Clear Lake Medical Center

Ben Cavil , Board Member

Ben Cavil is a graduate of Prairie View A&M University and holds a Master of Education Administration degree from Texas Southern University. He has pursued additional post-graduate studies in educational administration at the University of Houston – Clear Lake. Ben spent more than 35 years as a classroom teacher, coach, and administrator at schools in West Texas, Galena Park, and most recently, La Marque ISD, where he retired from in 2001 as Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources. He is a member of the McKinney Memorial United Methodist Church, the Texas City Parks & Tourism Board, and the Texas City and Galveston County Salvation Army Boards. Ben resides in West Texas City with his wife, Dolores.

Bob Brundrett, PhD, Board Member

Dr. Bob Brundrett has been the superintendent of schools for Texas City ISD since August 2008. His career in education spans 31 years. A native of Dickinson, TX, he graduated from the University of Houston in 1979, received his Masters from UH – Clear Lake in 1986, and earned his Doctorate from Texas A&M in 2004. He is active in the community with the Texas City Rotary Club and the Texas City-La Marque Chamber Board of Directors. Bob and his wife, Lisa, reside in Texas City with their two children.

Catherine “Kitty” Potter, Board Member

Kitty Potter is chief financial officer at Texas Independent Bancshares, and president and board member at Texas First Bank. Her responsibilities include bank management for Texas City, as well as managing investments, finance and operations, and central reporting and analysis for affiliated banks. She holds bachelor degrees in marketing and accounting, an MBA, and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Kitty is an inductee of the TCISD Foundation for the Future Hall of Honor and is the first recipient of the Texas First Female Banker of the Year. She has received the Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Community Service and the Outstanding Citizen Award. She is also on the Rotary Club Multiple Paul Harris Fellow, Roll of Fame. Kitty and her husband, Gary, have one son and reside in Texas City.

Christos A. Katsigiannis, MD, Board Member

Dr. Katsigiannis is a Board Certified cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon.  After receiving his medical degree at Texas Tech University Health Science Center, he completed his internship and general/thoracic surgical residencies at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Following training, Dr. Katsigiannis spent two years as a staff cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Missouri and 11 months in the same capacity at Med Center One in North Dakota. Dr. Katsigiannis joined Texas Surgical Associates in April 2000 and is practicing with Cesar Nahas, M.D. at Clear Lake Regional Medical Center.
 

Eduardo Ramirez, MD, Board Member

Dr. Eduardo Ramirez joined the staff of Clear Lake Regional Medical Center in January 1996. He received a BS from the University of Puerto Rico in 1986 and his medical degree from Ponce School of Medicine in Ponce, Puerto Rico in 1990. Dr. Ramirez has been a member of the Inpatient Hospitalist Group since 2006. He and his wife, Sigrid, reside in Friendswood with their two children.

George Cox, MD, Board Member

Dr. George Cox is a Board Certified orthopedic surgeon who practices with the Orthopedic Clinic of Galveston County. He completed his residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch. Along with his busy practice, Dr. Cox is a clinical professor in Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch. He is a member of many scientific societies, including a Diplomat, American Board of Orthopedic Surgery; a Fellow, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons; the Texas Medical Association; The American Medical Association; and a past president of the Galveston County Medical Society. Dr. Cox and his wife, Romayne, have four children and reside in Galveston.
 

Henry Muniz, Medical Staff Vice President

Dr. Henry Muniz attended medical school at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and graduated in 1974. He completed additional training in nephrology at the University of Utah Medical Center. Since 1985, he’s practiced with Renal Specialists of Houston with specializations in acute renal failure, hyponatremia, hypertension, electrolyte imbalance, and cardiac disease in renal failure.

John Lewis, MD, Board Member

Dr. John Lewis is a Board Certified neurologist who has been on staff at Mainland Medical Center since 1979. He completed his internship and residency at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston and is a member of the Texas Neurological Society, AAN. Dr. Lewis is chair of the MMC Credentials Committee, a member of the hospital’s Peer Review Board, and also a member of the Medical Executive Committee. He was named Mainland Medical Center’s Physician of the Year in 2007.  Dr. Lewis is the father of two children and resides in Dickinson with his wife, Pam.

Julie Dues-Masters, Board Member

Julie Dues-Masters currently serves as mayor of the City of Dickinson and is President of the Galveston County Mayor’s and Councilmembers’ Association. She is executive director of Keep Dickinson Beautiful and is involved in many community organizations. Julie and her husband, Ron, have two daughters and reside in Dickinson.

Kay Stenzel, Board Member

Kay Stenzel received her BS in education and went on to teach school in Missouri and Texas. She was a classroom teacher in Alvin and Santa Fe before retiring from teaching in the Texas City ISD. She has been a resident of Santa Fe since 1988 and is the mother of six children and grandmother of five. Kay is involved in numerous civic activities and volunteers extensively in hospice care. She resides in Texas City with her husband, Ralph, who is currently mayor of the City of Santa Fe.

Mark Ciavaglia, Board Member

Mark Ciavaglia is an attorney in Texas City with the firm Lyons and Plackemeier. He is heavily involved in civic activities including the Texas City Rotary, the Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and the Texas City ISD Foundation for the Future. Mark and his wife, Sharon, reside in Texas City with their three children.

Maura Walsh, President - HCA Gulf Coast Division

Maura Walsh is president of HCA Gulf Coast Division, a network of hospitals and healthcare facilities in Houston and South Texas that includes Clear Lake Regional Medical Center and Mainland Medical Center. She began her healthcare career in 1980, holding executive roles at hospitals in Vermont, Arkansas, and Texas. She joined HCA in 1987, eventually serving as CEO for three different hospitals within the division.

Exemplifying a grass roots approach to understanding her community’s healthcare needs, Maura actively serves as a board member for a number of local organizations, including the Greater Houston Partnership, the American Diabetes Association – Houston, the American Heart Association – Houston, and others. She is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and serves on the American Hospital Association Governing Council.

Maura has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Lowell and a master’s degree in human resources management from the University of Houston – Clear Lake. The latter institution recently awarded her with their Distinguished Alumni Award.

Patrick Koons, MD, Board Member

Dr. Patrick Koons is Board Certified in Anesthesia. He received a BS in biology from the University of Texas and his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Dr. Koons joined the staff of Clear Lake Regional Medical Center in October 2009 as chief of the Department of Anesthesiology.

Rick Gornto, CFP, Board Chairman

Richard Gornto is president and founding principal of First Financial Benefits, Inc. of Houston and past principal and CEO of First Financial Capital Corporation, an employee benefit third-party administration firm. He is a certified financial planner with 33 years experience in financial services and insurance business.

Rick is past president and board chair of the Houston Society of Certified Financial Planners; past trustee of Alvin Community College; past board member of Child Advocates of Houston; past board member and stockholder of Alvin National Bank; and past president and current board member of the Nolan Ryan Foundation. Rick has been married to Janice Bartley Gornto for 36 years, and has two children and four grandchildren. He resides in the Clear Lake area.

Rob Heifner, CEO - Mainland Medical Center

Rob Heifner joined Mainland Medical Center as Chief Executive Officer in July 2009.  He is a board member of the Texas City ISD Foundation for the Future and active in the Texas City Rotary Club. As a leader in the community, Rob has a strong commitment to providing quality patient care and customer satisfaction.

Heifner has a fifteen year history of leadership accomplishments with HCA, Mainland Medical Center’s parent company. Most recently, Heifner served as Chief Operating Officer at Rio Grande Regional Hospital in McAllen, Texas where he opened a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit; launched “Kids Express”, a Pediatric Outpatient Program designed to expand services to children in the community; and also created better access to healthcare for women by opening new satellite women’s clinics. Prior to Rio Grande Regional, Heifner served as Vice President of Operations and Vice President of Service Line Management at Tulane University Hospital and Clinic. Rob’s responsibilities included the Tulane Institute of Sports Medicine, Tulane Cardiovascular Institute, and managing an $80 million hospital rebuilding project following hurricane Katrina.

Heifner holds both a Master of Healthcare Administration from Tulane University and a Master of Business Administration from Louisiana Tech University. He served on the board of various non-profit organizations including: The American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association and the Ronald McDonald House Charities, where he served as Board President. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He and his wife Lisa have two sons, Dylan aged 10, and Ethan aged 4.

Robert "Bob" Mitchell, Board Member

Bob Mitchell is president of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership. He joined the organization in 2000 to oversee the statewide implementation of the Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP). In 2007, he was assigned responsibility of BAHEP's day-to-day operations. Bob has 30 years of experience in economic development, process controls, and manufacturing management in the Houston region. Prior to joining BAHEP, he managed ASEP International and Unitech International, both Houston companies. From 1980-1994, he worked at Grumman Aerospace Corporation.

Mitchell is married with three children and lives in Houston. In his spare time, he enjoys playing golf and coaching college baseball.

Roberta Lee, MD, Board Member

Dr. Roberta Lee is a Board Certified Pediatrician with the Clear Lake Pediatric Clinic in Webster, Texas. She earned her BA in biology and chemistry from Trinity University (San Antonio) in 1972. She then completed graduate studies at Trinity in 1973. Her medical degree was earned from The University of Texas Medical School at Houston in 1976.

Dr. Lee completed her residency in pediatrics at The University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio. She has been an active staff member at Clear Lake Regional Medical Center since 1979 and served as Chief of Pediatrics in 1983.

Robin Armstrong, MD, Board Member

Dr. Robin Armstrong is Board Certified in Internal Medicine. He completed his medical degree at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, where he also completed his residency. Dr. Armstrong is a member of the Texas Medical Association, the Galveston County Medical Society, the American College of Physicians, and the American Society of Internal Medicine. He and his wife, Martha, live in Friendswood with their three children.

Sandra "Sandy" Johnson, Board Member

Sandy Johnson was born in Louisiana and earned her BS degree in mathematics from Louisiana Tech University. She received an MBA degree from the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

Since 1980, she has held many technical and management positions with Barrios Technology, an aerospace engineering company that provides support to NASA, DOD, and the general aerospace industry. In 1993, she was named company president, growing annual revenue from $10 million to more than $60 million

Sandy is past chair of the Board of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership and the Development and Advisory Council for the University of Houston Clear Lake. She also serves on the Board of Directors and Finance Committee for the United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast. She has received the Greater Houston Area Rotary District's Vocational Excellence Award and was named one of ten Houston Women on the Move. In 2004 she received one of NASA's highest honors, the distinguished Public Service Medal.

Stephen K. Jones, Jr., CEO - Clear Lake Regional Medical Center

Stephen K. Jones, Jr., is the chief executive officer of Clear Lake Regional Medical Center. Working within HCA Gulf Coast Division, for three years, Jones previously served as the CEO of Rio Grande Regional Hospital in McAllen, Texas. He has also served as CEO at Southwest Medical Center in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Jones holds an MHA and an MBA from the University of Houston – Clear Lake. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American College of Medical Practice Executives, and the recipient of the American College of Healthcare Executive Early Career Healthcare Executive Regents Award from the Louisiana Hospital Association.

Tarek Koussayer, Medical Staff President

Dr. Tarek Koussayer is chairman of Mainland Medical Center’s Emergency Department. He received his medical degree from Aleppo University in Syria and completed residencies at Merida Hospital in Cleveland and UTMB in Galveston. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine. Dr. Koussayer is employed by Greater Houston Emergency Physicians and has been a member of the medical staff at Mainland since 1995. He and his family reside in Seabrook.

Thomas Rowe, MD, Board Member

Dr. Thomas Rowe is a Diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a Diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine. He currently practices in Webster, Texas.

Dr. Rowe received a BS in Nursing from Baylor University and completed his Medical Degree at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He completed his internship/residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine in 1993. His Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship was completed at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Dr. Rowe previously was Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Clear Lake Regional Medical Center. He was Vice-Chief, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 1997-1999; Medical Director of Labor and Delivery, The University of Texas at Galveston, 1997-1999; Director of Prenatal Diagnostic Center, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 1996-1999; Medical Director of the Birth Center, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 1996-1999 and the Medical Executive Committee, Clear Lake Regional Medical Center, 2006-present.

William Uzelmeier, MD, Board Member

Dr. William Uzelmeier is a Board Certified Radiologist practicing with the Southwest Radiology Association since 1998. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a BS in biology and completed his medical degree in 1992 at The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston. Dr. Uzelmeier then interned at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas and completed his residency at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center in Diagnostic Radiology in 1997.

Dr. Uzelmeier is a Member of the Society of Vascular and Interventional Radiology; the Radiologic Society of North America, and the American Roentgen Ray Society.