Dr. Jeana O’Brien appointed physician group state governor

TEMPLE, Texas — Scott & White pulmonary specialist Jeana O’Brien, M.D., F.C.C.P., has been named to be the next Texas governor for the American College of Chest Physicians. She will begin her two-year term when the college meets for its convocation in San Diego on Nov 1.

“Texas covers a large area, a lot of rural area, so access to critical care will be a big part of my message,” said Dr. O’Brien. “Rather than a long list of initiatives, the leadership of ACCP has a focused agenda to maintain attention on key medical issues related to the health of patients with pulmonary diseases as well as challenges faced by practitioners of pulmonary, sleep and critical care medicine.”

Dr. O’Brien has been with Scott & White Healthcare since 1997, and was recently named chief medical information officer for the Scott & White Healthcare System. She currently serves as the chief medical officer for the Temple Scott & White Clinic, medical director of the Respiratory Care Department, and is an associate professor of internal medicine for the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine.

The duties of the state’s governor are to help bring increased awareness of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) and its programs to pulmonary specialists who are in advanced training. As governor, a large part of Dr. O’Brien’s work will be making visits to the fellowship training programs at medical schools around the state and meeting with state and federal policymakers.

As chest physicians, pulmonary specialists are concerned with all the medical issues associated with breathing. One of the key issues is tobacco, because tobacco related illness affect a great number of pulmonary patients.

Dr. O’Brien said there also are other important issues.

“A few years ago, patients who were using oxygen were having a hard time with airline travel. So one of the ACCP initiatives at that time was working with legislators to get the FAA to listen; we wanted to be able to have those patients who were needing oxygen be able to fly with their portable oxygen systems,” Dr. O’Brien said.

Another significant issue in relation to health care policy is a workforce shortage of critical care physicians. Dr. O’Brien said the ACCP helps educate lawmakers about proposals related to improving critical care access in the face of projected shortages of critical care providers.

“I think my duties as Texas governor for ACCP also will provide an increased focus and additional attention to the Scott & White Healthcare system, and particularly Scott & White Pulmonary,” Dr. O’Brien said. “This is a critical point right now with the health care reform. This gives us another position at a national level for sharing Scott & White’s message.”

The American College of Chest Physicians is a not-for-profit medical society representing 16,500 members in over 100 countries. Members include specialist physicians, allied health professionals, and PhDs focusing on diseases of the chest.

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