Palliative Care Interdisciplinary Advisory Council

Listen to the Advancing Palliative Care in Texas 2022 Webinar Recording.

Background

House Bill (HB) 1874, 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015 established the Palliative Care Interdisciplinary Advisory Council to assess the availability of patient-centered and family-focused palliative care in Texas. HB 1874 charges the council to consult with and advise the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) on matters related to the establishment, maintenance, operation, and outcome evaluation of the statewide palliative care consumer and professional information and education program.

In addition, the council must submit a biennial report assessing

  • the availability of palliative care in Texas,
  • barriers to greater access to palliative care and
  • policies, practices, and protocols in Texas concerning patients' rights related to palliative care.

The Council published its first report on Oct. 1, 2016. The Palliative Care Interdisciplinary Advisory Council is codified under Chapter 118, Texas Health and Safety Code.

Annual Continuing Education Events

Since 2017, the PCIAC has hosted annual live continuing education events on various palliative care related topics to provide continuing education credits to interdisciplinary SPC professionals. These live webinar events are typically held in November and are free to the public. Please email Palliative Care if you are interested in receiving notifications about upcoming continuing education events.

Upcoming Meetings:

  • January 31, 2024
  • April 23, 2024
  • August 6, 2024
  • October 10, 2024

Note: The above dates are tentative

Members

Physician Representatives

  • Larry Driver, MD, Houston
  • Robert Fine, MD, MACP, FAAHPM, HEC-C, Dallas
  • Alison Wiesenthal, MD, FACP, FAAHPM, San Antonio 
  • Neela Patel, MD, Shavano Park
  • Nancy Weber, DO, MBA, FACOEP, FACEP, El Paso
  • Kelly Klein, MD, Lubbock
  • Dianna Yip, DO, Austin

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Representatives

  • Heather Paterson, MS, RN, Dallas
  • Erin Perez, Chair, DNP, APRN, ANP-C, AGNP-C, ACHPN, Live Oak

Physician Assistant Representative

  • Daniel Tamez, DSc, MPH, MS-PA, Edinburg

Nurse Representative

  • Carol Cates, RN, Tyler

Social Worker Representative

  • Stephanie Broussard, MSSW, LCSW-S, APHSW-C, Dallas

Pharmacist Representative

  • Genoveva “Hennie” Garza, MS, Plano

Spiritual Care Professional Representative

  • Jerry Fenter, Beaumont

Advocate for Patients and Families Representatives

  • Jennifer Carr Allmon, MA, Austin
  • Hattie Henderson, Vice-Chair, MD, Houston
  • Nancy Jackson, Gainesville
  • Maxcine “Max” Tomlinson, Austin

Ex-Officio Members

  • Karen Hardwick, PhD, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Austin
  • Emily Rocha, MBA, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CHCQM, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Austin
  • Dianne Overshown, MPA, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Austin

Please email Palliative Care for additional information.