“You have some huge shoes to fill, but I think you can take the health department to the next generation,” Whitmire said.
Tran’s appointment comes after the former director, Stephen Williams, announced his retirement after 21 years of service.
Career history
Tran works as a board-certified emergency physician with more than a decade of frontline clinical experience, according to an Aug. 29 news release. She previously served as associate vice president for clinical population health and advocacy at UTHealth Houston, as well as the assistant dean at the UTHealth School of Public Health. She also served as the director of strategic initiatives for Harris Health’s multivisit patient program.
“Thank you, Mayor, for believing in my ability and giving me the opportunity to be standing here today,” Tran said. “The Houston Health Department’s strength, optimism and kindness is really what makes public health such a noble profession.”
Tran told City Council that her appointment comes at a time when scientific trust in public health infrastructure is waning, and Houston residents need a trustworthy source to turn to for “evidence-based, empathetic, community-engaged, health information and services.”
“Public health is one of the pillars of public safety,” Tran said.
