Dr. John Carlo, CEO of Prism Health North Texas
Prism Health CEO to help develop public policy and legislative advocacy for patients, health care professionals
From Staff Reports
Dr. John Carlo, CEO of Prism Health North Texas, has been named chair of the Texas Medical Association Council on Legislation, the council that develops and implements TMA legislative policies at state and national levels.
As part of his nearly two decades of service in different health care leadership roles, Dr. Carlo served as a council member since 2018. He also has served as chair of the TMA Council on Socioeconomics and as chair of the TMA Council on Science and Public Health.
Since March 2020, Dr. Carlo has served as a member of the TMA COVID-19 Task Force, offering guidance for Texans on how to make safe and informed decisions about their health throughout the pandemic.
“The Texas Medical Association unifies the voice of more than 50,000 physicians across the state to advocate on behalf of our patients,” Dr. Carlo said. “I look forward to working with the great TMA staff and physician members in this new role.”
Dr. Carlo’s appointment to the TMA Council on Legislation is due in part to his work as chair of the Texas Public Health Coalition, which was instrumental in the passage of legislation that raised the minimum age to 21 for buying tobacco in Texas. The legislative chair position is a one-year appointment, and Dr. Carlo said he looks forward to facilitating the many different legislative priorities of the TMA.
“We have a lot of work to do,” says Dr. Carlo in regard to upcoming goals for the session. “Far too many Texans lack access to affordable healthcare, resulting in far too many treatable conditions left untreated.”
Dr. Mark Casanova, director of clinical ethics and supportive and palliative care at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, applauded Dr Carlo’s appoint as council chair. “The adage of ‘the right person for the right position at the right time,’ has never rung more true, than the appointment of John Carlo to chair the TMA Council on Legislation,” Dr. Casanova said.
“John brings the breadth of experience and real-world public health knowledge, coupled with an innate equanimity that positions him to be an effective leader of the COL, but more importantly, an effective advocate for the House of Medicine and the myriad of necessary legislative interfaces, at local, state, and even national levels.”
Prism Health North Texas, which opened in 1986 as AIDS Arms Network out of the Communities Foundation of Texas, was created the middle of the worst years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in North Texas. For the past 35 years, the organization has served the critical role of connecting people living with HIV to care and services in the area.
PHNTX evolved to be a nationally recognized leader in delivering high-quality HIV and sexual health services, most recently expanding services to address the alarming rise in sexually transmitted infections in Dallas County and North Texas. Roughly 30 percent of people living with HIV in North Texas receive medical care and support at one of the four PHNTX health centers.
PHNTX is committed to providing healthcare for all North Texans in a non-judgmental and affirming environment, striving to remove the barriers that prevent any individual from accessing quality healthcare, officials said. PHNTX stands for health equity, especially for marginalized populations including people living with HIV, LGBTQ and ethnic minorities.
