Governor Greg Abbott has announced the appointment of fourteen individuals to the Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) Advisory Council. The council is responsible for advising state agencies and the legislature on matters related to research, diagnosis, treatment, and education concerning pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome. The terms for these appointments are set to expire on August 31, 2027.
The new appointees include Sophia Rahman, M.D., an internal medicine physician from Plano who owns her own practice and serves on several medical boards and advocacy organizations. Stefani Reinold, M.D., a psychiatrist from Dripping Springs, also joins the council; she leads her own integrative psychiatry practice and holds leadership roles in local educational and charitable organizations.
Brandon Brock, DNP, Ph.D., a staff clinician in Sunnyvale with advanced degrees in nursing and clinical research, was reappointed along with other returning members: Kara Chasteen of Lometa, a homemaker and consultant active in community charities; Summer Gainey, Ph.D., of Anderson, chief clinical officer at The HelmABA; Sarah Garrett of Spicewood, founder and CEO of the Phoenix Center; Suzanne Gazda, M.D., a neurologist based in San Antonio; Paula Kruppstadt, M.D., owner of Hope for Healing in Shenandoah; Elizabeth Miller, Ph.D., an integrative psychotherapist from Houston; Amy Offutt, M.D., co-owner of Heart and Soul Integrative Health in Marble Falls; Nathan Pullen of Austin with the Texas Education Agency; Martha Shoultz of Dallas, an attorney involved in parent support groups; Barry Smeltzer of Boerne with Healing Provisions; and Melissa Smith of Bushland specializing in school health.
These individuals bring expertise from various fields including medicine, psychology, education administration, law, behavioral analysis, psychotherapy, nursing practice as well as community engagement through volunteerism or organizational leadership.
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