Newswise — Anne Clutterbuck, former Houston City Councilmember, has been elected chair of the Harris Health System Board of Trustees, the governing body of the public healthcare system in Harris County. Harris Health has served the community for more than 50 years providing primary care, wellness and prevention through its network of 48 clinics, health centers, specialty locations and hospitals.

Clutterbuck joins Kimberly Monday, MD, vice chair, and Daisy Stiner, secretary, as officers of the nine-member board, which for the first time in its history has a majority female membership. Dr. Monday also is the 2016 president of the Harris County Medical Society.

Clutterbuck looks forward to helping Harris Health navigate key issues in 2017 including the new direction being charted by the Trump administration with regard to the Affordable Care Act. Her three goals are to help the system maintain its robust services for patients; ensure the continuation of Level 1 trauma center at Ben Taub Hospital and the Level 3 trauma center at Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital; and continue clear communication and support with county-elected officials.

“I believe Harris Health will serve as a resource to elected officials who are trying to navigate the uncertainty of healthcare in our country,” she says. “Fortunately, we’ve got a good relationship with our state and federal legislators who are very good at championing for us.”

She touts Ben Taub Hospital’s prominence in the community and is proud to say she receives her personal healthcare there.

“We are tremendously fortunate in Harris County to have Ben Taub Hospital as the crown jewel in our system,” she adds.

She sees the board’s current makeup as an asset for the community.

“We have a diverse membership on the board, a lot of historical knowledge and perspective, with people who are always looking out for the healthcare needs of our community,” she says.

In 2016, the board had two new additions—Carol Graebner and Ewan Johnson, MD, PhD.

Graebner is a former executive with more than 25 years in the energy sector. Most recently, she was vice president and general counsel at Direct Energy. Additionally, she’s worked for Dynegy, Inc., Duke Energy International and Conoco Inc. Graebner holds a Bachelor of Arts from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania and Doctor of Jurisprudence from The American University in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Johnson, a practicing physician in internal medicine and medical oncology, works at Tomball Regional Internal Medicine Associates. He also has affiliated hospital privileges with Christus Spohn Hospital in Alice, Texas; Bayshore Medical Center in Pasadena, Texas; East Houston Medical Center in Houston; and Northwest Texas Health System in Amarillo, Texas. Johnson completed his medical training at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston with residency training through The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and a fellowship at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Other trustees on the board are Brandon Capetillo, Lawrence D. Finder, Elvin Franklin Jr. and Carolyn Truesdell. Trustees are appointed by Harris County Commissioners Court and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett. Each member serves a two-year term and can be reappointed at the court’s discretion.