TMF’s board of trustees provides corporate oversight and direction. The board of trustees is comprised of
physicians, non-physicians and consumer (Medicare) beneficiary representatives. Between quarterly board
meetings, operations are overseen by an Executive Committee elected from the board. TMF’s day-to-day operations
are managed by its president and chief executive officer and senior management team, under direction of the
board.
Number of Members
The TMF Board of Trustees has up to 15 members. The TMF board includes at least one doctor of medicine, one
doctor of osteopathic medicine, and two consumer representatives. The board may not be comprised of a majority
of physicians or any other type of practitioner or profession, but will include no less than two physicians at
all times.
Length of Appointment
Trustees are elected for three-year terms and no person may serve more than six years.
TMF Board of Trustees
Lisa Ehrlich, MD - Chair
Dr. Lisa Ehrlich is an active staff member at
both St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital and Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas. She received her Doctorate of
Medicine from the University of Texas Medical Branch, and completed her residency in Internal Medicine at the
University of Michigan Medical Center. Dr. Ehrlich has received a variety of awards, including the Texas Monthly
Super Doctor (14 years), the AMA Foundation Leadership Award, America’s Top Physician (two years), and she is a
Fellow of the American College of Physicians. In 2017, Dr. Ehrlich was President of the Harris County Medical
Society. She has been a delegate to Texas Medical Association (TMA) since 2003. She has served on several TMA
Councils and is currently a member of the TMA Council on Socioeconomics. She was previously the Vice Chair, and
then the Chair, of the TMA Council on Healthcare Quality. Dr. Ehrlich joined the TMF board in August 2020.
Eddie L. Patton Jr., MD, MS, MBA, FAAN - Vice-Chair
Dr. Eddie Patton is a clinical assistant
professor in the department of neurosurgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center. Dr. Patton earned
a Doctorate of Medicine from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, a Master of Business
Administration from Rice University, Jones School of Business in Houston, and a Master of Science, Biology from
Alabama State University in Montgomery. He served as a neurologist in Houston for 10 years before starting his
own consultancy in 2019. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Dr. Patton is also on
the boards of directors for Ucardia and the Harris County Community College Foundation. He has served on the
board of the Texas Neurological Society (TNS) since 2011 and is the current president of TNS. Dr. Patton joined
the TMF board in August 2022.
Glenn Robinson, MS, FACHE - Secretary/Treasurer
Glenn Robinson has more than 30 years of hospital
and health care management experience and is board certified in health care management. He served as president
of the Waco, Texas, region of Baylor Scott & White Health from 2007 to 2020. Upon his retirement from his
role as president, Mr. Robinson launched Pacer Consultants, LLC, which specializes in leadership coaching and
consulting for health care organizations throughout the country. He teaches in the MBA program at Baylor
University and serves as an adjunct lecturer for Trinity University in San Antonio. Additionally, he works as a
consultant for Baker-Tilly — an international financial and accounting advisory firm — in Waco, Texas.
Janet Marie Lieto, DO, FACOFP, CMD, CPPS - Officer-at-Large
Dr. Janet Lieto is the director of Health Systems
Science, Leadership and Innovation at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM) at The University of
North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. Dr. Lieto has earned numerous honors and awards for her
teaching and curriculum development throughout her career. Most recently, she helped develop a patient safety
course at TCOM designed to prepare students for the Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS™)
examination—the only course of its kind in the country. Dr. Lieto has been a Master Trainer for TEAMSTEPPS
Interprofessional Education since 2014; she is also a scholar in the American Medical Association’s Health
Systems Science Academy Scholars Program. Dr. Lieto earned her Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine from the
University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences in Des Moines, Iowa. Dr. Lieto joined the TMF board in
August 2022.
Betty Wharton, MS, CEN, APRN-CNS - Officer-at-Large
Mrs. Betty Wharton is the director of Choctaw
Nation’s Healthy Aging program, an adjunct for instruction and clinical education in Eastern Oklahoma State
College’s Nursing Department and a National Council Licensure Examination specialist for registered nurse and
licensed practical nurse reviews, nationwide. Mrs. Wharton serves with Network 13, Patients, Practices, and
Academic Resource Team for New Evidence from Research (PARTNERS) and the Advisory Council for the Eastern
Oklahoma State College Nursing Department. She has served on numerous boards through her career — including as a
long-time member of the Eastern Oklahoma State College Alumni Board — and been selected to serve on numerous
task forces developed by the governors of Oklahoma to improve health care and health promotion in Oklahoma. Mrs.
Wharton holds a Master of Science in Nursing: Clinical Nurse Specialist from the University of Oklahoma. Mrs.
Wharton has served on the TMF board since 2021.
Gayle Semtner, MEd – Chair of the Operations Committee
Ms. Semtner represents Medicare beneficiaries on
the TMF Board of Trustees. She has served as the community development specialist for the Oklahoma Healthy Aging
Initiative at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Prior to that, Ms. Semtner was the program
manager for the Aging and Disabilities Resource Consortium with the Aging Services Division of the Oklahoma
Department of Human Services, directing all aspects of the program and strategically planning long-range program
development.
Ruth Atkins, BSN, MA
Ms. Ruth Atkins is an independent consultant who
focuses on Medicare and Medicaid health plan management and operations, including assisting Medicare/Medicaid
clients and special needs clients with product design, application submission, document preparation and more.
Prior to her current position, Ms. Atkins gained experience consulting in different capacities and most recently
held a position as the vice president of dual strategy at Universal American. She is an honorary councilwoman
for the Kentucky Opera and is a member of the board for the Dare to Care Food Bank. In addition, Ms. Atkins
formerly served on boards of the Kentucky Opera and the Dare to Care Food Bank. Previously, she served as a
board member for Volunteers of America. Ms. Atkins has a Master of Arts in Health Services Management from
Webster University, in addition to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Bellarmine College. Ms. Atkins joined
the TMF board in October 2019.
Wendy Chung, MD, SM
Dr. Wendy Chung has served as chief
epidemiologist at Dallas County Health and Human Services and as clinical adjunct assistant professor in the
Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Chung is the chair
of the Texas Medical Association (TMA) COVID-19 Task Force, past-chair of the TMA Council of Science and Public
Health, and past-chair of the Infection Prevention and Control Committee for the Dallas County Medical Society.
She is board-certified in pediatric infectious diseases and a fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of
America. She has a Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and a
Master of Science in Tropical Public Health from Harvard University. Dr. Chung has received a variety of awards;
most recently, she received the Charles Max Cole, MD, Leadership Award for outstanding service to the profession
of medicine. Dr. Chung joined the TMF Board in August 2021.
Mathew C. Garber, PharmD, MA, PhD
Mathew Garber is an associate professor of
pharmacy at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. He has a doctorate in social and
administration sciences from the University of Michigan, a doctorate in pharmacy from the University of South
Carolina, a master’s degree in economics from the University of Oklahoma and a bachelor's degree in pharmacy
from Ferris State University. Dr. Garber was in the U.S. Navy from 1995 to 2015, serving in many roles,
including positions with the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In addition to his naval service, Dr. Garber
also served in the U.S. Army from 1988 to 1994. Dr. Garber joined the TMF board in August 2023.
Bruce Green, MD, MPH, PhD
Dr. Bruce Green is an internationally recognized senior military medical leader and experienced physician executive, rising to surgeon general of the United States Air Force. Dr. Green has morethan 40 years of experience leading hospitals, health systems and worldwide medical response planning and execution. His extensive health care and corporate leadership experience includes serving as managing director and federal chief medical officer for Deloitte Consulting and as vice-chairman and senior partner for Martin, Blanck and Associates, Inc.
Derrick L. Heard
Mr. Heard is an accomplished senior executive with more than 35 years of distinguished federal leadership experience in health care acquisition, grants management and strategic governance. As a former Director of the Office of Acquisition and Grants Management and Head of Contracting Activity at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Mr. Heard led a $12+ billion annual acquisition and grants portfolio that supported health care coverage for more than 160 million Americans.
Elizabeth Lopez, BA, LBSW
Mrs. Elizabeth Lopez is the chief development
officer, deputy director and compliance officer at the Community Health Center of Lubbock (CHCL). She is also a
member of the Health Care Compliance Association. Previously, Mrs. Lopez was the integrated services delivery
initiative coordinator at CHCL. Prior to her time at CHCL, she was the director of special programs and home
health administrator at Cuidado Casero Home Health Services. She has experience developing and administrating
community-based organizations. Mrs. Lopez has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Texas Tech University, and
she has been licensed by the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners since 1995. Mrs. Lopez joined the TMF
Board in August 2021.
Tim Lowry, CFP®, ChFC®
Tim Lowry is co-owner, and partner and, as well as vice president/COO of Dean , Jacobson Financial Services, LLC. Tim Mr. Lowry specializes in investment management, comprehensive financial planning, and wealth management. He is responsible for investment research for the firm and heads the firm’s Investment Allocations and Portfolio Models Committee. In this role, Tim Mr. Lowry oversees ongoing research for the firm’s investment policies and strategies, and he sets target allocations for the firm’s model portfolios. As an advisor, he works with clients in all aspects of financial planning and wealth management, including investments, retirement, estate, tax, and insurance.
Keri Pearlson, DBA, MS
Dr. Keri Pearlson is a nationally recognized
leader in the areas of cybersecurity and information systems management. Her current research studies issues
pertaining to cybersecurity governance, leadership and culture. She is the executive director of the research
consortium Cybersecurity at MIT Sloan (CAMS) at the MIT Sloan School of Management, as well as the managing
partner and president of KP Partners, a consulting and executive education firm that specializes in IT-business
strategy formulation and digital transformation management. Dr. Pearlson holds a doctorate in business
administration (DBA) from the Harvard Business School, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Stanford
University. Dr. Pearlson joined the TMF Board in August 2021.
Linda Villarreal, MD
Dr. Linda Villarreal maintains her internal
medicine practice in her hometown of Edinburg, Texas. She established Memorial Medical Clinic in 1989 in honor
of her brother who tragically died one week after she received her medical license. She is the immediate past
president of the Texas Medical Association (TMA), serving as TMA’s president for 2021-2022. Dr. Villarreal began
her career as a pharmacist before attending medical school at Universidad del Noreste in Tampico, Mexico,
finishing her clinicals in San Antonio, Texas, before an internship in Cleveland, Ohio, and residency at Texas
Tech University Health Science Center in El Paso. Dr. Villareal became the first woman chief of staff at
Edinburg Regional Medical Center in 2003 and has also served as the president of the Hidalgo-Starr County
Medical Society. Dr. Villarreal joined the TMF board in August 2022.
TMF Board Compensation
Trustees will be compensated $2,500 for Trustee meetings. This amount is for their time spent in preparation for
the meeting, attending the trustee meeting, committee meetings and for their time spent traveling to and from
the meeting. Trustees will be compensated $250 per hour for time spent in preparation for and participating in
executive committee conference call meetings.
Trustees will be compensated for telephone conference call meetings, special meetings, or special assignments of
the trustees and/or executive committee at the rate of $250 per hour with a minimum of $250 per call.
The chair will be compensated at the rate of $1,700 per month in months in which there is no board meeting and
compensation will increase to $2,500 per month in board meeting months. This will cover communications with TMF
staff, review of written materials, etc.
Board of Trustee compensation is provided through TMF corporate funds and no board compensation is charged to
contracts.
Affiliations: No member of the TMF Board of Trustees is affiliated with TMF in any other capacity than their
board service.
TMF Certificate of Formation, Bylaws and IRS Form 1023
TMF's Certificate of Formation, Bylaws and the IRS Form 1023 are available upon request.