Greater San Antonio Healthcare Diversity Summit

Dr. Gibbs is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease and is the Vice President for Institutional Diversity at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. In this capacity, he serves as the director of institutional programs and initiatives related to diversity issues. He has designed, developed, and produced workshops and seminars, both internal and multi-center, focused on minority faculty and staff development. His work includes diversity initiatives for organizational advancement, mentoring, and cross-cultural communications. He is the Chairman of the Diversity Council and the Affirmative Action Officer at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. He has served as a member of the Chancellor's advisory task force on the status of minority faculty and staff at The University of Texas, and is a member of The University of Texas System Committee on the Status of Women and Minorities. In his present role as Vice President for Institutional Diversity he directs the Workforce Diversity, Outcome Measures and Compliance, Recruitment and Representation, and the Diversity and Cancer Disparities programs at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. He also serves on the Board of Advisors for the University of Houston's International Institute for Diversity and Cross-Cultural Management. Dr. Gibbs received his Bachelor's degree in biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and his M.D. degree from Harvard Medical School. He has also received postgraduate training at the John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA, and the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Gibbs is someone who has impacted the outlook of diversity, not only in the workplace but also in the community.

Gayle is a San Antonio native, born and bred. She joined the U.S. Army to see the world, but spent her time in the service at Ft. Sam Houston. It was not a bad thing since that's where she met her husband, Tony). Gayle has a BA in Biology from St. Mary's University and BSN, MSN and PhD from UTHSCSA. She has been a nurse for 31 years and has done everything from neurosciences to critical care. Currently she is the Director of Clinical Practice for Nursing at CSR, where she has joyfully worked for 24 years. She has presented nationally on a variety of critical care and neuroscience topics and loves being a nurse. She has been married to Tony, a pharmacist (29 years and counting) and has one son, Jimmy, and 2 dogs (Sadie and Missy). They love to hike and go whitewater rafting. Gayle is a Lay Eucharistic Minister and Lector at her parish and is currently the treasurer for the local Texas Nurses Association district....and she loves the Spurs and Longhorns!

Fernando A. Guerra, MD, MPH, FAAP, is a clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas. He also serves as an adjunct professor in public health at the Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio and in management, policy, and community health at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston, Texas. Dr. Guerra earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and his Master of Public Health degree from the Harvard University School of Public Health, where he was a Kellogg Fellow. In 2010 Dr. Guerra retired as Director of Health for the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District after 23 years of service. He oversaw the operation of 32 health locations throughout San Antonio and several areas of Bexar County. During his tenure, Dr. Guerra instituted improvements to the immunization program to include a model immunization registry and established a vaccine study center. This and other initiatives led by Dr. Guerra have raised the stature of San Antonio as a center of public health excellence and the Metropolitan Health District as one of the top local public health departments in the country. Dr. Guerra has held top leadership positions in local, regional, and national organizations that include serving as a member of the US Department of Health and Human Services' National Vaccine Advisory Committee. He is also currently a member of the Institute of Medicine, the Public Health Accreditation Board, and a member of the Urban Institute Board of Trustees. His professional career reflects a long-standing dedication to improving access to health care systems for infants, women, children, and the elderly. As a civic leader, he has been active in research, public health program and policy development, legislative issues, and health planning. In addition, throughout his career Dr. Guerra has remained active in the practice of Pediatrics. Dr. Guerra has been the principal investigator of numerous vaccine clinical trials. He is a frequent contributor to medical literature in the area of immunizations, community health, health disparities, and other public health issues. Dr. Guerra has received numerous awards for his service and contributions to public health including the Job Lewis Smith Award of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and most recently the Alumni Award of Merit from the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Guerra is currently serving as a consultant to the Health Department and the City of San Antonio until September 2012.

Pat Carrier was appointed regional CEO for CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System March 2010. Pat served as chief executive for CHRISTUS Health Gulf Coast since November of 2003, and then expanded his role and responsibilities in September of 2009 by accepting an appointment as president and CEO for CHRISTUS Continuing Care. Pat's extensive administrative experience in health care spans 32 years. He began his healthcare career as a hospital pharmacist who soon began to take on additional responsibilities and over a period of years transitioned into leadership roles. He has a proven track record building collaborative relationships with physicians, the community and other health care providers. Pat is a native "Cajun" from south Louisiana. He has been married to his wife Renee for 34 years, and has two grown sons.