Friends of Medicine Award given to State Sen. Uresti

San Antonio -- State Senator Carlos Uresti (photo) has received the Texas Medical Association's (TMA) prestigious Friends of Medicine award at the association's Fall Conference in Austin.

"The Friends of Medicine award is a great honor, and I thank the Texas Medical Association for their recognition. I believe that the health and well being of all Texans depends on the strength and vitality of our medical community. This award confirms that I am serving my constituents well by supporting policies that improve access to some of the best medical care in the world, right here in Texas ," Uresti said.

The Friends of Medicine award adds to a landmark year for Uresti, who celebrated a decade in public service in 2007. After election to the Texas House of Representatives in 1997, Uresti served as a member of the powerful Committee on Public Health, and as the chairman of the Committee on Human Services and the Committee on Government Reform. He was elected to the Texas Senate in 2006, and began serving his four-year freshman term in January 2007. Continuing his historical legislative focus, Uresti was appointed to the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services by Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst at the beginning of the 80th Legislative session.

Uresti's decade of public service has been marked by unwavering support for Texas ' patients, physicians, and medical care facilities. A strong advocate for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Medicaid, Uresti led the charge against devastating cuts to these programs in 2003 as chairman of the House Committee on Human Services. He was a key supporter of the restoration of both CHIP and Children's Medicaid during the 79th and 80th Legislatures.

Senator Uresti represents Senate District 19, a 55,000 square mile area extending from the city of San Antonio in Bexar County to the Lower Valley of El Paso County. The largest legislative district in the nation, it spans two time zones, and contains nine of the 14 border counties in Texas, two-thirds of the U.S.-Mexico border within Texas, and all or part of 23 counties. Senate District 19 is home to five U.S. ports of entry, three U.S. toll bridges, 62 school districts, seven military sites, six state parks, and two national parks.


Arthur Reyna, III
Communications Director for Senator Carlos Uresti
(512) 463-0119 - phone
(512) 463-1017 - fax