Three awards were given to physicians who embody the culture of innovation while working collaboratively to achieve best-in-class outcomes. The physicians recognized apply innovation to their everyday practice, resulting in a positive financial impact and a better patient experience. They are instrumental in leading innovation within Harris Health toward a brighter, more sustainable future.
Jose M. Marchena, DMD, MD, FACS, chief, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ben Taub Hospital, associate professor, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth
Dr. Jose Marchena has transformed Ben Taub's Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery program by improving efficiency, patient safety and cost containment. His servant leadership, collaborative spirit, strong work ethic and dedication to ensuring a quality experience for patients, residents, faculty and staff are inspirational.
Dr. Anita Major, assistant professor, Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine Section of Geriatrics, Medical Director House Call Service, Ben Taub Hospital
Dr. Jessica Lee, medical director, House Call Service, Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital, assistant professor, McGovern Medical School, Division of UTHealth Geriatric and Palliative Medicine
Both Drs. Anita Major and Jessica Lee are known for their passionate care and unwavering dedication which have enabled them to work collaboratively with the House Call program's physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses and social workers.
Under their collaborative leadership and inter-professional approach to care management, the Ben Taub and the LBJ House Call service has grown and serves as catalyst for change by providing best-in-class care to patients. The program reduces health care expenditures in the most frail of patients during the last years of their lives by reducing emergency department utilization and hospital readmission rates, providing palliative care and promoting in-home primary care services.
Major and Lee were instrumental in achieving NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home recognition. The program now stands as a shining star amongst house call programs as the only house call program in Texas that holds this prestigious recognition—positioning Harris Health to provide exemplary, compassionate home-based care to vulnerable elderly patients for many years to come.
Dr. Kunal Sharma, chief, Emergency Services, LBJ Hospital, assistant professor, Emergency Medicine, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth
Dr. Kunal Sharma has a passion for quality that led him to focus in quality assurance, improve patient-centered outcomes and transform hospital operations. In his continued pursuit for excellence in quality and patient safety, he completed UTHealth's Clinical Safety and Effectiveness Course and obtained the American Board of Medical Quality's Certificate in Medical Quality.
His service to the community is evident in his role as the chief of Emergency Services at LBJ. Sharma's commitment to excellence is demonstrated in his leadership and management of the daily operations of the LBJ Emergency Center, one of the city's busiest emergency centers.