Medical Staff Leadership

Jose A. Joglar, MD,  is the President of the Medical Staff and Director of Cardiology at Parkland.  He is a Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Director of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship Program at UT Southwestern and Parkland, and holds the Elizabeth Thaxton and Ellis Batten Page Professorship in Cardiac Electrophysiology Research. 

Dr. Joglar received his Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine degrees from the University of Puerto Rico. In 1991 he joined UT Southwestern and Parkland, where he completed a residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowships in Cardiovascular Disease and Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology. Since joining UTSW faculty in 1998, Dr. Joglar has had a productive academic career, participating extensively in research and education. Dr. Joglar belongs to a number of editorial boards and national committees, including Content Editor for ECG Section at Circulation and member of the ACC/AHA Task Force on Practice Guidelines. He is a Fellow of The American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology and Heart Rhythm Society.

Dr. Joglar spends most of his time practicing academic medicine and training the next generation of young cardiologists.

Eugene S. Chu, MD, is the Chief, Division of Hospital Medicine at Parkland and Vice President of the Medical Staff.

In this role, he directs and manages all aspects of the Hospital Medicine Program and collaborates with physician and hospital leadership to ensure excellent program operations.

He obtained his bachelor's degree in Biology from Stanford University and his MD from the Tufts University School of Medicine.

Waseem Ahmed, MD, is Medical Director of Behavioral and Psychiatric Services for Jail Health at Parkland and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

He attended Superior Science College in Karachi, Pakistan, and Dow Medical University of Health Sciences in Karachi, Pakistan.

Dr. Ahmed completed his internship at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, a New York Medical School affiliated hospital, and his psychiatric residency with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

He is particularly interested in designing new systems, teaching and improvement of performance and quality improvement processes that improve the patients’ quality of life. His research consists of forensic correctional and psychiatric disease management.

John Dean Barr, MD, is the Chief Radiology Officer at Parkland, and Professor of Radiology and Neurological Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Barr completed his undergraduate education at the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science and his medical degree at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He completed his residency in diagnostic radiology at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center and fellowships in vascular and interventional radiology, and diagnostic and interventional neuroradiology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Dr. Barr maintains an active clinical practice, including both diagnostic imaging and interventional neuroradiology procedures. He has extensive experience with endovascular treatment of ischemic stroke and percutaneous vertebral augmentation.

His research interests include endovascular treatment of stroke and other cerebrovascular disorders, image-guided percutaneous spinal surgeries and development of a novel infection prevention system for which he holds multiple patents.

Kavita Bhavan, MD, MHS, is the Chief Innovation Officer and Medical Director of the Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy Clinic and Infectious Diseases Ambulatory Clinics at Parkland. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and the Associate Vice Chair of Clinical Innovation and High Value Care at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Bhavan earned her medical degree at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. She completed a residency in internal medicine at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation and received advanced training in infectious diseases through a fellowship at Washington University/Barnes-Jewish Hospital. She also holds a Master of Health Science degree in maternal and child health from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. She joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2009. She is a Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and a member of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine.

Dr. Bhavan’s research interests include reducing health disparities with a low-tech and low-cost patient-centered approach to innovation in care delivery, patient engagement, and self-care models. Her current research efforts include exploring other clinical settings for self-care models to improve health equity.

Steven Bloom, MD, is Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology Services and Immediate Past President of the Medical Executive Committee at Parkland and is also Professor and Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Bloom received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a doctor of medicine degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He completed an internship and a residency in obstetrics and gynecology as well as a fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Bloom’s expertise is in high-risk obstetrics and his research focuses on clinical obstetrics. He has been involved in a nationally publicized study on Parkland’s reduced preterm birth rates. He also co-authored Willams Obstetrics, known around the world as a leading obstetrics textbook.

Teresa V. Chan, MD, is Chief of Otolaryngology at Parkland, and Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She supervises speech pathology and the Care and Assessment of Tracheostomy Team and participates in peer review activities at Parkland.

Dr. Chan received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and a doctor of medicine degree from Drexel University, formerly MCP – Hahneman School of Medicine in Philadelphia. She completed a general surgery internship and an otolaryngology H&N residency from 2003-2008 at Boston University in Boston.  

Dr. Chan practices the depth and breadth of otolaryngology and all of its various subspecialties. 

Joseph Chang, MD, MBA, FACOG, is the Chief Medical Officer at Parkland and a member of the Obstetrics and Gynecology faculty at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. 

Dr. Chang earned his undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, his medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern School of Medicine including completing his OB/GYN residency at Parkland Memorial Hospital, and his Master of Business Administration degree from George Washington University. He is board certified, is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and is a member of The American Association of Physician Leaders.

Dr. Chang is currently the Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Parkland Health and Hospital System, a large safety net health system that serves Dallas County with over 1 million outpatient encounters per year. He is responsible for the oversight of all hospital and ambulatory clinical care operations. He is also responsible for all medical staff office functions including credentialing, privileging, and peer review, and the oversight of Graduate Medical Education. Previously, Dr. Chang spent 6 years as Parkland Health and Hospital System’s Associate Chief Medical Officer for Population Health and on the Volunteer Faculty for the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School Faculty for the Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology. Both English and Mandarin Chinese are his native languages, and he is also fluent in Spanish. In spite of all of this, Dr. Chang cites his main work as being a husband and father, spending time with his extraordinary wife and twin daughters.

Carolee Estelle, MD, serves as Interim Chief of Infection Prevention for Parkland. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Estelle earned her medical degree at Boston University School of Medicine and completed a residency in internal medicine at UT Southwestern, where she also received advanced training through a fellowship in infectious diseases. Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Dr. Estelle joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2017.

Dr. Estelle’s clinical interests are general infectious diseases and COVID-19 response. Her research interests include healthcare epidemiology with a focus on multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infections, especially in burn victims, and infectious diseases emergency preparedness and response.

Dr. Estelle is a member of the Dallas County Medical Society, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the HIV Medicine Association, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, and the Texas Medical Association.

Pedro José Fernandez, MD, serves as Co-Chief of Psychiatry and Medical Director of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry for Parkland. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He also serves as Associate Training Director for the Combined Internal Medicine and Psychiatry residency program at UT Southwestern.

Dr. Fernandez earned his medical degree and completed a residency at Boston University School of Medicine. He completed a fellowship in consultation-liaison psychiatry at Yale University. He has additional boards in Consultation Liaison Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. Dr. Fernandez joined the UT Southwestern and Parkland in 2017.

He is a member of the American Association of Directors of Psychiatry Residency Training and the American Society of Addiction Medicine. His research focuses on behavioral health integration into primary care, Latinx mental health, cultural psychiatry and LGBT mental health.

Carlos E. Girod, MD, FCCP, is the Chief of Medicine Services and Associate Vice President of Clinical Affairs at Parkland, and Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Girod received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and a doctor of medicine degree from the University of Puerto Rico - School of Medicine in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He completed his residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and a fellowship at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

Dr. Girod has clinical interest and expertise in Medical Intensive Care and Pulmonary Medicine. Dr. Girod’s research interests include interstitial lung diseases and the role of respiratory bronchiolitis and inhaled cigarette inorganic dust in the pathogenesis of COPD.

James D. Griffin, MD, is Chief of Parkland Anesthesia Services. Dr. Griffin is also Vice Chairman of UTSW Department of Anesthesiology for Parkland Hospital Affairs.

Dr. Griffin had been on the faculty at UT Southwestern in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management since 1990. Education has been the hallmark of his academic career, providing leadership as Director of Medical Student and Resident education for two decades. The UTSW Department of Anesthesiology has applauded the education contribution of Dr. Griffin by naming the annual faculty medical student awarded in his honor. He has research and academic interests in non-opioid analgesics, airway management, neuropathic pain syndromes and healthcare disparities. Dr. Griffin also served as Chief of Anesthesiology Services at Zale Lipshy University Hospital.

He has been elected to two exclusion medical societies: the National Medical Honor Society - Alpha Omega Alpha and the UT Southwestern Academy of Teachers.

Dr. Griffin graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. He obtained his MD degree from UT Southwestern where he was the Fred Florence Scholar. He completed four years of anesthesiology residency with subspecialty track training in Anesthesia for Neurological Surgery.

Joe Kwon, MD, is Co-Chief of Psychiatry for Parkland and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Kwon earned his medical degree at University of Illinois College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign. He completed his residency in psychiatry and fellowship in addiction psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine.

He is a member of the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Jeffery C. Metzger, MD, MBA, is Chief of Emergency Services at Parkland and Associate Professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Metzger received his bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences from University of California, Riverside, a doctor of medicine degree from UCLA School of Medicine and a master of business administration from University of Texas at Dallas. He completed his emergency medicine residency at Duke University and a fellowship in government emergency medical security services at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Metzger’s interests include tactical medicine and law enforcement medicine. He is a sworn police officer and Medical Director with the Dallas Police Department and Deputy Medical Director and Police Surgeon/Inspector with the University of Texas System Police.  

Joseph P. Minei, MD, MBA, is the Chief of Surgical Services at Parkland. He is also Professor and Chair of the Division of Burn, Trauma and Critical Care and Vice Chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Minei received a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo in Buffalo, N.Y., and a doctor of medicine degree from the Cornell University Medical College in New York City. He also received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. Minei completed his internship and residency at New York Hospital - Cornell Medical Center and a fellowship at the Cornell University Medical College.

His research focuses on risk factors and response to traumatic shock, organ failure and surgical infection.

Kyle Molberg, MD, is Chief of Pathology Services at Parkland and Professor of Pathology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He is the CLIA Laboratory Director at Parkland for Anatomic Pathology, Clinical Pathology, Non-Waived Point of Care Testing, Provider Performed Microscopy and Off-Campus Waived Testing.

Dr. Molberg received a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Methodist University and his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. He completed a residency in anatomic and clinical pathology, and a fellowship in surgical pathology at Parkland and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Molberg spends most of his time administratively leading the Parkland Pathology Laboratories and working as a consultant and mentor for the next generation of pathologists on our campus. His research activities focus on various aspects of anatomic pathology.

Brett Moran, MD, is Chief Medical Informatics Officer for Parkland and Professor of Internal Medicine for the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. In his role at Parkland, Dr. Moran acts as facilitator and intermediary between the faculty and information technology, promoting information technology to help improve patient care, patient safety and physician efficiency.

Dr. Moran received a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University. He completed a doctor of medicine degree and residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Moran’s research role includes serving as the principal investigator in a multi-center study assessing the efficacy and safety of oral treatment of bacterial community-acquired pneumonia in adults. His primary clinical areas of interest include medical informatics, preventive health and pneumonia.

Jennifer Rabaglia, MD, is an Associate Chief Medical Officer, Chief Quality and Safety Officer for Parkland.

In this role, she is leading the design and implementation of a comprehensive quality and safety infrastructure for the hospital system.

She obtained her MD from the University of Colorado and was elected to the exclusive National Medical Honor Society, Alpha Omega Alpha. She completed 7 years of general surgical training and one year of subspecialty training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston before coming to Texas.

Rabaglia completed 7 years of general surgical training and one year of subspecialty training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston before coming to Texas.

Noel O. Santini, MD, is the Vice President and Senior Medical Director of Ambulatory & Population Medicine at Parkland Health & Hospital System and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern.

Dr. Santini earned his medical degree at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine and received his Internal Medicine training at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas. He also earned his Master of Business Administration degree on Healthcare Organization Leadership and Management at the University of Texas in Dallas.

He is responsible for the direction and coordination of the medical and clinical ambulatory services, assuring that high quality care is provided to all patients. As a physician leader, he participates on multiple key health system committees, plays a key role in the development of multiple projects related to care management of patient across the continuum of care, and is the co-investigator of multiple research grants mainly related to Population Health.

Dr. Santini has served on several leadership boards including the Board of Directors of the Texas Chapter of the American College of Physicians from 2008 to 2011, the Leadership Board of the American Diabetes Association in North Texas where he was elected president of the Board in 2015, the Board of Directors of the Dallas-Valencia Citizens Committee where he served as the chair of Health Initiatives, the Men’s Health Advisory Board at Parkland, the Pathology Clinical Advisory Council at Parkland, and the Diabetes Advisory Board at Parkland, among others. In August 2019, by appointment of the Dallas County Commissioners Court, Dr. Santini became a member of the Metrocare Board of Trustees.

He is currently a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, a member of the Texas Club of Internists, the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, and the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society.  He has received several recognitions including the Provider Recognition Award by the American Diabetes Association, the Parkland Above and Beyond Award, and the Parkland Distinguished Physician Award, among others.

Dr. Santini contributed to the achievement of the Patient Centered Medical Home recognition by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, as well as recognition by the American Diabetes Association of the Healthy Living with Diabetes program. He has also contributed to numerous publications, manuscripts, presentations and continuing education programs related to his field of practice. 

He has dedicated his career and work to serve the medically underserved of Dallas County where he has become a physician leader in Population Health and outpatient medicine in one of the nation’s largest safety-net systems.

Rashmin C. Savani, MB, ChB, is Chief of Pediatric Services at Parkland and Professor and William Buchanan Chair in Pediatrics at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Savani received a doctor of medicine degree from the University of Sheffield Medical School in Sheffield, England. He completed internships in internal medicine, surgery and obstetrics and gynecology in England. He completed a residency in pediatrics at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. and fellowships in neonatology and pulmonary biology at Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, and in cell and molecular biology at the Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology, The University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada.

Dr. Savani’s research focuses on lung development, injury and repair. He has special interest in pulmonary diseases, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and pulmonary hypertension.