Page 23 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2025 - Online Magazine

EXCEPTIONAL SENIORS

in immunizations and other preventative care for kids.
I did a lot of work with early childhood intervention
programs, specifically for kids zero to three with
developmental delays or risks for developmental
delays—maybe a kid with Down syndrome, preemies,
or kids with head trauma. I worked to develop policies,
protocols, helping plug those into the systems, and also
worked with children’s mental health, genetics, and other
programs.”
Her passion for children in dangerous situations carried
over into her work there, as well. “I argued for child
abuse to be viewed as a public health problem instead of
a social services problem,” she recalled. “It’s a complex
issue, but it’s a leading cause of death in infants, and it
needs to be addressed as a public health issue as well.”
When Dr. Patterson worked in the state health
department, she noted her favorite program was
newborn screenings. Recent graduate Presley Pharies
(LCU ‘23) was diagnosed with Phenylketonuria (PKU)
during her newborn screening and, with adjustments,
When Dr. Patterson returned to West Texas, she was has led a healthy and normal life. She graduated with
quickly recognized as an expert in child abuse cases. a BA in Psychology and is currently in graduate school
for social work. Through her 12-year career there, Dr.
Patterson became the Executive Deputy Commissioner

by a caregiver or whoever can’t actually be the way it of Health, functioning as the chief executive officer of the
happened.” entire Texas DSHS. “I did a lot of legislative work and
general policy,” she recalled. “I even managed the multi-
One particular heart-wrenching case stands out in billion-dollar budget.”
her memory—one of a patient she treated who was
suffering from extreme abuse. “I took care of a little While some may see that kind of legislative work as
guy in my second year of residency. He was almost two unnecessarily bureaucratic and political, Dr. Patterson
years old, but he was the size of an eight-month-old; he emphasized how impressed she was with her colleagues
had fractures all over his body, and he was profoundly and the work they were able to do because of those
developmentally delayed,” she recalled. “We kept him leadership roles. “The people I got to work with in the
in the hospital for a couple of weeks because of the state health department could have worked anywhere,
malnutrition, and I would always go and see him. I was but they chose to work in roles to help impact the most
on call a lot, and when I was, I would just go to him and kids, especially kids with disabilities, as they could.
rock him. He was nonverbal at that point, but he would They all had this incredible passion for helping kids. In
just snuggle up to me.” To that patient, she became a working through the legislative process, we were able to
haven of safety. She recalled that she would often follow do some pretty big things—my favorite was the newborn
up with him at appointments at her clinic, and she screening program.”
learned that he had gone to live with another relative and This program, she explained, screens every baby born in
that he was in good hands. “He went to live with an aunt, the state, enabling physicians to catch a whole array of
and when he came with her to the clinic, he would hide disorders that, if found and treated early, can turn what
behind her, and I knew that he’d bonded with her.” could have been a devastating outcome for that child

After her time in residency, however, Dr. Patterson’s into a relatively normal life. “Take PKU,” Dr. Patterson
career shifted gears—she took a position at the Texas explained. “If you catch that early and adjust that child’s
Department of State Health Services (DSHS) as a diet, they’re able to live normally, even go on to college—
pediatric consultant. “I started out working with the but if not, they’ll likely be profoundly disabled. Early
WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program,” she diagnosis is everything in those outcomes.”
recalled, “and integrating that into the overall health Not only was legislation Dr. Patterson helped write
plans for women and children, and then with plugging aimed at helping with early prevention and detection,

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