Leadership

The Doctor and the Dinosaur: Traveling Toy Bridges Medicine and Family - 05/26/2026

Plucked from a claw machine ahead of a TMA meeting, a little yellow stuffed animal has bonded a medical family through decades of work in organized medicine. Owner Rodney Young, MD, says such strategies can help physician advocates stay engaged.

Positive Developments: TMA Trains Physicians for Leadership Positions - 05/14/2026

TMA trains physicians to be as comfortable in leadership positions as they are in exam rooms.

Program Overview - 05/08/2026

Guidelines, application process, and costs for the TMA Leadership College.

Talk with a Doc: Jayesh ‘Jay’ Shah, MD, Created Podcast Showcasing Physicians’ Personal Stories - 05/08/2026

Jayesh "Jay" Shah, MD, encouraged physicians to become the healthiest, best versions of themselves during his time as TMA president. He created a platform allowing physicians to tell their personal stories via a podcast titled with his longtime motto, "Let Doctors Be Doctors."

‘Take Medicine Back’: New TMA President Rallies Physicians with Eight-Point Plan - 05/05/2026

In a stirring speech at TexMed 2026 in Corpus Christi, Bradford Holland, MD, commenced his TMA presidency by laying out a vision to improve health care for patients and the physicians caring for them. Meanwhile, Immediate Past President Jayesh “Jay” Shah celebrated physicians’ collective strength in the last year.

Board Member Highlight: Bradford Patt, MD - 05/04/2026

The Texas Medical Association Board of Trustees elected Bradford S. Patt, MD, to serve as vice chair in 2025-26, after the TMA House of Delegates renewed him to a new three-year term on the board.

Board Member Highlight: Tony R. Aventa, MD - 05/04/2026

The Texas Medical Association Board of Trustees reelected Tony R. Aventa, MD, as board secretary during TexMed 2026 in Corpus Christi, after the TMA House of Delegates reelected him to the board. TMA first placed Dr. Aventa on the board of Trustees in 2023.

Board Member Highlight: Tilden L. Childs III, MD - 05/04/2026

The Texas Medical Association House of Delegates elected Fort Worth radiologist Tilden L. Childs III, MD, to TMA’s Board of Trustees during TMA’s TexMed conference in May 2025.

Board Member Highlight: Lee Ann Pearse, MD - 05/04/2026

Lee Ann Pearse, MD, was elected to the TMA Board of Trustees in May 2024.

Board Member Highlight: Ezequiel “Zeke” Silva III, MD - 05/04/2026

The Texas Medical Association (TMA) elected San Antonio interventional radiologist Ezequiel “Zeke” Silva III, MD, to the TMA Board of Trustees during the TexMed conference in April 2026. Dr. Silva will serve a three-year term on the board, the association’s governing body.

Board Member Highlight: Rodney B. Young, MD - 05/04/2026

TMA elected Amarillo family physician Rodney B. Young, MD, to the Board of Trustees in May 2024.

Bradford W. Holland, MD, President, Texas Medical Association - 05/04/2026

Waco otolaryngologist Bradford W. Holland, MD, was installed as the 161st president of the Texas Medical Association (TMA) in April 2026.

Board Member Highlight: Gregory Fuller, MD - 05/04/2026

Gregory M. Fuller, MD, became secretary/treasurer of the TMA Board of Trustees in May 2023 during TexMed, TMA’s annual conference.

Board Member Highlight: Mark A. Casanova, MD - 05/04/2026

The Texas Medical Association House of Delegates policymaking body elected Dallas internist and palliative care physician Mark A. Casanova, MD, vice speaker of the TMA house during TMA’s TexMed conference in May 2025. The election places him on the TMA Board of Trustees governing body.

Board Member Highlight: Zishan Hirani, MD - 05/04/2026

The Texas Medical Association House of Delegates elected Stafford obstetrician-gynecologist Zishan Hirani, MD, to a two-year term as the TMA Young Physician Section (YPS) representative on the TMA Board of Trustees governing body. TMA elected him during TexMed in April 2026.

Board Member Highlight: Christopher K. Wong, MD - 05/04/2026

The Texas Medical Association (TMA) House of Delegates elected Houston medicine/pediatrics resident physician Christopher K. Wong, MD, to a one-year term as the TMA Resident and Fellow Section representative on the TMA Board of Trustees governing body. TMA elected Dr. Wong during TexMed in April 2026.

Board Member Highlight: Natalie Barnett - 05/04/2026

Name Natalie Barnett Specialty  Medical student City Fort Worth  County Medical Society  Tarrant CMS The Texas Medical Association elected Fort Worth medical student Natalie Barnett to a one

Walking the Walk: TMA’s New President Knows the Pressures of Maintaining a Practice - 05/04/2026

Bradford W. Holland, MD, the Texas Medical Association's recently inducted president, was destined to be a doctor. But he was also drawn to medical policymaking while still in medical school, and has developed his abilities to advocate for physicians through experiences with TMA's Leadership College, its House of Delegates, and TEXPAC.

Board Member Highlight: Joseph Valenti, MD - 04/29/2026

The Texas Medical Association (TMA) Board of Trustees elected Denton obstetrician-gynecologist Joseph S. Valenti, MD, as vice chair in April 2026. He first joined the board in 2018, and members of TMA's House of Delegates policymaking body reelected him twice.

Board Member Highlight: John Carlo, MD - 04/29/2026

The Texas Medical Association Board of Trustees elected John T. Carlo, MD, as chair during the TexMed conference in April 2026, after reelecting him to the board in 2025. The Dallas public health and general preventive medicine specialist remains dedicated to the aspirations he held when he initially joined the board in 2022.

TMA Board of Trustees 2026-27 - 04/29/2026

TMA Board of Trustees

Board Member Highlight: John G. Flores, MD - 04/24/2026

The Texas Medical Association House of Delegates policymaking body elected Little Elm internist John G. Flores, MD, as its speaker in May 2025. The office of the speaker is an ex-officio member of the TMA Board of Trustees. Dr. Flores values the important role of physician advocacy in preserving the patient-physician relationship.  

TMA Selects Houston Neurologist for President-Elect - 04/24/2026

The Texas Medical Association elected Kimberly E. Monday, MD, president-elect in April 2026 during TexMed, TMA’s annual conference. The Houston neurologist will serve one year in this office before becoming president.

Meet Your 2026-27 TMA Board of Trustees - 04/23/2026

Alongside newly installed TMA President Bradford W. Holland, MD, physician leaders chosen by their peers joined the association’s governing board. Delegates across the state voted to seat former board chair Kimberly Monday, MD, as the association’s president-elect for 2027-28.

Former DSHS Commissioner Who Led Texas Through COVID Earns TMA’s Highest Honor - 04/22/2026

Capping a 45-year career in medicine and public health, John Hellerstedt, MD, who served as Texas’ chief public health officer during the COVID-19 pandemic, received the 2026 Distinguished Service Award at TexMed.