May 1, 2015
Jose Manuel de la Rosa, MD, MSc, of El Paso received the
Platinum Award, the top honor in the Texas Medical Association (TMA) Award for
Excellence in Academic Medicine. Dr. de la Rosa received the award today during
TexMed, TMA’s annual conference, in Austin.
The multilevel award program, created in 2012 by TMA’s Subcommittee for Academic Physicians, is designed to
recognize academic physicians who are consummate teachers, role models, and
medical professionals. A physician selection committee chooses the platinum
winner from a pool of physician applicants in the gold-level recognition
category. Physicians can self-submit applications or nominate others for bronze-,
silver- and gold-level recognition, based on their years in an academic
position.
“I am honored to be recognized for doing what I love,” said
Dr. de la Rosa. “As a pediatrician, I felt compelled to teach; not only teach the
families I cared for, but the students navigating their way through medical
school. This award is icing on a career I truly have been blessed to live.”
Throughout his more than 25-year career, the board-certified
pediatrician has mentored a host of medical students, residents, and physician
faculty.
Dr. de la Rosa currently serves as
provost and vice president for academic affairs at Texas Tech Health Sciences
Center-El Paso, where he continues to teach. Dr. de la Rosa also
oversees Student Services, Educational Affairs, the Office of Diversity
Affairs, and the Office of Global Health Affairs. He was
the founding dean of the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, leading the
school’s accreditation process. Prior to the medical school’s creation, he
served as regional dean of the El Paso regional academic health center. And, for
several years, he oversaw residency training at his institution.
“Manny is my mentor and friend. He has encouraged me to
advance and develop my career since college,” said Arthur Islas, MD, MPH, of El
Paso, a former student of Dr. de la Rosa’s.
As founding dean of the first medical school on the U.S.-Mexico
border, Dr. de la Rosa has been
instrumental in developing a unique curriculum that prepares students to
practice medicine on the border and beyond, said Kathryn Horn, MD, an
associate professor at the health sciences center, who nominated him for the
award.
Dr. de la Rosa
helped establish the Kellogg Community Partnership Clinics, school-based
clinics run by medical students that provide health services to colonia
residents in the El Paso area. He also designed a community medicine curriculum
— now a nationwide model — that teaches cultural sensitivity, awareness, and
competence in medicine. And he championed a requirement that all medical
students at the school take medical Spanish.
“Dr. de la Rosa works tirelessly to meet the health care
needs in El Paso and beyond,” said Dr. Horn. “He strives to eliminate social
barriers so that all residents have access to the health care they need.”
Former President
George Bush appointed Dr. de la Rosa to the United States/Mexico Border Health
Commission in 2003, and he continues to serve. He is a frequent spokesperson
for border health issues.
Dr.
de la Rosa has been a delegate from the El Paso
County Medical Society to the TMA House of Delegates, TMA’s governing body, and
has served as a consultant to TMA’s Council on Medical Education. Dr. de la Rosa was named Physician of the Year by the National Hispanic
Medical Association in 2013 and also received the organization’s Distinguished
Service Award.
In
his community, Dr. de la Rosa helps recruit local youth into health
professions through his involvement with Communidades en Accion of El Paso, and he
serves as a volunteer member of the El Paso Independent School District’s
community curriculum review committee. He was
inducted into the El Paso Business Hall of Fame in 2010.
Surenda Varma, MD, of Lubbock, last year’s platinum award
winner, said, “I have had the privilege of knowing Dr. de la Rosa since he was
a medical student. He is a most talented physician and a great teacher.”
Dr. de la Rosa received his medical degree from Texas Tech
University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in
Lubbock. He completed his residency in pediatrics at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El
Paso. He
received a master of science degree in clinical epidemiology from Harvard
School of Public Health.
Dr. de la Rosa was among 18 physicians who were recognized
by TMA at its annual meeting through the academic award program. (See list below of 2014-15 award winners.)
2014-15 TMA Award for Excellence in Academic Medicine Recipients
2015
Platinum-Level Award Winner:
Jose Manuel de la
Rosa, MD, Msc, Texas
Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso
2015 Recipients
of Gold-Level Recognition:
Jose Manuel de la Rosa, MD, Msc, Texas Tech University Health Sciences
Center, El Paso (Note: Dr. de la Rosa also was selected for the sole Platinum
Award.)
Charleta Guillory, MD, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
Carlos R. Hamilton Jr., MD, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Gilbert Handal, MD, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso
Arlo F. Weltge, MD, MPH, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
2015
Recipients of Silver-Level Recognition:
Patricia M. Butler, MD, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Charles E. Cowles Jr., MD, MBA, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
Troy Fiesinger, MD, Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program, Sugar Land
Shkelzen Hoxhaj, MD, MBA, MPH, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
Felix Hull, MD, Community Preceptor, The University of Texas Medical Branch at
Galveston-Austin Programs
Girish Premji Joshi, MBBS, MD, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Christine E. Koerner, MD, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
David Mercier, MD, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Elizabeth A. Nelson, MD, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston (now at The University of Texas
Dell Medical School)
Carl David Rowlett, MD, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler
Richard Strax, MD, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
Lucas Wong, MD, Baylor
Scott & White/Texas A&M Health Science Center, Temple
2015
Recipient of Bronze-Level Recognition:
Lindsay K. Botsford, MD, Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program, Sugar Land
TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more
than 48,000 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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Contact: Steve Levine (512) 370-1380; Cell: (512) 750-0971; e-mail: steve.levine[at]texmed[dot]org
Brent Annear (512) 370-1381; Cell: (512) 656-7320;
e-mail: brent.annear[at]texmed[dot]org