When Houston emergency physician Diana L. Fite, MD, took the reins as Texas Medical Association president in May 2020 – just two months after the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the U.S. – she had no idea of the fear, tragedy, and daily unknowns that would mark her leadership and challenge her both professionally and personally.
And yet, as an example of her own resiliency and that of her fellow physicians, Dr. Fite reminded her colleagues that “tragedy and opportunity can co-exist,” as she delivered her farewell speech on Friday during TexMed, TMA’s annual conference held virtually last week.
“During this past year, we have gone from having no idea how to manage COVID illness to vaccinating millions of Texans,” she said. “We have learned so much about handling a pandemic of this magnitude” and about how to prepare for a future pandemic.
Indeed, Dr. Fite experienced an “unusual and unprecedented” presidency, as TMA Speaker Arlo Weltge, MD, described it upon introducing her.
Her term concluded as uniquely as it started with a virtual installation. Whereas past outgoing presidents at TexMed shared stories and photos of traveling to county medical societies, visiting with physicians across the state, and meeting with medical students, she explained her year was conducted completely via Zoom.
“I don’t have any slides to show you today because I don’t think you would want to see pictures of Zoom meetings, lots of Zoom meetings,” she said.
Despite her initial bold goals, Dr. Fite recalled that ultimately her presidency “ha[d] been completely immersed in COVID response and never-ending, on-going issues related to COVID. It was awful for physicians, for our practices, for our incomes, for our patients, and for my presidency.”
As an example of just how dire the experience was, Dr. Fite shared several text messages she exchanged with longtime friend and emergency medicine colleague Juan Fitz, MD, before he died of COVID-19. The texts underscored the pain, suffering, and toll the pandemic inflicted on so many physicians and their families in Texas.
Nevertheless, Dr. Fite participated in countless hours of testimony at the Capitol furthering TMA’s legislative agenda and helped keep TMA at the table in statewide discussions on COVID-19 vaccines.
“And I believe we made significant headway in reaching out to all Texas physicians,” she said. “All physicians of Texas, even if they were not TMA members, received help through TMA’s COVID response and PPE supplies.”
Many of Dr. Fite’s Zoom meetings were interviews with the press, even the international press, promoting TMA’s public health advocacy and “representing Texas physicians and patients with a calm, steady voice of science, reason, and caring,” Dr. Weltge said.
In recognition of those efforts, Dr. Fite was awarded an honorary Anson Jones, MD, Award for excellence in health care journalism.
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