Medical Consultation
Medical and nursing consultation and technical assistance with various aspects of TB control are available at no cost to physicians, nurses and other health care professionals in the state of Texas.
The consultation WARM line is staffed Monday – Friday, from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM, Central Time.
After business hours, voice mail service is available. Voice mail messages will be returned within one business day by the Medical Consultant or a Nurse Consultant.
How to Access Our Services
Health care providers may access consultation and technical assistance services by one of several methods, including:
- Referral from the existing medical consultation process within their state.
- Contacting the HNTC directly via telephone…
- via our dedicated toll-free warm-line telephone number (800-TEX-LUNG or 800-839-5864)
- to a nurse consultant. We recommend consulting the section “Public Heath Regions by Heartland Nurse Consultant” below to determine the best point of contact.
- Catalina Navarro (210-531-4569)
- Debbie Davila (210-531-4580)
- Salma Lerma (210-531-4539)
- Contacting the medical consultants or the nurse consultants directly via email. Email addresses are provided on the HNTC website and in promotional literature.
- Medical Consultants:
- Nurse Consultants:
- *NEW* Send an email to the nursing team at [email protected]
The HNTC consultant line is a warm-line that is staffed during business hours and is a non-emergency line. If there is an urgent medical issue and you need to reach a consultant outside of business hours, please email a medical consultant (noted above).
Responses
Recommendations may take the form of a written consult, an email reply, or telephone consultation.
Public Health Regions by Heartland Nurse Consultant
Heartland Nurse Consultant:
Debbie Davila, MSN, RN
Ph: (210) 531-4580
Fax: (210) 531-4500
- Region 1: Lubbock
Scott Milton, MD, Regional Medical Director
Kelly Northcott, Deputy Regional Director
6302 Iola Ave., Lubbock, Texas 79424,
Mail Code 1899
Ph: (806) 744-3577
Fax: (806) 783-6435
.
Melanie Lee, RN, TB Program Manager
Ph: (806) 783-6419
[email protected].
.
- Region 6/5S: Houston
Carlos Plasencia, MD, MSPH, Regional Medical Director
Greta Etnyre, MS, RD, REHS/RS, Deputy Regional Director
5425 Polk, Suite J, Houston, Texas 77023,
Mail Code 1906
Ph: (713) 767-3000
Fax: (713) 767-3049
.
Martha Johnson, RN, TB Program Manager
Ph: (713) 767-3361
[email protected]
.
- Region 9/10: El Paso
Rachel Sonne, MD, MPH, Regional Medical Director
Art Alvarado, RS, MPH, Deputy Regional Director
401 East Franklin, Suite 210, El Paso, Texas 79901,
Mail Code 1903
Ph: (915) 834-7675
Fax: (915) 834-7799
.
Nanci Otts, TB Program Manager
Ph: (432) 571-4125
[email protected]
.
Heartland Nurse Consultant:
Salma Lerma, MSN, RN
Ph: (210) 531-4539
Fax: (210) 531-4500
- Region 4/5N: Tyler
Sharon Huff, MD, MS, Regional Medical Director
Caleb Rackley, LCSW, Deputy Regional Director
2521 West Front Street, Tyler, Texas 75702,
Mail Code 1901
Ph: (903) 595-3585
Fax: (903) 593-4187
.
Elizabeth Cuevas, TB Program Manager
Ph: (832) 771-0967
[email protected]
.
- Region 7: Temple
Sharon Melville, MD, MPH, Regional Medical Director
Carol Davis, MSPH, CPH, Deputy Regional Director
2408 South 37th Street, Temple, Texas 76504,
Mail Code 1902
Ph: (254) 778-6744
Fax: (254) 778-4066
.
Bonnie Gamez, BSN, RN, TB Program Manager
Ph: (254) 770-6025
[email protected]
.
- Region 8: San Antonio
Lillian Ringsdorf, MD, MPH, Regional Medical Director
Gale Morrow, MPH, MCHES, Deputy Regional Director
7430 Louis Pasteur Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78229,
Mail Code 5716
Ph: (210) 949-2000
Fax: (210) 949-2015
.
Elvia Ledezma, TB Program Manager
Ph: (210) 949-2177
[email protected]
.
Heartland Nurse Consultant:
Catalina Navarro, BSN, RN
Ph: (210) 531-4569
Fax: (210) 531-4500
- Region 2/3: Arlington
Aurelia Schmalstieg, MD, Regional Medical Director
Becky Earlie-Royer, PhD, MPH, CHES, Deputy Regional Director
1301 South Bowen Road, Suite 200, Arlington, Texas 76013,
Mail Code 1905
Ph: (817) 264-4500
Fax: (817) 264-4506
.
Misti Carraway, TB Program Manager
Ph: (817) 264-4632
[email protected]
.
- Region 11: Harlingen
Emilie Prot, DO, MPH, Regional Medical Director
Sylvia Hobbs, Deputy Regional Director
601 West Sesame Drive, Harlingen, Texas 78550,
Mail Code 1907
Ph: (956) 423-0130
Fax: (956) 444-3298
.
Melissa Davis, RN, TB Program Manager
Ph: (956) 421-5574
[email protected]
.
Binational Program
- Esperanza y Amistad
Texas Headquarters:
DSHS Public Health Region 8
1593 Veterans Blvd., Eagle Pass, Texas 78852
Ph: (830) 758-4274
Fax: (512) 206-3949
[email protected]
.
Mexico Program Sites:
Piedras Negras & Cd. Acuna, Coahuila México
.
Glenda Lopez, Binational TB Coordinator
Ph: (830) 758-4274
[email protected]
.
- Grupo Sin Fronteras
Texas Headquarters:
DSHS Public Health Region 11
601 W. Sesame Drive, Harlingen, Texas 78550
Ph: (956) 444-3215
Fax: (956) 444-3236 *for confidential documents*
.
Mexico Program Sites:
Matamoros & Reynosa, Tamaulipas México
.
Rebeca Muniz, RN, Binational TB Coordinator
Ph: (956) 444-3215
[email protected]
.
- Juntos
Texas Headquarters:
DSHS Public Health Region 9/10
401 E. Franklin, Suite 210, El Paso, Texas 79901
Ph: (915) 834-7696
Fax: (915) 834-7722
[email protected]
.
Mexico Program Sites:
Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua México
.
Laura Alvarez, MPH, BSN, RN, Binational TB Coordinator
Ph: (915) 834-7792
[email protected]
.
- Los Dos Laredos
Texas Headquarters:
City of Laredo Health Department
2600 Cedar, Laredo, Texas 78040
Ph: (956) 727-6974 or (956) 795-4911
Fax: (956) 724-5789
.
Mexico Program Sites:
Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas México
.
Soraida Chapa, RN, Binational TB Coordinator
Ph: (956) 795-6974 or (956) 795-4911
[email protected]
For more information, please consult the Texas Department of State Health Services website regarding Public Health Regions of Texas and the Texas Binational Program.
https://www.dshs.texas.gov/regional-local-health-operations/public-health-regions
https://www.dshs.texas.gov/disease/tb/bn/contact