TMC PULSE

t m c » p u l s e | m a y 2 0 1 8 25 Call us today to discover how we can help address goals & issues. 713-275-5140 Learn more about our full range of services for counseling, assessments, testing, medication management and intensive treatment at MenningerClinic.com. Affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine Enrich Your Life. Improve Your Mental Health. Menninger ad for Pulse mag new size v1 4-8-18.indd 1 3/13/2018 10:18:09 AM When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, Mattox was among the medical professionals and city leaders who ran opera- tions at the Astrodome, where 25,000 evacuees from the New Orleans area had landed. Mattox leaped into action to build a clinic in the sta- dium and provide care to a traumatized popu- lation—the same way he does at Ben Taub. "During Katrina, Hillary and Bill Clinton were in Houston. I was in the same room with Nancy Pelosi, Hillary and Bill Clinton, George and Laura Bush, and Barack Obama," Mattox said. "I found myself beside Obama—he was not running for president yet. … I said, 'Thank you for coming to Houston. I'm glad you see the way we do things here. If you are looking for a cost-effective way to provide public health care, look no further than the contract and the partnership between Baylor College of Medicine, Harris County Health Department and the Houston business commu- nity. We have done it right.'" But Mattox doesn't feel like any of the politi- cians heard him, and he points to the failure of the Affordable Care Act as proof. He believes the legislation does not help patients or hospitals. Washington should have listened, he said. Mattox still shares his thoughts with politi- cians, even on Twitter. He said he has been asked by presidents on both sides of the aisle to serve on their respective staffs, but never accepted. "Nothing about a political party drives me," Mattox said. "It's about doing the right thing with the resources that we have. If I have a political philosophy, it is that our family expressions, our educational experiences, our disaster response, our churches that we go to, our health care deliv- ery is always local. Always local." An orchestra, a team Mattox and his wife evacuated their home in Meyerland last August when floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey forced them out. They raised their daughter in that house, and had to say good- bye to half a century's worth of memories. Late last year, the couple moved into a new home in Houston's Afton Oaks neighborhood. Mattox called in the family troops—his daughter and three grandchildren—to help unpack. "I made them all come down here during Christmas," Mattox said. "We had just found our replacement house after the flood from Harvey. We were living in a house that had a bed that we could sleep on and a table we could eat on. Everything else was a jungle of boxes. So I said, 'You all come down here for Christmas,' and I put them to work unpacking." Mattox also took his entire family to New York City, where they saw the musical, Hamilton, on Broadway. These days, he has more time for family trips. Although he no longer practices medicine, Mattox remains deeply involved with day-to-day life at Ben Taub and looks after Baylor's interest in the hospital. "Ken Mattox is a terrific ambassador for Baylor College of Medicine," said Paul Klotman, M.D., Baylor's president, CEO and executive dean. "Not only is he a highly skilled trauma surgeon, but he has been a steadfast leader for both Baylor and Ben Taub Hospital. His focus continues to be on assuring that patients receive the highest quality of care and that the next generation of physicians are provided outstanding educational experiences. We are fortunate to have him." (continued)

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