Keene appointed UTHSC regional dean

Gladys C. Cronfel Keene, MD, MPH, has been appointed the regional dean of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio's regional campus in Laredo, a newly created position.

"After an extensive national search, Dr. Keene was selected because of her experience, communication skills and enthusiasm, and for her expertise and intimate understanding of Laredo and South Texas," said Health Science Center President William L. Henrich, MD, MACP. "I am confident that Dr. Keene will be an outstanding leader who will advance our Laredo campus and programs to new levels of achievement in academics, clinical care, research and service."

Keene has served as executive director of the Area Health Education Center of the Mid Rio Grande Border Area of Texas since 1993. In that capacity, she has worked closely with UT Health Science Center programs to interest students in health careers, provide health professionals with resources and educate area residents about healthy living. The program has served more than 50,000 program participants over 17 years.

Her UTHSC faculty posts include clinical associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics since 2000 and clinical assistant professor in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies since 2005. She has been chair of the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Committee on Health Issues since 2007.

Keene is a bilingual diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics, the American Board of Allergy-Immunology Conjoint, and the American Board of Internal Medicine. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

Keene has more than 35 years of experience providing care to patients with allergy and asthma disorders in Laredo and the surrounding communities. She and her husband, Roger H. Keene, MD, who also is a bilingual board-certified diplomate of the American Board of Otolaryngology, have practiced together in Laredo since 1975. Before entering private practice, Keene was a physician with the 97th General Army Hospital in Darmstadt, Germany; in the Maternity and Infant Care Division Clinic with the Harris County Health Department in Houston; and with the Gateway Community Health Center in Laredo.

Keene earned her Bachelor of Arts in Biology with honors from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio in 1960, her Medical Doctor degree with honors from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) in 1965 and her Master of Public Health degree in community medicine from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in 1994. She completed an internship at Robert B. Green Hospital in San Antonio in 1966, a pediatric residency at UTMB in Galveston in 1974 and a fellowship in child development and allergy at UTMB in 1975.

Keene is an accomplished researcher of respiratory diseases and has published and presented her findings in asthma education and management. She is active in numerous community service, education and health-related programs and has been honored by Laredo Community College, the Laredo City Council and Our Lady of the Lake University.

Keene and her husband have one son, Mark Alan Keene, JD.