UT Health San Antonio professor appointed to US long-COVID committee

Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, professor and chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio has been appointed to the U.S. Health and Human Services Advisory Committee on Long Covid.

The overview

According to a news release, Verduzco-Gutierrez is a nationally recognized leader in treating long COVID, and she directs the multidisciplinary long-COVID clinic at UT Health San Antonio, providing care for patients with persistent post-COVID symptoms.

Verduzco-Gutierrez is the only Texas representative on the 14-member committee. The committee was formed to advise the executive branch on appropriate actions and treatments for long COVID and other infection-associated chronic conditions by providing recommendations to the HHS secretary through the assistant secretary for health.

Zooming in

According to a news release, Verduzco-Gutierrez has contributed to national initiatives and clinical trials, including the National Institutes of Health RECOVER study and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality-funded projects.

Additionally, Verduzco-Gutierrez served on the committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine that produced a universal working definition of long COVID in July.

Quote of note

“It is truly an honor to be involved in this federal advisory committee on long COVID,” Verduzco-Gutierrez said. “This is an opportunity for public-facing persons to provide collective advice to the secretary of health for long COVID. It will be great to offer my perspective as a physician researcher who has been caring for persons with long COVID and other infection-associated chronic conditions.”