Parkland Hospital - Board of Managers


	Debbie Branson is the chair of the Parkland Board of Managers and a lawyer with the Law Offices of Frank L. Branson, PC. As a fourth generation lawyer and a respected and accomplished attorney in Dallas, Debbie Dudley Branson has a strong family history and commitment to her profession. She maintains a passionate belief that individual lawyers have an obligation to be community leaders, public servants, and forces for positive social change. She is licensed to practice law in both Arkansas and Texas. Branson has garnered many honors, including being named one of the "Best Women Lawyers in Dallas" and one of the "Best Lawyers in Dallas" by D Magazine and one of the "Texas Super Lawyers" by Texas Monthly for several years. She is also listed among The Best Lawyers in America. In 2012, she received the Women That Soar Award in Business, an award that recognizes women who have triumphed professionally and are giving back to the community. In 2011, she was named one of the Dallas Bar Association's "Inspiring Women". Branson has also received the Gayle Pettus Pontz Award, which recognizes the achievements of a lawyer who best represents excellence and achievement of women in the legal profession, and University of Texas at Dallas' Achievement Award. Branson is past president of the Dallas Women's Foundation and the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, and an active member of many other legal organizations, including the American Association for Justice, the Dallas Women Lawyers Association, the Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism, the State Bar of Texas and the Dallas Bar Association. She has also served by appointment to the Federal Aviation Management Advisory Council and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. She is married to Frank L. Branson and they have two children, both graduates of Southern Methodist University Law School.

	Jerry Bryant is a member of the Parkland Board of Managers and president of the Bryant Consulting Group in Dallas. Bryant holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Michael Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma and a Master of Health Administration from the School of Medicine at Washington University. He has 35 years of experience in development and operation of hospitals and health systems. As a former senior leader at Baylor Health Care System in Dallas, he orchestrated the acquisition, merger and operation of the system’s first seven community hospitals. He later served as the system’s chief strategy development officer. For 11 years, Bryant was on the Research Advisory Council for the Health Systems Integration Study at Northwestern University and at the University of California at Berkeley. He also served on the Industry Advisory Council of the National Science Foundation-sponsored Center for Health Management Research at the University of Washington. Each of these organizations was focused on closing the gap between research and discovery of break-through care delivery methods and their application on the front lines of America’s hospitals. Bryant has served as a director for Preservation Dallas, the Dallas Historical Society, the Texas Chapter of The Arthritis Foundation, the American Hospital Association Region 7 Policy Board and the Royal Lane Village Homeowners Association. He and his wife, Linda, have lived in Lake Highlands for 35 years where they raised a son and a daughter. They are members of the Wilshire Baptist Church.

	Roberto de la Cruz MD, is a member of Parkland’s Board of Managers and a physician of internal medicine. He currently practices at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas where he provides direct medical care to acutely ill patients and educates medical students and residents. He was a founding member of the the Palliative Care Consult Service and received board certification for hospice and palliative medicine in 2008. He is a recipient of the Teaching Award given by the internal medicine residents. A native of Puerto Rico, de la Cruz completed his undergraduate education at the University of Pennsylvania and completed his medical degree at the University of Puerto Rico, where he was was given the Distinguished Student Award by the school faculty. He trained at Parkland from 1993 to 1996 and joined the medical staff at the Community Oriented Primary Care clinics. He was named medical director at the East Dallas Health Center, where he served until 1999, when he chose to move back into the hospital setting. At Parkland, de la Cruz was named recipient of the John S.Miller Award, given annually by the internal medicine residents to recognize medical and ethical excellence, and also won the Above and Beyond Award while working on staff at Parkland. He has served as board chair of the Gay and Lesbian Fund for Dallas. He has served on the Parkland Foundation Board of Directors since 2008 and is co-chair of Parkland Foundation Physicians Council. He is an amateur opera lover and long distance cylclist, completing various long distance cycling events and half-marathons.

	Patricia Rodriguez Gorman is vice chair of the Parkland Board of Managers and owner of The Rodriguez Group and ROD Construction. Gorman holds Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Texas, a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Dallas and a Master of Arts from Southern Methodist University. She is certified in strategic planning by the National Association of School Executives and received her Texas Paralegal Certification in Business Law from Southern Methodist University. Gorman has served as secretary for the National Hispanic Contractors Association, immediate past chairman of the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association and is a past president of the Dallas Summit and the Hispanic 100 Foundation. She played a key role in the development of Dallas Independent School District’s 1992 and 2002 school facilities bond programs and the growth of the district’s MWBE program.

	Winfred Parnell, MD, is a member of the Parkland Board of Managers and a board certified physician in obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Parnell practices obstetrics and gynecology at Carlos and Parnell, MD, PA, a medical practice he co-founded more than 30 years ago. He serves as a regional director for Doctors of America and is a member of the Parkland Foundation Physicians Council. He also serves as a delegate to the Texas Medical Association as well as board of directors of BBVA Compass Bank Dallas. Dr. Parnell previously served as a board member of the Dallas County Medical Society and for more than 15 years served as a board trustee at Medical City Hospital Dallas. Throughout his career, Dr. Parnell has received commendations by numerous businesses, civic and social societies for his community involvement and professional accomplishments. In 2004, he was named one of "The Best Doctors in Dallas" by D Magazine. In 2009, he was selected to represent Texas at the White Coat Ceremony on Health Care Reform at the White House. In February 2013, Dr. Parnell was presented with the Torch Award from the Urban League of Greater Dallas and North Central Texas in recognition of his servant leadership and professional excellence in the Dallas community. A native Floridian, Dr. Parnell earned a bachelor's degree in pre-medical science at Florida A&M University in 1974 and a medical degree at the University of Florida College of Medicine in 1977. He completed residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Parkland in 1982. Dr. Parnell and his wife, Debra, are the proud parents of twins, Winfred and Wendy. His daughter, Wendy Parnell, MD, completed residency training at Parkland in 2011 and practices obstetrics and gynecology. His son, Winfred Parnell, MD, is pursuing residency training in family medicine. Dr. Parnell enjoys snow skiing, jogging and travel.

	Eddie Reeves is a member of the Parkland Board of Managers and heads Reeves Strategy Group, a strategic communications consultancy that helps companies and not-for-profits develop, execute and assess integrated communications and marketing. Prior to establishing his own firm, Reeves co-led the media relations practice of Public Strategies, Inc., where he built marketing and communications departments from the ground up, successfully managed major crisis engagements and advised heads of corporations. Previously, Reeves served as Vice President, Media Relations at Merrill Lynch. He also served as press secretary and legislative assistant to Congressman J.J. ”Jake” Pickle, serving as chief policy adviser on health reform, working with the staffs of the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee and The White House, as well as with industry groups such as the American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association and the Health Insurance Association of America. He has also served as Press Secretary to former Houston Mayor Kathy Whitmire, as a senior legislative assistant in the Texas Legislature, as an award-winning columnist for the Austin American-Statesman and as a key advisor and strategist to several successful political campaigns. Reeves serves on the boards of the the East Dallas Community Schools, the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic and Workforce Solutions for Dallas County. He has also served on the boards of the Austin Housing Authority and the Central Texas March of Dimes. A native of Kilgore, Texas, Reeves attended the University of Texas at Austin. He and his wife Diane have two sons.

	Cobie Russell is a member of the Parkland Board of Managers. In 2005 she served as a member of the Blue Ribbon Panel, appointed by the Dallas County Commissioners Court to study and review options for the future of Parkland facilities. Russell is a long-time community leader, holding many volunteer and civic positions that impact both the education and arts in Dallas County. Among those, she has served as a commissioner for the Texas Commission for the Arts since 2003. Since 1997, she has reviewed charter school applications for the Texas Education Agency and she was a member of the Advertising Review Committee for the State Bar of Texas from 2003 to 2006. Russell earned a bachelor's degree in political science and fine art from Wells College in Aurora, N.Y. She served as an instructor at Booker T. Washington Arts Magnet High School during the first year the school began offering a curriculum focused on the arts.