May 10, 2025
The Texas Medical Association (TMA) elected Bradford W. Holland, MD, president-elect, eventually to become the association’s 161st president.
The Waco otolaryngologist was elected on Saturday during TexMed, TMA’s annual conference, held in San Antonio this year. The last time TMA elected a president from Waco was over five decades ago.
“I am so very honored and humbled to be given the opportunity of leading Texas physicians at a time of such importance,” said Dr. Holland. “TMA is the one organization that is standing up for patient care and protecting the practice of medicine. I vow to live up to the great task I have been assigned as president-elect to defend our victories and conquer our challenges.”
As president-elect, his goal is to preserve the medical profession for future generations, a goal that originally motivated him to get involved in advocacy. “It won’t come without a cost – the cost of time, dedication, and fight to battle the forces that want to weaken the physician-patient relationship,” he said. He encourages all physicians to make the effort to “protect medicine in the Capitol.”
Dr. Holland aspires to work with elected officials to improve the profession of medicine. “Physicians are on the ropes right now,” said Dr. Holland, listing major issues doctors face. “Physicians are threatened with decreasing reimbursement, increasing cases of insurance companies denying patients’ procedures or medications through prior authorizations, and many individuals who didn’t go to medical school wanting to practice medicine.”
Dr. Holland joined TMA as a medical student from UT Southwestern Medical School over three decades ago. He was a member of the TMA Leadership College, a program which teaches early physicians leadership skills. He served on the Council on Legislation and was first elected vice speaker of the House of Delegates in 2019. Dr. Holland played a critical role in guiding the house through the challenging COVID-19 pandemic with virtual/hybrid meetings. He became speaker of the house in 2021, and has served four terms. Dr. Holland also chaired TEXPAC, TMA’s political action committee.
Dr. Holland is a member of the McLennan County Medical Society, of which he was president. He is board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology and is active in his specialty society, the Texas Association of Otolaryngology, where he has served as president as well as other leadership roles. Dr. Holland is an adjunct faculty member in Baylor University’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
His wife, Amanda Holland, is director of Baylor University’s Department of Advising for Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences. The couple has four children.
Dr. Holland and his wife love music of all varieties and spend their free time going to concerts and listening to everything from classical music to rock. He has served as President of the Waco Symphony Association.
He and his wife also enjoy fly fishing. “We prefer mountain trout streams, as it has been said that trout seldom live in ugly places,” said Dr. Holland.
He will serve one year as president-elect before becoming president in May 2026.
TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more than 59,000 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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