EARLY CAREER PHYSICIAN LEADER OF THE YEAR AWARD

The Texas Chapter of the ACP honors an active ACP member that demonstrates leadership in community services that is in practice and within 16 years of graduation from Medical School. The Early Career Physician Leader of the Year Award is the most prestigious recognition of achievement for early career physicians. Recipients of this award are recognized for their outstanding achievement in the areas of academics, leaderships, and/or advocacy for the field of internal medicine.
 

2023 - Jessica Chambers, MD, FACP
2021/22 - Drew Payne, DO, FACP
2021/22 - Chelsea Chang, MD, FACP
2020 -Kimberly Sims, MD, FACP
2019 - Santhosshi Narayanan MD, FACP
2019 - Behyar Zoghi, MD, PhD, FACP
2018 - Wilson Lam, MD, FACP
2017 Antonia Davidson, MD, FACP
2017 Amy LaViolette, MD, MPH, FACP
2016 Julie Stephen, MD, MBA, FACP
2015 Lianne Marks, MD, PHD, FACP
2014 Aaron Samsula, MD, FACP
2013 Pete Yunyongying, MD, FACP
2012 Victor Simms, MD, MPH, FACP

Jessica Chambers, MD, FACP

Jessica Chambers MD, MPH, FACP is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine residency at the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School. She also directs the nocturnist service line in the division of hospital medicine. She found her passion as a clinicianeducator on nights and built her career around harnessing the overnight hours for teaching. She is adept in point of care ultrasound (POCUS) and has won multiple awards for her ability to create a positive learning environment at all hours of the day. She has presented nationally and internationally on thriving on night shift, promoting wellbeing and sustainability for nocturnists, and mitigating the health effects of shift work. She has additional interests in environmental health disparities and the long-term consequences of historical redlining on present-day health effects.

Dr. Chambers received her undergraduate degree in neurobiological circadian rhythms from Vanderbilt University, her doctorate of medicine from Texas A&M University, and her Masters in Public Health with a focus in public health leadership from the University of North Texas Health Science Center. She completed her training in internal medicine at the University of Texas at Austin. She enjoys traveling the world, building her culinary prowess, reading mystery novels, and spending quality time with her husband Landon and her chihuahua Godiva.

Kimberly Sims, MD, FACP

Kimberly Newsome Sims , MD, FACP is currently a primary care internist in Pearland, Texas with the Houston Methodist Primary Care Group, where she also oversees residents in a continuity clinic one half day weekly. She is also clinical faculty for Texas A&M Medical School. She is involved in several administrative committees through her employer, and co-chairs HMPCG Physician Burnout committee.

She completed her undergraduate training at Baylor University, Medical Doctorate at University of Texas Medical School at Houston (now McGovern) and residency training at Houston Methodist with Weill Cornell Medical College. She is board certified in Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine.

She has served the Texas chapter of ACP on several committees including medical student committee, resident committee, wellness committee, and early career physician committee. She has previously enjoyed serving as a judge in the resident and student clinical vignette abstract competitions. She remembers her time as a preceptor student well, and is recharged each summer through her involvement in the GIMSPP program, now as attending.

On a national level, Dr. Sims is involved in the ACP Raise the Rates initiative. 

Dr. Sims also enjoys volunteering with her church in their health and wellness ministry, and speaking in the local community when asked by any of her patients to promote health, wellness, and preventative care.

Santhosshi Narayanan, MD, FACP

Santhosshi Narayanan, MD, FACP is currently the Assistant Professor of Integrative Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. After completing her medical school in India, she completed her residency in internal medicine at Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI.

Dr. Narayanan joined The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2015, after serving in both private practice and academic medicine. She is board certified in internal medicine, scoring in top 10th decile. Having trained at Harvard Medical School Global Clinical Scholar Research Training Program, she has mentored many medical students and residents to present award-winning abstracts for American College of Physicians (ACP) conferences. In 2015, Dr. Narayanan was recognized for her teaching with distinguished faculty award by University of Texas, Tyler Internal Medicine Residency Program. In her role as Associate Program Director, she was involved in curriculum development and mentoring for brand new Onco-hospitalist fellowship program at MD Anderson Cancer Center. In this role, she had established “Challenging Cases in Onco-Medicine Conference,” approved for continuous medical education (CME) credits. She has been a preceptor for 1st-year medical students through statewide preceptorship program and actively promotes Internal medicine as a career choice for medical students in Texas. She was one of the youngest physicians to achieve the fellowship status in ACP in the year 2015.

Dr. Narayanan has robust training in leadership from Texas Medical Association (TMA) leadership college in addition to attending several leadership programs through MD Anderson Cancer Center, ACP, and Society of Hospital Medicine. In her role as a Chair for Council of Early Career Physicians (CECP), Texas southern chapter, she has organized lectures promoting physician well-being and career growth at the annual Texas ACP meetings. She was elected to serve on the Texas Chapter of the ACP Board of Directors as a Director, At Large in 2017.

Dr. Narayanan’s area of focus is the integrative approach to caring for patients. She is a principal investigator for multiple research projects. Dr. Narayanan has advocated for public health issues at both state level (Capitol Hill, Austin) and national level (Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.). She served as a Young Physician Ambassador for Harris County Medical Society and Alternate Delegate for Texas Medical Association. She would like to thank her husband and parents for their continued and everlasting support.

Behyar Zoghi, MD, PhD, FACP

Behyar Zoghi, MD, PhD, FACP is triple board certified in Internal Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology and is an experienced cancer physician and Bone Marrow Transplant specialist. He practices Hematology/Bone Marrow Transplant at the Texas Transplant Institute at Methodist Hospital, a member of the Sarah Cannon Blood Cancer Network. Dr. Zoghi has been the recipient of multiple awards, including a patent for a novel therapy in breast cancer for which he received the Texas Society of Clinical Oncology Award, recognized nationally as a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP), selected as one of the Texas Super Doctor Rising Stars (2018) and Texas Super Doctor (2019), recipient of the Arrival Award: Beacon of Light (2019), and one of the Top 20 Impact Makers Honorees (2020).

He is Assistant Professor of Medicine at UT Health Science Center at San Antonio and Chairman of Graduate Medical Education for Methodist Healthcare System. His interests include the most recent developments in cancer therapy including immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and CAR-T cell therapy. His holistic approach in cancer therapy was the subject of a cover page article in MD News magazine. He received his MD/PhD at Texas A&M College of Medicine, Residency at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and Fellowship at UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.

In addition to medicine, he is very passionate about Law and Politics and has written many articles regarding human rights, freedom and what we stand for as Americans. He believes that as Americans, we do not merely strive to make a living, but we aspire to make a difference in the life of people here and around the world and Dr. Zoghi is passionate to do his part. He is involved in charitable works including free medical care and treatment for patients in need in the villages of Taleghan, Iran. He is a member of the advisory board for a cancer nonprofit organization named Hearts Need Art, a volunteer-based organization which incorporates bedside music, group art classes, corridor concerts and movement/meditation classes for cancer patients. He also participates in the World Affairs Council of San Antonio.

Dr. Zoghi acknowledges that his success is due mainly to the great moral support he has received from his wife, Bahar Khoshnoudi,J.D. (Harvard Law School), his daughter Kathryn, his parents, Ali Akbar Zoghi & Alamtaj Rezakhani, his in-laws Ed & Farimah Khoshnoudi, and his siblings.

Wilson Lam MD, FACP

Wilson Lam, MD, FACP is a native Houstonian and a rare breed who has completed all of his education in his hometown. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Rice in 1999 and has been part of the Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) family since then completing his medical school in 2003, his combined internal medicine-pediatrics residency in 2007, a chief medical residency in internal medicine in 2008, a combined adult and pediatric cardiology fellowship between the Texas Heart Institute (THI) and Texas Children’s Hospital in 2013, and clinical cardiac electrophysiology fellowship at THI in 2014, all under the BCM umbrella. He achieved board certification in general internal medicine, general pediatrics, echocardiography, adult cardiovascular diseases, pediatric cardiology, electrophysiology, and adult congenital cardiology and is one of only two individuals in the nation certified in adult and pediatric cardiology, adult congenital cardiology, and electrophysiology. For the past decade, he has been involved with medical education for medical students, internal medicine and general pediatrics residents, adult and pediatric cardiology fellows, sports medicine and pediatric emergency medicine fellows from didactic lectures, clinical services, and journal clubs. He previously coached the highly accomplished internal medicine Medical Jeopardy/Doctors’ Dilemma team and serves as an associate program director for the BCM internal medicine residency program. In 2016, he was awarded the Baylor College of Medicine Department of Medicine Outstanding Faculty Member. Dr. Lam's clinical and research interests include clinical outcomes of complex adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD), particularly device and arrhythmia management. He is also interested in novel innovations and therapeutics that can shape current guidelines (eg. reversal of direct oral anticoagulants, DOACs in congenital heart disease, echocardiographic surveillance in ACHD, and intranasal calcium channel blockers for supraventricular tachycardia). He mentors all internal medicine residents with cardiology interest and co-authored 25 abstracts (local, state, and national level) with residents and fellows over the past 3 years. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Cardiology. He has moderated the past 2 years of the Texas Chapter of ACC Cardiology Jeopardy and has served as a Delegate on the ACP Academic Advisory Board and a member of ACP’s National Doctors’ Dilemma committee. He currently serves as the Texas Heart Institute Cardiac Society president. He has spoken at the American Heart Association and Adult Congenital Heart Association national conferences. Lastly, he has been a leader for healthcare legislative advocacy with a Houston-based nonprofit Doctors For Change (in Austin for the past 4 legislative sessions) and with ACP for the past two Leadership Days in Washington D.C. His wife, Claire, and he are expecting their first child in December 2018 to join their two dogs, Madeline and Silvie.

Antonia Davidson, MD, FACP

Dr. Davidson grew up in rural Texas and was the first in her extended family to become a physician. She pursued an undergraduate degree in biology at The University of Texas at Austin, serving on the Natural Sciences Council as part of UT student government. She then attended medical school at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. She participated in UT Southwestern’s Summer Research Program and was chosen to present her abstract, "Palmitoylation in the Regulation of G Proteins" in the 38th Annual Medical Student Research Forum.

Dr. Davidson completed residency in internal medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. She then stayed at Baylor to work in academic medicine—both inpatient and outpatient. Eventually, she relocated back to Austin where she worked as a hospitalist in private practice for almost nine years in a physician-owned group and also served on her group’s board of directors. She transitioned in late 2015 to working in research at a phase I clinic in order to spend more time with her family. Dr. Davidson is a member of the Texas Medical Association (TMA) and Travis County Medical Society (TCMS). She is an alternate delegate to the TMA for TCMS and is a member of the TCMS Public Health Committee.

ACP continues to be her professional home. She feels ACP provides excellent support for internists in all practice environments. Dr. Davidson previously was the Southern Co-Chair of the ACP Texas Council of Early Career Physicians and has served on several Texas ACP committees. She is currently a member of the Texas ACP Board of Directors.

She enjoys gardening, cycling, and traveling— especially going to the beach. Dr. Davidson is proud to receive the Texas ACP Early Career Physician Leader Award and wishes to thank her family for their support—her husband, Jason, and her two children, as well as her parents who have always encouraged her to do her best.

Amy LaViolette, MD, MPH, FACP

Dr. Amy LaViolette is a native Texan who grew up in Austin. She attended undergraduate at Austin College in Sherman, Texas and then completed her medical education at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Following medical school completed her Internal Medicine internship and residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch-Austin. She served as one of the Chief Medicine Residents after her residency and then was hired as faculty in 2008, until transitioning to private practice where she is now a partner with Capital Medical Clinic in Austin.

She obtained her Master’s in Public Health from the University of Texas at Houston School of Public Health in 2010.

Dr. LaViolette participated in both ambulatory and inpatient residency. She previously served as the lead preceptor/GME liaison for one of the residency’s primary care clinics. In addition to patient care she participated in graduate medical education by using simulation to help with training in the primary care setting as well as curriculum development. She served as a mentor for residents as well as contributed actively in medical student education by serving as a leader for a Practice of Medicine informal class for 3rd year students at University of Texas Medical Branch. She served on several committees in that time, including serving as the physician co-chair of the University Medical Center at Brackenridge Hospital Ethics Committee as well as several committees related to residency education and curriculum development.

Due to her love of primary care and the longitudinal relationship it allowed her to develop with her patients, she now exclusively practices in the ambulatory setting at Capital Medical Clinic. She has been recognized as a Texas Super Doctors Rising Star from 2013-2015 and as a Top Doctor in Austin for 2018. She continues to serve as a member of the Public Health Committee for her local county medical society. On a state-wide level she is the current Secretary Treasurer to ACP Services and has previously served as a Regional Director on the Board. She remains active in several committees within ACP and ACP Services, including the Texas ACP Council of Early Career Physicians and the Resident’s Committee. She also serves as the chapter’s representative for the TMA’s Interspecialty Society Committee where she is also a member of the Board of Delegates.

When Dr. LaViolette is not at work she enjoys spending time with her husband and two young children (Juliette and Luc) as well as watching movies and knitting/ crocheting as time allows.

Julie Stephen, MD, MBA, FACP

Dr. Julie Stephen is the 2016 recipient of the Council of Early Career Physicians Young Physician
Leader of the Year Award, an award she had the foresight to establish several years ago. She is a graduate of UT Dallas where she was a member of the honors program, graduating Summa Cum Laude, where she was selected as a graduation speaker. She went on to Internal Medicine training at UTMB. She has participated in post-graduate training, obtaining a Master of Business Administration from Texas Woman’s University and a Graduate Certificate of Health Care Administration at Rice University. She also had additional training in Aesthestic Medicine and Occupational Health Services.

She has been very active in Quality Improvement with multiple projects at The Methodist Hospital, and Advanced Training in Healthcare Delivery Improvement and Patient Safety with Intermountain Healthcare. She has participated in the TMA Leadership Program. She has had academic appointments at the Weil Cornell Medical College, Texas A&M, and UT Medical Branch. She currently serves as the Director of Medical Operations for Concentra Health Services.

She has been a member of the Texas ACP since 2006. She was the Southern Co-Chair of the Council of Young Physicians from 2010 to 2012. In this capacity she reorganized the committee structure, created the Council of Young Physicians bi-annual newsletter, developed a CME workshop at the annual Texas ACP Meeting, and established the Young Physician of the Year Award, the forerunner of the Council of Early Career Physicians Young Physician Leader of the Year Award. She also became the Southern Director of Texas ACP Foundation in 2010,
servicing in this capacity since. In this position she solicited funding and volunteered as a preceptor to GIMSIPP and helped to promote the GIMSPP program in general. She was selected as President Elect of Texas ACP Service in 2013 and served as President of ACP Services
from 2014 to 2015.

In view of her history of service to the Council of Early Physicians and Texas ACP Services, Dr. Julie Stephen was the unanimous choice of the Awards Committee for the Council of Early Career Physicians Young Physician Leader of the Year Award.
 

Lianne Marks, MD, PHD, FACP

Dr. Marks is an Internal Medicine physician at Baylor Scott & White Health and Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine in Round Rock. She served as the Clerkship Director of Internal Medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine from February 2009 - October 2010 and is
currently the Regional Chair in Internal Medicine as well as Assistant Dean in Educational Development for the College of Medicine. Dr. Marks initially graduated cum laude from the University of Florida in Gainesville with a degree in Molecular Neuroscience. She received her medical degree from the University of Miami Medical School in 2004 and her Ph.D. degree in Immunology at the same institution in 2002. She completed her Internal Medicine residency in 2007 at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Dr. Marks is board certified in Internal Medicine and joined Scott and White in 2007. Dr. Marks is a member of the Williamson County Medical Society and the Texas Medical Association. She is a Fellow and member of the Board of Directors of the American College of Physicians.“
 

Aaron Samsula, MD, FACP

Dr. Aaron Samsula was born in Nebraska and graduated cum laude from the University of Texas at Dallas with a BS in Biology and completed his doctoral of medicine degree at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He finished residency in Internal Medicine at Baylor University Medical Center where he served as Chief Resident of Internal Medicine Resident’s Clinic from 2004-2005.

Currently, Dr. Samsula has practices medicine in Plano, Texas and specializes in Internal Medicine.

As a longstanding member of the ACP, Dr. Samsula participated in clinical vignette competitions as both a medical student and resident. He participated in the General Internal Medicine Statewide Preceptorship program as a student and has welcomed students to his office since 2006 serving as a volunteer preceptor engaging the next generations of Internists. He has served as Co-Chair for Texas Northern for the Council of Early Career Physicians for four years and helped to lead this new committee to successful events for young physicians. He has served on the Medical Students Committee since 2008 and participated in the annual meeting for many years. In 2012, he was awarded Fellowship in the College.

During his young career, Dr. Samsula has earned numerous accolades in recognition of his achievements and contributions to his field including being named to D Magazine’s Best Doctors in Dallas and Best Doctors in Collin County (2012-2014) as well as being named a Texas Monthly Rising Star (2012-2014).

Dr. Samsula is affiliated with The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano and Baylor Regional Medical Center At Plano. He has been a member of numerous professional
organizations and named to several committees since 2006. His colleagues have shared that Dr. Samsula “embodies the spirit with which this award was created and has served as a physician leader and strong advocate for Internal Medicine.”

In recognition of his achievements in leadership, medical education and commitment to strengthening the practice of Internal Medicine for his patients
and community, the Texas Chapter is pleased to bestow the Early Career Physician Leader of the Year Award on Aaron Samsula, MD, FACP.
 

Pete Yunyongying, MD, FACP

Pete Yunyongying, MD, FACP, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas (UTSW) and works full time as a clinician-educator at the Veterans Affairs North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS). Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, he attended Brown University for undergraduate studies and the University of Maryland for medical school. He completed internal medicine residency at UTSW and subsequently completed fellowships in both Medical Education and Teaching and Educational Leadership at the University of Southern California – Keck School of Medicine.

Dr. Yunyongying’s career has focused on medical education and curriculum development. In addition to teaching medical students and internal medicine residents, he has held lead roles in teaching classes in quality improvement, communication skills, and evidence based medicine. Dr. Yunyongying has a particular interest in developing inter-professional and interdisciplinary programs.

He is working with the VANTHCS Mental Health Service on a steering committee and curriculum for the Dallas addiction leadership training fellowship, which is a new postgraduate fellowship. Dr. Yunyongying is very active in professional organizations including the American College of Physicians (ACP), both nationally and locally, and the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM). He organizes the Annual Texas ACP (TXACP) Residents Day for the Dallas area and has completed the ACP Leadership Enhancement and Development (LEAD) certificate training. He served on the TXACP Chapter Board of Directors, assisted in starting the Texas ACP Council of Early Career Physicians (CECP), and was the chair of the Communications Committee for the TXACP. In SGIM, he sits on the National Education Committee,the Milestones workgroup, and the Maintenance of Certification workgroup.

Dr. Yunyongying has served on numerous committees at both VANTHCS and UTSW. He leads a faculty development series at the Dallas VA Medical Center for fellow UT Southwestern faculty and VA Staff. He has served as an ad hoc reviewer for several journals, mentored residents on poster presentations and published numerous research articles, book chapters, case reports and letters to the editor. In addition to his professional achievements, he has contributed greatly to the local community. He has held leadership positions including being the Chair of Alliance, an organization of young professionals supporting the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center. He is a member of the steering committee for the MAC PAC, a support organization for the McKinney Avenue Contemporary art exhibition space, and is a member of the steering committee for Vivaldi, a support organization for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, he is on the advisory board for the Crow Collection of Asian Art and a docent for the museum. Dr. Yunyongying exemplifies dedication and leadership to the field of internal medicine and his community for all physicians, especially early career physicians. TXACP is proud of Dr. Pete Yunyongying as recipient of the 2013 Council of Early Career Physicians Leader of the Year Award.

Victor Simms, MD, MPH, FACP

Dr. Victor Simms, MD, MPH, FACP is a native Texan who was born in Fort Worth on December 9, 1969.  He graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Biology at Texas A&M and completed his doctoral of medicine degree at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) on a Baylor Alumni Association Scholarship.  He finished residency in Internal Medicine and an NIH Research Fellowship in Primary Care Research, also at BCM.  He obtained a Master in Public Health at The University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston while completing his research fellowship.  He received numerous awards during his time at BCM including Outstanding Graduating Student Award, Resident Teaching Award, and Resident Primary Care Physician Award. 

During his young career as an internist, Dr. Simms had given many lectures on topics in general medicine for Kelsey-Seybold Clinic Primary Care Forum, Jack and Jill of America, and community awareness programs.  He also served as a guest lecturer at Morehouse and Spelman Universities.  Dr. Simms is currently a voluntary clinical teaching faculty at BCM and the University of Texas Medical Branch, teaching residents and students in both the hospital and clinic settings.

Dr. Simms has been practicing as a General Internist and serving as a Managing Physician at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic in Pasadena.  He is very active in many clinical committees and has been one of the members of the Board of Directors for the clinic since 2008.  His achievements have led to his promotion as an Associate Chief for the Department of Internal Medicine in 2011.  

Aside from clinical duties, Dr. Simms is actively involved in many professional societies including Texas Club of Internist, American College of Physicians (ACP), American Medical Association, Texas Medical Association, National Medical Association, and Harris County Medical Society.  He is particularly committed to the Texas Chapter of ACP – he became a member of the TX Chapter Board of Directors in 2007 and assumed the position of President of the TX Chapter Services in 2010.  He attended ACP Leadership Day on Capitol Hill as part of the TX Chapter delegation for several years in a row to support for primary care.  Dr. Simms was awarded Fellowship to the College in 2009.

Ever a person with compassion to those who are less fortunate, Dr. Simms has involved in many community activities.  He is a member-at-large for the Board of Directors of Hope through Grace, a non-profit colorectal cancer screening organization.  He has been organizing and facilitating the Annual Community Health Fair in Houston since 2001 and participating in career day presentation at various schools in the Houston area since 1996.  Through his church, he also involved in Caregivers Ministry, where he provides health screenings and education.

Dr. Simms is the tenth child of a family of twelve children and the first person from the family to attend college.  He contributed his successes to his supportive parents and siblings.  He is a sport enthusiast, specifically leaning toward weight training and golf.  He also enjoys exploring the various cuisines in Texas and is often described as a laid-back and relaxed character. Dr. Simms currently resides in Pearland, TX and is an active member of Brookhollow Baptist Church.

In recognition of his achievements in leadership, medical education, and advocacy in the field of internal medicine as a young physician, the Texas Chapter of ACP is pleased to bestow its very first Young Physician Leader of the Year Award (2013 named Early Career Physician Leader of the Year Award), on Victor Simms, MD, MPH, FACP.

Send nominations and letters of support to: Texas Chapter of the ACP, Awards and Recognition Committee, 401 W. 15th St. | Suite 100 Austin, TX 78701; or e-mail to nicole.abbott@texmed.org.