Dr. Esteban López, MD, MBA, is an accomplished healthcare leader and physician with a remarkable trajectory in both clinical and technological realms of healthcare. Formerly serving as the Chief Medical Officer and Southwest Texas Market President for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX), Dr. López played a pivotal role in enhancing healthcare delivery and improving the well-being of over five million members. His tenure at BCBSTX was distinguished by his innovative approaches to public health and his strategic leadership in Texas Government Programs. Dr. López's extensive experience in healthcare spans over two decades, during which he has significantly contributed to integrating technology in healthcare to enhance quality and access.
Dr. López has held influential roles at Google Cloud and Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), where he leveraged his expertise to improve access to quality healthcare through technology. His skills in this domain are further accredited by his certification in leading digital transformation in healthcare from Harvard Medical School. Dr. López is passionate about employing artificial intelligence to transform healthcare, aiming to make it more accessible and equitable. His commitment to this cause is evident in his work with policymakers and healthcare providers, striving to build a more inclusive and affordable healthcare system.
Dr. López is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, and his medical practice is complemented by his technological acumen. He plays an active role on the board of directors at Axonics and Addus HomeCare, contributing to enhancing home care services. As the founder of Hopscotch Health, a digital health platform, he focuses on bridging gaps between patients and healthcare providers. As a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. López advocates for ethical medical practices and good corporate governance. Dr. Esteban López's extensive experience and passion for blending medical expertise with technological innovation mark him as a visionary leader in healthcare, dedicated to advancing health outcomes and accessibility for diverse populations.
María E. Fernández, PhD
Dr. María Fernández is the Vice President of Population Health and Implementation Science at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) and the founding Co-Director of the UTHealth Houston Institute for Implementation Science. Dr. Fernández is also the Lorne Bain Distinguished Professor of Public Health and Medicine, Professor of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, and Director of the UTHealth Houston Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research (CHPPR) at the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. As a researcher and a leader, Dr. Fernández has spent her career conducting participatory community-engaged research and practice to develop, evaluate, implement, and disseminate interventions to improve health and health equity. Her research focuses on cancer and chronic disease prevention and control among underserved populations in the U.S. and globally. Dr. Fernández is an expert in dissemination and implementation (D&I) research, having served as a member of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health Study Section and as faculty for several national and international D&I training programs. Dr. Fernández has an extensive portfolio of global, federal, and state-funded research developing and improving evidence-based interventions and guidelines for the prevention and control of cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in clinical and public health settings. Dr. Fernández has over 200 peer-reviewed publications and has co-authored several books, including the 4th edition of Planning Health Promotion Programs: An Intervention Mapping Approach (2016) and the Handbook of Community-based Participatory Research (2017). Her awards include the Association for Schools and Programs of Public Health Research Excellence Award and the UTHealth President's Scholar Award for Research Excellence.