Medical and Graduate Schools Announce Appointments

UT Physicians

Richard Andrassy, M.D., chair of the board of UT Physicians, has announced the appointment of Andrew Casas as chief operating officer (COO) of UT Physicians - the nonprofit physician corporation affiliated with the practice plan of The University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

"Mr. Casas has been instrumental in the business activities of UTP for many years and has been leading our efforts in contracting, billing and joint venture projects such as UT Imaging and others," said Andrassy, who also is chair of the Department of Surgery at the Medical School. "He is very knowledgeable about the health care sector of business and has been sought after by many other health care groups."

UT Physicians manages the Medical School's clinical practice, while carrying out the school's three-part mission of education, research and clinical care.

"Being named chief operating officer of UT Physicians allows me to function more strategically to ensure the continued growth and success of UT Physicians," Casas said. "My personal goal is to ensure the Medical School physicians prosper and our patients receive the best care possible in a setting that accomplishes the goals of the UT Health Science Center."

LBJ Hospital

UT Medical School Interim Dean Jerry Wolinsky, M.D., has announced the appointment of Steven Brown, M.D., former Medical School faculty member, as the new chief of staff of the Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital and associate dean for Harris County Programs at the Medical School.

"We are very fortunate to have recruited Dr. Brown back to the Medical School," Wolinsky said. "His past experience with our system and the district, development of the compensation plan at Tyler, and honed analytic skills while at Navigant should serve us well."

Brown joined the Medical School in 1991 in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. He also served as vice chief of staff of LBJ General Hospital from 1999-2002. He was most recently a medical director in the health care division of Navigant Consulting Inc., an international consulting firm that provides support to a variety of public, academic, nonprofit and group practice entities. Previously, he served as chief medical officer of the UT Health Center at Tyler.

"The clinical diversity and volume at LBJ General Hospital and associated clinics provide a rich educational environment for trainees at all levels and a challenge to provide efficient, high quality medical care to the citizens of Harris County," Brown said.

For the past several months, LBJ General Hospital was under the interim direction of Peter Doyle, M.D., assistant professor and director of the LBJ anesthesiology service.

Memorial Hermann

Rosemary Kozar, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Surgery at the UT Medical School, has been named chief of Trauma Service at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center.

Kozar, who joined the faculty in 1999 as an assistant professor of surgery and critical care fellow, is internationally recognized for her work in gut failure in critically injured patients and nutritional support in critical care.

She is a member of the American Board of Surgeons, certified in general surgery and critical care medicine, and is an active trauma surgeon and teacher.

"Dr. Kozar is an extremely productive clinical surgeon and researcher," said Richard Andrassy, M.D., chairman of the Department of Surgery and associate dean for clinical affairs. "She has demonstrated excellent administrative, organizational and interpersonal skills which will allow her to be an excellent trauma leader for the medical school and hospital."

Kozar, who is also a faculty member of the UT Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston (GSBS), graduated in 1986 from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. She received a doctorate in molecular physiology and biophysics from Baylor College of Medicine in 1992.

Genetic Counseling

Claire Singletary has been appointed director of the Genetic Counseling Program, announced Wolinsky and George Stancel, Ph.D., dean of GSBS.

Singletary succeeded Medical School and GSBS faculty member Jacqueline Hecht, Ph.D., who stepped down from her role as director of the Genetic Counseling Program. Hecht established this program 18 years ago; it is still the only one in the state of Texas.

Appointed assistant professor of pediatrics, Singletary directs the genetic counseling educational program and counsels prenatal patients in conjunction with the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences. Prior to her UT appointment, she was assistant program director at the University of South Carolina Genetic Counseling Program. She is active in the National Society of Genetic Counselors, most recently sitting on the board of directors as Region III Representative.

Renal Diseases and Hypertension

Kevin Finkel, M.D., has been appointed the new director of the Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension at the UT Medical School.

Finkel, who has been a member of the faculty since 1994, also serves as vice chair of internal medicine for clinical affairs.

A graduate of the UT Medical School, Finkel has gained international recognition for his clinical and research work in the area of acute kidney injury.

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