Travis County commissioners appointed Ann Kitchen, who is wrapping up her term as Austin City Council's District 5 representative. Austin City Council appointed Dr. Manuel Martin, a family medicine doctor.
Kitchen is an attorney and health care consultant who has served on Austin City Council since 2015. She also serves on a number of intergovernmental committees, including the Regional Affordability Committee, the Psychiatric Services Stakeholder Committee, the Capital Metro Policy Board and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization—which coordinates regional transportation plans in Central Texas. Kitchen will replace Sherri Greenberg, Central Health board manager and previous chair.
“The opportunity to access health care is fundamental to staying healthy, holding a job and raising a family,” Kitchen said in a press release. “I am excited about helping Central Health transparently improve health care in Austin—with attention to equity and social factors that impact health, like housing and transportation.”
Previously, Martin worked in emergency medicine at Seton Medical Center and worked with the Central Texas Medical Foundation; however, this year he switched to a family practice with a focus on the Hispanic community. Martin will replace Julie Zuniga, Central Health board of managers treasurer.
Kitchen and Martin will be sworn in as board of managers members at Central Health’s Jan. 25 meeting.
