Houston physician Shikha Bharaktiya, MD, from Endocrinology Clinics of Texas, will host her first Walk with a Doc Texas event this Saturday, Nov. 15 at 9 am in Memorial Park, Houston. The event is open to all ages and aims to encourage physical activity among community members.
Participants are invited to meet across from the Mayor Jim McConn Memorial Softball Field on E. Memorial Loop Dr. In case of bad weather, the walk will move indoors to the Galleria mall at 5051 Post Oak Blvd., meeting at the Cheesecake Factory inside the mall. The walks are planned as monthly events, taking place every third Saturday.
Dr. Bharaktiya and staff members from Endocrinology Clinics of Texas will be present to support participants and answer health-related questions during the walk. “Walking is one of the simplest, best things people can do to live a long, high-quality life. Walk with a Doc makes it easy by providing the time, place, motivation (a brief health information talk), and fellow participants for a fun walking experience,” organizers stated.
Walk with a Doc is a national nonprofit organization that promotes physician-led walking groups to inspire communities through movement and conversation. The program was founded in 2005 by David Sabgir, MD, a cardiologist based in Columbus, Ohio. Local chapters like Walk with a Doc Texas are overseen by this national group and supported by organizations such as the Texas Medical Association (TMA).
Participation in Walk with a Doc Texas is free and does not require preregistration. Updates about future walks will be available on the chapter’s website.
The TMA represents more than 59,000 physicians and medical students throughout Texas through its headquarters in Austin and its network of county medical societies across the state. Since its founding in 1853, TMA’s main goal has been improving public health for Texans statewide. In 2025, funding for TMA’s Walk with a Doc Texas comes from TMA Foundation—with additional backing from TMA Insurance Trust and other donors.
More details about TMA Foundation’s work can be found on their website: https://www.texmed.org/TMAFoundation/. Information about Walk with a Doc nationally is available at https://walkwithadoc.org/.
