped up to do something about it. His efforts led to Texas changes to the Utilization Review (UR) law to mandate that these reviews be performed by a Texas-licensed physician in the same or similar specialty as the physician requesting the service or procedure. The law went into effect Sept. 1. 2019.

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