SAN ANTONIO (Aug. 1, 2012) — James Larry Holly, M.D., a Beaumont family physician and CEO of Southeast Texas Medical Associates (SETMA, www.setma.com), today was named the 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient by the School of Medicine at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.
Dr. Holly was selected for his four decades of service to the Beaumont community, his unparalleled involvement in and support for the School of Medicine, and his national leadership on key medical issues, including electronic health records and clinical decision support.
“Larry Holly has made an indelible impact on the School of Medicine since graduating in 1973,” said School of Medicine Dean Francisco González-Scarano, M.D., vice president for medical affairs of the Health Science Center. “He has worked tirelessly and enthusiastically to advance our mission — serving as president of the Alumni Association for four years, actively participating in primary care education for students and faculty on campus, and investing generously in student scholarships, faculty endowments and educational programs.”
Dr. Holly said receiving the award this year is especially meaningful to him in light of the recent passing of F. Carter Pannill, M.D., who was dean during Dr. Holly’s time as a student and was a trusted mentor to him.
Dr. Holly is a founding partner of SETMA, a practice that exemplifies the concept of the patient-centered medical home. SETMA physicians strive to get close to their patients, establishing trust and positively impacting their care. Primary care is a “specialty of people,” Dr. Holly said during a March speech at the Health Science Center. “Their stories are the most valuable things we’ve got.” He is also an Adjunct Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the Health Science Center.
From 2006 to 2010, Dr. Holly served as president of the School of Medicine Alumni Association, which comprises more than 9,000 graduates of the M.D., residency and fellowship programs who are practicing medicine throughout the world. The 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award will be presented by the School of Medicine Alumni Association at its reunion weekend in October.
”For nearly four decades, Larry Holly has epitomized alumni engagement,” said Valerie Pronio-Stelluto, M.D., class of 1990, president of the Alumni Association. “No other graduate has loved the School of Medicine more deeply or done more to support its mission than he has. He is a heartfelt inspiration to us all.”
Among their many contributions to the Health Science Center, Dr. Holly and his wife, Carolyn, have endowed the Holly Distinguished Professorship in Patient-Centered Medical Home and a Distinguished Lectureship in Patient-Centered Medical Home, and they have made the initial gift to form The Primary Care Institute.
In 2011, one of Dr. Holly’s longtime patients, Wayne A. Reaud, chairman and founder of the Beaumont Foundation of America, gave $1 million to update the Health Science Center auditorium in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Holly. This generous support, matched by $2.1 million in institutional funding, made it possible to make many improvements, including audiovisual and electronic updates, enhanced lighting, additional seating and upgrades in all fire and safety code requirements. The newly renovated auditorium was officially designated the Dr. and Mrs. James L. Holly Auditorium at a ceremony in February 2012
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, one of the country’s leading health sciences universities, ranks in the top 3 percent of all institutions worldwide receiving federal funding. Research and other sponsored program activity totaled $231 million in fiscal year 2011. The university’s schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have produced approximately 28,000 graduates. The $736 million operating budget supports eight campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. For more information on the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.