The lawsuit in U.S. District Court for


the Northern District of Texas claimed the rule was redefining the word “sex” and would require the plaintiffs to per- form and provide insurance coverage for procedures related to gender tran- sition and abortion. That requirement would force practitioners to “violate their deeply held religious beliefs,” the plaintiffs claimed. One day before the rule’s Jan. 1


effective date, District Judge Reed O’Connor issued a 46-page order stating the regulation violates the Administrative Procedure Act and also “likely violates” the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Judge O’Connor’s order said Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and “Congress’s incorporation of it in the ACA unambiguously adopted the bi- nary definition of sex.” The would-be rule exceeded the definition of sex discrimination in ACA and also did not incorporate the religious or abor- tion exemption in Title IX, the order stated. To view the order, visit tma .tips/ACAruleorder. Following the order, Texas At-


torney General Ken Paxton said in a news release the blocked rule would “force the Employees Retirement System of Texas to amend its cover- age for all 500,000 participants to provide for gender reassignment and abortion” and would force health care practitioners to “participate in sex-re- assignment surgeries and treatments, even if it violates their best medical judgment or their religious beliefs.” It called the rule a “striking example of federal overreach” under ACA. White House spokesperson Katie


Hill called the decision “a setback, but hopefully a temporary one, since all Americans — regardless of their sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation


— should have access to quality, afford- able health care free from discrimina- tion,” according to multiple reports. In January, the American Civil Liber- ties Union filed a motion attempting to block Judge O’Connor’s order.


Newsmakers


Blake Barker, MD, assistant professor of internal medicine at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, is the new associate dean for student affairs. Dr. Barker, who joined the UT-Southwestern faculty in 2011, began his new duties in January. A Plano native, Dr. Barker majored in psychology and economics at Rice University and completed a master’s degree in physiology and biophysics at Georgetown University before earning his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Barker will continue his clinical practice in cardiovascular disease, preventive care, and young adult care.


Carlos Moreno, MD, chair of the Department of Family and Community Medi- cine at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, was recognized for his contributions to community health by Spring Branch Community Health Center. Dr. Moreno attended Harvard Medical School and completed a residency at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and a fellowship at the University of Missouri- Columbia.


Ronald Rodriguez, MD, is serving as interim dean of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSC-SA). A San Antonio native, Dr. Rodriguez received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. He joined UTHSC-SA in 2013 as the Henry B. and Edna Smith Dielmann Memorial Professor of Urologic Science and the chair of the Department of Urology.


Lubbock pediatrician Surendra Varma, MD, has been appointed the Grover E. Murray Professor by the Texas Tech Board of Regents. Named after Texas Tech University Health Science Center (TTUHSC) School of Medicine’s first presi- dent, Murray professors are Tech faculty members who have attained national and international distinction in their fields for outstanding research, excellence in scholarship, and creative achievement. Dr. Varma is the executive associate dean for graduate medical education and resident affairs at TTUHSC. He’s a past member of the Texas Medicine Editorial Board.


Governor Greg Abbott appointed Jeremy Wiseman, MD, to the Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners for a term set to expire on Jan. 31, 2021. The board is responsible for regulating the practice of acupuncture in Texas. Dr. Wiseman is the owner of Wiseman Family Practice, an integrative family medicine clinic with locations in Austin and Cedar Park. He is a member of the American Medical Association, the Travis County Medical Society, the Ameri- can Academy of Family Physicians, and the Texas Academy of Family Physi- cians. Dr. Wiseman received his medical degree from The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.


March 2017 TEXAS MEDICINE 21


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