Agencies, Boards and Commissions

Health Services, Texas Department of State

General Information

Agency #: 537 1100 West 49th StreetP.O. Box 149347Austin, TX 78714-9347

Commissioner's Office

Office	Office Holder	Phone / Fax
Commissioner	Dr. Jennifer Shuford, MD, MPH	(512) 776-7363
Chief Deputy Commissioner	Imelda Garcia, MPH	(512) 776-2174
Senior Advisor	Kirk Cole	(512) 776-7363
Chief of Staff	Rachael Hendrickson, MPA	(512) 776-7404
General Counsel	Cynthia Hernandez	(512) 776-6915
Office of Compliance and System Coordination	Mercy Bryant, PhD, MPA	(512) 776-7404
Media Relations	Chris Van Deusen	(512) 776-7119

Chief Financial Office

Office	Office Holder	Phone / Fax
Chief Financial Officer	Christy Havel Burton	(512) 776-7640
Deputy Chief Financial Officer	Loris Tran	(512) 776-7640
Accounting Director	Tatiana Calliham	(512) 776-7640

Office of State Epidemiologist

Office	Office Holder	Phone / Fax
State Epidemiologist	Varun Shetty, MD, MBA, MS	(512) 776-6380
Deputy Chief State Epidemiologist	Diana Martinez, PhD	(512) 776-6380

Division for Community Health Improvement

Office	Office Holder	Phone / Fax
Deputy Commissioner	Manda Hall, MD	(512) 776-3068
Associate Deputy Commissioner	Jeremy Triplett	(512) 776-3068

Division for Regional and Local Health Operations

Office	Office Holder	Phone / Fax
Deputy Commissioner	David Gruber	(512) 776-6186
Associate Deputy Commissioner	Rachel Samsel, MSSW	(512) 776-3560

Division for Program Operations

Office	Office Holder	Phone / Fax
(Acting) Deputy Commissioner	Kirk Cole	(512) 776-7363
Deputy Associate Commissioner	Kevin Davis	(512) 776-7120

Division for Consumer Protection

Office	Office Holder	Phone / Fax
Deputy Commissioner	Tim Stevenson, DVM, PhD	(512) 834-6660
Associate Deputy Commissioner	Adam Buuck, MPH, CPH	(512) 834-6760

Division for Infectious Disease Prevention

Office	Office Holder	Phone / Fax
Deputy Commissioner	Josh Hutchison	(512) 776-2863
Associate Deputy Commissioner	Aelia Aktar	(512) 776-2863

Division for Public Health Laboratory

Office	Office Holder	Phone / Fax
Deputy Commissioner	Grace Kubin, PhD	(512) 776-7415
Associate Deputy Commissioner	Susan Tanksley, PhD	(512) 776-7415

Center for Public Health Policy & Practice

Office	Office Holder	Phone / Fax
Medical Director	Stephen Pont MD, MPH	(512) 776- x6483
Office of Practice & Learning Director	Courtney Dezendorf, MPH	(512) 776-6483
Office of Public Health Policy Director	Zena Hooper, PsyD	(512) 776-6483

Notes

Division for Regional and Local Health Operations:

Public Health Region 1 Lubbock
Regional Medical Director, Scott Milton
806/744-3577

Public Health Region 2/3 Arlington
Regional Medical Director, Aurelia Schmalstieg, MD
817/264-4500

Public Health Region 4/5 Tyler
Regional Medical Director, Sharon Huff, M.D., M.S.
903/595-3585

Public Health Region 6
Regional Medical Director, Carlos Plasencia, M.D., MSPH
713/767-3000

Public Health Region 7 Temple
Regional Medical Director, Sharon Melville, M.D., M.P.H,
254/778-6744 / Fax: 254/778-4066

Public Health Region 8 San Antonio
Regional Medical Director, Lillian Ringsdorf, M.D., M.P.H.
210/949-2000

Public Health Region 9/10 El Paso
Regional Medical Director, Position Vacant
915/834-7675

Public Health Region 11 Harlingen
Regional Medical Director, Emilie Prot, D.O. M.P.H.
956/423-0130

Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Section
Director, Jeff Hoogheem
512/776-7219