Overview

The Department of Family and Community Medicine comprises a cohesive group of clinicians, educators, and scholars. Our physicians deliver care in two ambulatory clinics, through two inpatient hospital teams, in nursing homes, and in hospice and palliative care.

Coordinating Care

In the health care arena, the family physician serves as a patient's "quarterback" through managing day-to-day and overall care. Should the need arise, family physicians can coordinate and advocate for the services of specialists such as cardiologists, orthopaedic surgeons, dermatologists, pulmonologists, oncologists, or any type of specialist. Our faculty have daily working relationships with hundreds of specialists at UT Southwestern affiliated hospitals. Every day, we are enhancing the discipline of family medicine by training future family physicians and by finding better ways to deliver health services.

Our Mission

  • To provide excellent primary care to individuals and families.
  • To train culturally competent physicians to serve underserved populations throughout North Texas.
  • To conduct clinical and community participatory research that positively impacts patient outcomes.

Brief History

1973: Spencer Shropshire, Jr., MD, becomes the founding chairman of the Department of Family Practice and Community Medicine (originally named the Department of Environmental and Community Health).

1977: Winfrey Goldman, MD, Director of Medical Education at John Peter Smith Hospital, assumes permanent position as Department Chair and continues until his death in 1983.

1983: William Ross, MD, who practiced for more than 22 years in South Texas, becomes the first chair who is a family physician; he remains in this position until his retirement in June 1993.

1990: A multi-site junior clerkship is established to train more than 200 medical students per year based at affiliated residency programs and UT Tyler.

1991: Joe Bedford, MD, becomes the first family medicine physician to see patients (one half day per week) on campus in the Aston Center with General Internal Medicine faculty.

1993: UT Southwestern establishes the Dr. Bill Ross Professorship in Family Practice. The Texas Academy of Family Physicians Foundation establishes a student scholarship fund in Dr. Ross’s honor.

Shelley Roaten, Jr., MD, becomes the new Department Chair.

1996: Parkland/UT Southwestern Family Medicine 6/6/6 residency program is established.

1999: Dr. Roaten becomes the first holder of the Perry E. Gross, MD, Distinguished Chair in Family Medicine.

2001: The St. Paul Family Practice Residency Program and the UT Southwestern Family Practice Residency at Parkland merge.

2005: Alison Dobbie, MD, joins the department as Vice Chair and later becomes Interim Department Chair.

2005-2007: John Richmond, MD, becomes Program Director of the residency.

2007: Dr. Dobbie becomes Department Chair.

2011: Department Administrative Offices move to 5959 Harry Hines, Professional Office Building 1, and the Faculty Clinic moves to 5909 Harry Hines.

2011: Faculty Clinic becomes Family Medicine - Primary Care