DSHS-Recognized Tuberculosis Medical Consultants

Barbara J. Seaworth, M.D., F.I.S.D.A., F.A.C.P.  
Dr. Barbara Seaworth is the Medical Director for the Heartland National Tuberculosis Center of Excellence in San Antonio, Texas. Heartland is one of four CDC-sponsored centers devoted to education and medical consultation for health professionals treating patients with tuberculosis. She is board certified in Infectious Disease and Internal Medicine and is an expert in treating tuberculosis and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. She also serves as the Co-Medical Director for San Antonio Metropolitan Health District TB Clinic, Consultant for the U.S. Mexico Binational Program, is a Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the University of Texas Health Science Center, Tyler, the past president of the National Society of TB Clinicians 2014-2015 and is the Co-Chair of the Community Research Advisory Group. She is a Fellow of the Infectious Disease Society of America.

Contact Information:          
Phone: 210-531-4541
Fax: 210-531-4500
Email: Barbara.Seaworth@dshs.texas.gov
 

Lisa Y. Armitige, M.D., Ph.D.  
Dr. Lisa Armitige is a medical consultant and Assistant Medical Director at the Heartland National TB Center of Excellence in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Armitige is also an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Infectious Diseases at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Tyler.? She is a clinician and Co-Director of Clinical Services at the San Antonio Metro Health District in San Antonio where she cares for adult and pediatric TB patients. Dr. Armitige completed a combined residency in internal medicine and pediatrics and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at UT-Houston, serving on the faculty there for five years and currently as an Adjunct Assistant Professor.

Contact Information
Phone: 210-531-4548
Fax: 210-531-4500
Email: lisa.armitige@dshs.texas.gov 
 

Texas Children's Hospital

Jeffrey R. Starke, M.D.  
Dr. Starke is an internationally recognized expert in the management of childhood tuberculosis and mycobacteria infections. He has served as the Director of the Children’s Tuberculosis Clinic for almost 30 years. He has participated in the writing of numerous clinical guidelines for the City of Houston, the State of Texas, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Thoracic Society, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, and the World Health Organization. He has conducted and published research studies on various aspects of the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of childhood tuberculosis, and has delivered his findings in hundreds of regional, national, and international talks, as well as over 150 papers and 40 book chapters. He was one of the editors of the "Handbook of Child & Adolescent Tuberculosis", the first comprehensive book on the subject published in the last 50 years. He also attends the infectious disease service at Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) and has served as the TCH Infection Control Officer for over 20 years. Dr. Starke is also active in medical education and has won several department and college-wide teaching awards.

Contact Information:
Phone: 832-824-4330
Fax: 832-825-4347
Email:  jrstarke@texaschildrens.org
 

Andrea T. Cruz, M.D., M.P.H.
Dr. Cruz is an internationally recognized expert in childhood tuberculosis. She received her A.B. in biochemistry from Harvard University and her medical degree from the Vanderbilt School of Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency and fellowships in pediatric infectious diseases and pediatric emergency medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. She also has an M.P.H. in epidemiology with a focus on global health from the University of Texas. She is an associate professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Cruz has been the director of the Children’s Tuberculosis Clinic at Texas Children’s Hospital for the last 10 years. She serves as a consultant for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. She has over 50 publications on tuberculosis and almost 30 book chapters on mycobacterial infections. She provides consultative services for Heartland and cares for children with tuberculosis at the Texas Children’s Hospital TB Clinic in Houston.

Contact Information: 
Phone: 832-824-5582
Fax: 832-825-1182
Email: acruz@bcm.edu