Kimberly Adu-Gyamfi, MD

Dr. Adu-Gyamfi is a PGY-3 Emergency Medicine resident at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, with an anticipated graduation in 2026. She has been an active member of ACEP and EMRA for four years and is deeply engaged in organized medicine and advocacy. Her leadership experience includes serving as National Chair of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) Health Policy and Legislative Affairs Committee and as a member of the SNMA National Board of Directors, in addition to prior roles as Co-Vice President of her medical school SNMA chapter and President of White Coats for Black Lives.

Dr. Adu-Gyamfi is also a member of multiple professional organizations, including the American Medical Association, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association, and Gold Humanism Honor Society. Her professional interests include health equity, healthcare access for underserved populations, and advancing patient care beyond the bedside through policy and advocacy. Through the TLAF program, she aims to further develop her leadership and advocacy skills to drive meaningful improvements in healthcare access and quality across diverse patient populations.

Steven Arze, MD, FACEP

Dr. Arze is an emergency physician based in Rockwall, Texas, practicing in a community/academic hybrid setting with Integrative Emergency Services at John Peter Smith. He completed his Emergency Medicine residency at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2003. Dr. Arze has held numerous leadership roles across clinical operations and hospital administration, including Executive Vice President of Clinical Operations and Transitional Care Services and Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs at Baylor Medical Center at Garland. His prior involvement with the Texas College of Emergency Physicians includes serving as Chair of the EMS Committee and participating in the Governor’s EMS & Trauma Advisory Council.

Dr. Arze's professional interests include geriatric emergency care, palliative and end-of-life care, and improving patient-centered outcomes through system-level innovation. Through the TLAF program, he seeks to expand his impact on emergency medicine across Texas by strengthening his engagement in health policy and legislative advocacy.

Niva Bamback, DO

Srinivas Banala, MD

Dr. Banala is an emergency physician practicing in South Texas at Valley Baptist Medical Center locations in Brownsville, Harlingen, and Weslaco. He completed his Emergency Medicine residency at Baylor College of Medicine in 2020 and is board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine. He has additional specialized training through a fellowship in oncologic emergency medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Dr. Banala brings extensive international clinical experience, having worked in emergency departments across the United Kingdom, Australia, and India prior to practicing in the United States. His academic contributions include multiple peer-reviewed publications and research focused on oncologic emergencies, thromboembolic disease, and emergency care systems. His professional interests include complex emergency care, oncology-related emergencies, and improving quality and transitions of care. Through the TLAF program, he aims to further develop his leadership and advocacy skills to enhance healthcare delivery and patient outcomes across Texas.

Tomas Hernandez, MD

Dr. Hernandez is an Emergency Medicine resident at UTHealth in Houston, with an anticipated graduation in 2026. He practices in an academic setting at Memorial Hermann and has been a member of ACEP and EMRA for three years. During residency, Dr. Hernandez has served as Vice Chair for Administration, leading initiatives focused on emergency department policy review, reducing unnecessary testing, and improving operational efficiency through multidisciplinary collaboration. He has also contributed to medical education and mentorship as a Student Ambassador at McGovern Medical School and as a mentor to pre-medical students.

Dr. Hernandez's professional interests include healthcare operations, systems-based practice, and the impact of policy and organizational structure on patient care. Through the TLAF program, he aims to further develop his advocacy skills to address system-level challenges and improve care delivery and physician practice environments across Texas.

Harold Jimenez, MD, FACEP

Dr. Jimenez is an emergency physician based in Frisco, Texas, practicing in a community hospital setting with Baylor Scott & White and Integrative Emergency Services. He completed his Emergency Medicine residency at UT Southwestern/Parkland in 2013 and has been an active member of ACEP and EMRA for 15 years. Dr. Jimenez holds multiple leadership roles, including Site Medical Director for USPI/Baylor Scott & White Surgical Hospitals in Fort Worth and Las Colinas, and has served on several hospital committees focused on quality, credentialing, and clinical operations.

Dr. Jimenez's professional interests include healthcare access, cost of care, and improving physician practice environments through leadership and advocacy. Through the TLAF program, he seeks to expand his impact as a physician leader, leveraging his clinical and business training—including ongoing MBA studies—to advocate for meaningful improvements in healthcare delivery and physician representation.

Aaron Oates, MD

Dr. Aaron Oates is an Emergency Medicine physician based in Houston, Texas, who completed his residency at Baylor College of Medicine in 2025. He has been a member of ACEP and EMRA for three years and is actively engaged in service and advocacy initiatives. Dr. Oates has participated in global health efforts through the Jamaica Awareness Association of California, providing medical support to underserved communities, and has held leadership roles in academic and service organizations, including as a founding member and treasurer of the International Affairs Society at Howard University. He is also a member of the American Medical Association.

Dr. Oates's professional interests include healthcare equity, global health, and addressing systemic challenges in emergency medicine such as access to care, staffing, and resource limitations. Through the TLAF program, he seeks to expand his advocacy efforts to raise awareness of these issues and contribute to meaningful, system-level improvements in patient care.

Austin Zimmerman, DO

Dr. Zimmerman is an Emergency Medicine resident at CHRISTUS Health–Texas A&M University Dr. Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine, with an anticipated graduation in 2027. He practices at Christus Spohn in Corpus Christi and has been an active member of ACEP and EMRA for four years. Dr. Zimmerman has demonstrated early leadership through his role as President of the Emergency Medicine Interest Group and maintains active involvement in organized medicine through memberships in the Texas Medical Association, American Medical Association, American Osteopathic Association, and several local and regional medical societies.

Dr. Zimmerman's professional interests include healthcare policy, physician advocacy, and strengthening the role and sustainability of emergency physicians in evolving healthcare systems. Through the TLAF program, he aims to build the skills and strategic knowledge necessary to advocate for his colleagues and advance the practice of emergency medicine across Texas.