UT Health Northeast’s Lakey Receives Distinguished Service Award

AUSTIN — A University of Texas System health care leader, who recently returned to Tyler, received the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ (ACOG) Distinguished Service Award Wednesday for his leadership in improving birth outcomes in Texas. According to a UT System news release, David Lakey, M.D., associate vice chancellor for population health, was honored by ACOG at its annual meeting this week in San Francisco. Lakey, the former Texas health commissioner who joined the UT System this year, holds a dual role as the senior vice president for population health at UT Health Northeast in Tyler. Officials say the award is presented to outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to ACOG in the fields of obstetrics and gynecology, government, research, teaching or direct patient care.

“I am honored and humbled to receive this award from such a renowned organization,” Lakey said. “In order to achieve the kinds of improvements in birth outcomes that have occurred in Texas, one needs broad engagement of many individuals and organizations.”

UT System Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., said Lakey has a keen ability to bring people together to work in collaboration. “This award comes from a national medical organization, so it signifies the high regard in which Dr. Lakey and his efforts are held by leaders across the country, and it’s an award that is rarely given to someone outside of the field of obstetrics and gynecology,” Greenberg said. “Dr. Lakey would be the first to give credit to others, but without his leadership and vision, none of this would have been possible. All Texans can take pride in this achievement as we redouble our efforts to improve the health of our communities.”

Lakey was appointed commissioner for the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) in 2007 and was responsible for one of the state’s largest agencies with a staff of 12,000 and an annual budget of $3.3 billion. Prior to being appointed state health commissioner, Lakey spent eight years as a faculty member at UT Health Northeast. He served as its chief of Infectious Disease and medical director of its Center for Pulmonary and Infectious Disease Control and the Public Health Laboratory of East Texas.