Dr. Manusov named Chair at UTRGV

Manusov brings collaborative healthcare leadership to new UTRGV School of Medicine post

HARLINGEN, TEXAS – AUGUST 2015 – Dr. Eron Manusov, a physician with a focus on community health collaboration, has been named founding chair of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine’s Department of Family and Community Medicine and assistant dean of Education and Clerkships.

For the past year and a half, Manusov has been associate professor and program director for The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) Family and Community Medicine program, based at the Regional Academic Health Center (RAHC) in the Rio Grande Valley.

Manusov earned his M.D. from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, School of Medicine (USUHS SOM), in Bethesda, Md., and his 30-year career has included military deployments and combat casualty care. In academia, his focus had been on the care of the underserved and the reduction of health care disparities.

“My career has centered on service, especially to the underserved,” he said. “The Valley offers opportunities to teach service and get experience that can be used to lead the healthcare of the future.”

At the RAHC, Manusov has been active in obtaining grants designed to create a sustainable model of care in the region’s colonias, provide care for adolescents diagnosed with a mental, medical and appetitive drive disorders, and integrate mental health with primary care.

Dr. Francisco Fernandez, inaugural dean of the UTRGV School of Medicine, said Manusov has been and will continue to be a pivotal leader in collaborative health care initiatives – like the South Texas Interprofessional Team Collaborative Health (STITCH) – in the Valley.

“I am delighted that our founding chair of Family and Community Medicine is Eron Manusov,” Fernandez said. “All our healthcare initiatives will include a strong primary care foundation, and Dr. Manusov has already proven to be an important asset in our training programs, as well in our colonia care programs.”

Among Manusov’s professional association responsibilities, he is chair of the Equity Council for the National Rural Health Association, and serves on the National Border Commission.

“I believe that, to be able to change the healthcare system for the future, providers must work together collaboratively and inter-professionally,” he said. “Further, I believe the key to happiness in healthcare professions is balance, service and a positive outlook on life.”

Manusov is a classically trained pianist and a competitive swimmer, and he and his wife have seven children.

“Dr. Manusov is a physician thought leader of the caliber we expect to graduate from the UTRGV School of Medicine,” Fernandez said. “As chair of Family Medicine, he will lead our integrated-collaborative, primary care program while serving as assistant dean for Clerkship, the critical third year of medical school during students’ concentrated clinical experience.”