Blanck to Speak at Ibarra Lecture

Ronald R. Blanck, D.O., president of The University of North Texas Health Science Center, will present “Evolutions of Medical Care: Technology vs. Public Health” on December 10, 2004, for the 11th annual Jesse D. Ibarra, Jr., M.D., Lectureship in International Health. Dr. Blanck’s presentation will start at 9:30 a.m. in Classroom A at the University Park Plaza in College Station. The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health (SRPH) and Scott & White are co-sponsoring the Ibarra Lectureship in International Health.
Dr. Blanck, in his role as president, oversees the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and School of Public Health, with more than 190 full-time faculty and 300 volunteer community physicians working with close to 1,000 students. Dr. Blanck joined the UNT Health Science Center in August 2000, after his retirement from the U.S. Army.
His military career began as a medical officer and battalion surgeon in Vietnam. After 32 distinguished years of service, Dr. Blanck retired as Surgeon General of the U.S. Army and commander of the U.S. Army Medical Command, leading 46,000 military personnel and 26,000 civilian employees throughout the world.
Dr. Blanck has served in a number of academic roles and received numerous commendations for his service to the Army and to medicine. As a recognized leader in both the Army and medicine, he continues to be consulted as an advisor on bioterrorism issues and an expert in preparing the medical community to respond to mass casualty incidents or those involving weapons of mass destruction.
In 1993, the Scott & White Clinic Board established the Jesse D. Ibarra, Jr., M.D., Lectureship in International Health to honor the half-century of contributions made by Dr. Ibarra, who retired from Scott & White after 43 years. The lectureship was funded by gifts from the many friends and former patients of Dr. Ibarra, who was an internist-endocrinologist.
As chairman of the Scott & White Special Projects Committee, Dr. Ibarra initiated the establishment of the original health maintenance organization (HMO) in the late 1970’s, which became known as the Scott & White Health Plan in 1982. Dr. Ibarra served as president of the Scott & White Health Plan Board of Directors from 1984 to 1989, and currently serves as Governor on that board.
The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center provides the state with health education, outreach and research. Its five components located in communities throughout Texas are Baylor College of Dentistry, the College of Medicine, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the Institute of Biosciences and Technology and the School of Rural Public Health.