Access Physicians CMO Appointed to Texas Medical Association’s Committee on Physician Distribution and Health Care Access
May 4, 2020 (Dallas, Texas) – The Texas Medical Association has appointed Saurin Patel, MD, chief medical officer at Access Physicians, a physician-led telemedicine company, to its Committee on Physician Distribution and Health Care Access. The committee analyzes the physician, nursing, and allied health workforce and its impact on access and promotes careers in medicine and the health professions. Dr. Patel will serve through August 2023.
“I’m honored to be appointed to this committee to be a part of vital work to analyze health care workforce trends and bring telemedicine as one solution to the forefront,” said Patel. “From my work with Access Physicians, I know firsthand how medically underserved areas can be transformed through the power of telemedicine. Increasing the number of specialists takes years, and that is time that underserved areas do not have. Telemedicine puts specialty care in those communities today.”
The Committee on Physician Distribution and Health Care Access analyzes physician, nursing, and allied health distribution in relation to demographics and disease incidence; identifies forces and trends in medical, nursing, and allied health education affecting distribution and access to care; monitors and initiates services for physicians seeking practice opportunities in medically underserved areas; coordinates programs with other organizations and agencies involved in educating students about careers in medicine and the health professions, especially students from rural areas and minority students; and serves as a resource for information on physician manpower in Texas and communicates this information to the appropriate TMA councils and committees as well as external organizations and institutions.
“Dr. Patel embodies the values of service, leadership and clinical excellence that Access Physicians is founded on,” said Chris Gallagher, MD, CEO, Access Physicians. “His contribution to the Committee on Physician Distribution and Health Care Access will be invaluable.”
Dr. Patel is board certified in Internal Medicine and is a practicing hospitalist. He completed his Internal Medicine residency training at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where he subsequently joined as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Patel earned his Doctor of Medicine from UT Southwestern, and his BBA in finance from the University of Texas at Austin.