Austin gastroenterologist William G. Gamel, MD, a TMA past president whose service to medicine included helping bring liability insurance reform to Texas, died Dec. 14. He was 81.
Dr. Gamel served as TMA president from 1992 to ‘93 and held several key positions during his 52 years with the association, including chair of the Council on Legislation and chair of the Texas Delegation to the American Medical Association.
He later served as chief executive officer of the Texas Medical Foundation (later renamed TMF Health Quality Institute), a provider of health care quality improvement services.
Sue Bailey, MD, a TMA past president who served as vice chair of the Texas Delegation to the AMA while Dr. Gamel was chair, said he had a genuine love for the work he did.
"He was a mentor and great leader for the delegation," said Dr. Bailey, a Fort Worth allergist. "He always championed Texas."
In addition to liability insurance reform, Dr. Gamel worked on issues tied to physician payment and advanced practice registered nurses, and he focused on efforts to ensure that Texas had enough physicians. Nationwide, he helped shape health care reform and patient protection acts through his work on both the TMA and AMA Council on Legislation.
TMA awarded Dr. Gamel the Distinguished Service Award in 2005 for his work on behalf of Texas medicine.
Former TMA President Tom Garcia, MD, said Dr. Gamel always had informed opinions about legislation and policies that affected physicians.
"He was very talented at switching from one issue to another," Dr. Garcia said. "And he was well-versed in it ― he wasn't faking. He knew the subtleties of each one of those issues."
Dan McCoy, MD, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, worked with Dr. Gamel as part of the Texas Delegation to the AMA. Dr. McCoy said Dr. Gamel had a strict, no-nonsense approach to making sure Texas had effective representation.
"He came across as a tough guy," Dr. McCoy said. "But then one time, I was going through a divorce and I needed to miss the [AMA] meeting because I needed to be home with my kiddos, and Bill spent probably 30 minutes on the phone talking me through that, talking to me about the importance of children and family and how those come first."
Dr. Gamel earned his bachelor's degree at The University of Texas at Austin in 1959 and attended medical school at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. After earning his MD in 1963 and completing his internship and residency in Dallas, he set up practice in Austin in 1967.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Nancy; sons, Robert Christopher Gamel and William Glenn Gamel Jr.; a daughter, Susan McNair Gamel; and several grandchildren.
Photo courtesy of the Gamel family