The Caring Foundation of Texas understands the hard work, dedication, and long hours physicians devote to their communities. Today, we want to give a special “thank you” to the Foundation’s partner, Dr. Adrian Billings from Texas Tech University Health Science Center. The Foundation had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Billings to get to learn more about him and his day-to-day role:
Interviewer: Please tell us what you do in your role and how you are connected to the Care Van.
Dr. Billings: I serve as the Associate Academic Dean of Rural and Community Engagement and Fellow of the F. Marie Hall Rural Health Institute at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC). My role is to leverage resources from TTUHSC out to our rural communities, if possible. Our Rural and Community Engagement Division tries to build bridges with our community partners both in the Permian Basin and Big Bend areas. We are also actively engaging our elementary, middle and high schools and universities in these regions to make them aware of the need for these students to consider careers in health care, especially rural health care. When we travel out into the communities we serve we always invite and travel with TTUHSC students (medical, nursing, physician assistant, and physical therapy) and resident physicians so as to expose them to community health and medicine outside the walls of a clinic or large hospital. We want to instill in these trainees the importance of practicing medicine outside the walls of a health care facility. It is outside the walls of our health care systems where our patients are impacted by the social determinants of health.
Interviewer: What is your favorite part about your role or what inspires you about your current role?
Dr. Billings: I really enjoy getting to know and meet residents in our regions. I want to know their health care and community challenges so that we have an idea of what, an academic health center, we can work on to be socially accountable by serving the neighborhoods and communities that we serve. I also really enjoying meeting students and encouraging them to consider careers in rural healthcare. I am inspired by the work that TTUHSC is doing to make rural health care a priority. Many of our patients have so little yet are so appreciative of any help in health care that we can provide. This really inspires me to want to have a greater impact on rural population and public health. I want our rural patients to have healthier lives and live longer and happier lives.
Interviewer: Tell us some fun facts about you!
Dr. Billings: I call myself a rural health cheerleader. I was born and raised in Del Rio, Texas. I played football until I was a senior when I thought it might be fun to join the high school cheerleading squad. So, before I was a rural health cheerleader, I was the lone male cheerleader at Del Rio High School in 1989 and all the female cheerleaders became and still are like sisters to me. I also competed in rodeos in high school and my main event was bareback bronc riding.
I make house calls for patients that have trouble accessing me in the clinic. I have even made 2 house calls and responded to one medical emergency on horseback (it was quicker to ride horseback than drive).
My most important job though is being a husband and father to 3 sons. My wife is a pediatric physical therapist and works for 13 rural school districts in the Big Bend. My oldest son is a sophomore premed student at the University of Texas. My middle son is an Alpine High School Senior and is headed to the Texas Tech Honors college and hopes to become a physician. My youngest son is a 6th grader and loves and plays all things sports.
We want to thank every physician for all that you do for us and our loved ones every day, you are appreciated!
To learn more about National Doctors’ Day, please read the following article: https://nationaldaycalendar.