Houston Daily

Governor Greg Abbott has announced appointments to the Texas Physician Assistant Board. Lyle Grimes and Chad Moody have been appointed, while Rao Ali, M.D., and Sandra Longoria, D.M.Sc., have been reappointed. The appointed members will serve on the Board with terms ending on February 1, 2031. The Board's role involves issuing licenses to practicing physician assistants in Texas.

Lyle Grimes, based in Cedar Park, serves as the global account manager for Choice Hotel International. His active participation in various organizations includes being the treasurer for the Austin Chapter of the Global Business Travel Association and vice president of the Leander FFA Booster Club. Grimes also previously directed multiple local foundations. He studied Government at The University of Texas at Austin.

Chad Moody from Hemphill is employed as a physician assistant at Preferred Hospital Leasing. He is associated with the American Academy of Physician Associates and formerly served on the Hemphill Independent School District Board of Trustees. Moody holds a Bachelor of Science from Stephen F. Austin University and a Master of Science from Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Rao Ali, from Southlake, is the founder and CEO of Premier Pain Centers and is a double board-certified pain physician. Dr. Ali's professional affiliations include the Texas Pain Society among others, and he is a former president of the Richland County Medical Society. His training includes a residency at Montefiore Medical Center in New York and a fellowship at Case Western Reserve University Hospital.

Sandra Longoria from Harlingen specializes in Internal Medicine and Geriatric Care as a physician assistant. Her previous roles include membership in the American Academy of Physician Assistants and volunteering with the American Red Cross. Longoria's academic background spans institutions such as UT Rio Grande Valley and the University of North Texas Health Science Center.

These positions require confirmation by the Senate.