Mega Doctor News –
Mayor Chris Boswell handed the Key to the City of Harlingen to Dr. Kenneth I. Shine, M.D., and proclaimed Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014, as “Dr. Kenneth I. Shine Day” in recognition of the doctor’s long and nationally recognized career in healthcare and, in particular, his leadership in development of the medical school in the Rio Grande Valley.
“Dr. Shine has been an unsung hero with his unwavering dedication to help lead efforts to have our community and medical students benefit from creation of the new University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine,” Boswell said. “His input and guidance – often provided behind the scenes to humbly keep him out of the spotlight – to establish residency programs and the infrastructure necessary for the Regional Academic Health Center and the creation of the UTRGV School of Medicine has been invaluable.”
The mayor cited the doctor’s many achievements and contributions to medical care nationwide. He presented the key and proclamation to Dr. Shine at a meeting of the Task Force for Access to Healthcare held Thursday at Valley Baptist Medical Center Harlingen. Dr. Shine has been a moving force behind the work of a non-partisan group of experts, also known as the Code Red Task Force, formed in 2006 by 10 Texas academic health institutions to address health and access to medical care in the state with the highest rate of uninsured in the nation.
Dr. Shine said he gratefully accepted the honor with the understanding that he is only one of many people he has worked with at the University of Texas and locally in Harlingen and the Rio Grande Valley who together are responsible for medical progress toward establishment and accreditation of the UTRGV medical school and other local initiatives to improve research, education, technology and services to the public.
In November 2003, Dr. Shine became Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs at the University of Texas and assumed responsibility for UT’s six health institutions and medical schools. Before retiring from UT in 2013, he led the implementation of numerous programs that changed medical education at UT and medical care across Texas. He spearheaded the research and investigation resulting in the 2008 “Code Red” report that became a motivating factor in statewide reforms and projects to improve healthcare for financially disadvantaged and uninsured patients. Despite his retirement, Dr. Shine continues to work as a special adviser to the UT chancellor and oversees efforts to improve medical education through the new medical schools in Austin and the Rio Grande Valley.
After graduation from Harvard University in 1957, Dr. Shine earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1961. He completed his advanced training as a cardiologist and physiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and became an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard.
Dr. Shine moved on to the UCLA School of Medicine in 1971 and served there for more than 20 years, advancing to become Chair of the Department of Medicine and Provost and Dean of Medical Sciences. He remains a professor of medicine emeritus at UCLA. While at UCLA, he also served as President of the American Heart Association from 1985-1986 and then he became chairman of the Council of Deans of the Association of American Medical Colleges in 1991-1992. Before joining UT in 2003, Dr. Shine was a Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University and served for 10 years as President of the internationally prestigious Institute of Medicine. In that role, Dr. Shine did not hesitate to take on controversial issues and was universally recognized as a leader in important healthcare reforms. MDN
