Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Penelope Duke, M.D. to the Texas Medical Board District Two Review Committee for a term set to expire January 15, 2028. Additionally, the Governor appointed Tejas Ozarker, M.D. and reappointed Kristen Cox and Robert Simonson, D.O. for terms set to expire on January 15, 2030.
Penelope Duke, M.D. of the Woodlands is a private practicing anesthesiologist. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology and a member of the Texas Medical Association (TMA) and The American Society of Anesthesiologists. Additionally, she is a member of the Committee for Professional Development and chair of the Committee for Office-Based Anesthesiology for the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists. Duke received a Bachelor of Arts and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine. She completed her residency and fellowship at The University of Texas (UT) Southwestern.
Tejas Ozarkar, M.D. of Denton County is the medical director at Riordan Medical Institute and an interventional pain physician at Tarpon Interventional Pain and Spine Care. He is a board member of the American Academy/Association of Orthopedic Medicine and a member of the TMA, Collin-Fannin County Medical Society, and Texas Pain Society. Ozarkar received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Texas Tech University (TTU) and a Doctor of Medicine from the TTU Health Sciences Center School of Medicine. He completed his residency at the University of Pennsylvania and fellowship at TTU Health Sciences Center School of Medicine.
Kristen Cox of College Station is president and chief executive officer of Checkpoint Services, Inc., and 12th Man Technology. She served for 12 years as a gubernatorial appointee on the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities. She is a founding board member of El Paso Children’s Hospital and former member of the El Paso Children’s Hospital Foundation Board, Make-A-Wish of El Paso, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Alzheimer’s Association, and Rotary Clubs of College Station and El Paso. Cox received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Master of Business Administration from UT Dallas.
Robert Simonson, D.O. of Duncanville is the chair of emergency medicine at the Methodist Dallas Medical Center and an associate professor of emergency medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He is the chair of CareFlite, Pre-Hospital Committee member for the American College of Emergency Physicians, and a member of the TMA and Texas College of Emergency Physicians. He has served as a gubernatorial appointee on the Review Committee for four years and previously on the Texas Medical Board for two years. Simonson received a Bachelor of Science from Texas Wesleyan University and a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. He completed his residency at the University of Florida College of Medicine.