Internal Medicine
General Internal Medicine
Roger D. Smalligan, M.D., MPH, FACP, FAAP
Regional Chair
Roger D. Smalligan, MD, MPH, FACP, FAAP, joined the faculty as the Regional Chair of the Internal Medicine Department at Amarillo in 2009. He graduated from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and then completed an Internal Medicine and Pediatrics residency at Vanderbilt University. He then pursued an MPH at Johns Hopkins and later served for 9 years in Ecuador as the medical director of a jungle-based mission/teaching hospital prior to returning to academic medicine in the United States in 2004. At East Tennessee State University Dr. Smalligan was a clinician-educator in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and was later named the Division Chief of General Internal Medicine. In addition to publishing numerous abstracts and articles, Dr. Smalligan has won teaching awards and enjoys mentoring medical students and residents. Outside of the hospital you will find him spending time with his wife and four children as well as running, playing basketball, and participating in church activities.
Bharat Khandheria, M.D., FACP
Associate Program Director
Bharat Khandheria, M.D., FACP, joined the Texas Tech School of Medicine at Amarillo faculty in 1993 after completing his residency here in Internal Medicine. He received his undergraduate and medical education in India at Bhowanipore Education Society College and North Bengal Medical College, respectively. He completed a one-year internship in Internal Medicine at Mount Carmel Mercy Hospital in Detroit, Michigan before entering the Texas Tech-Amarillo residency program, where he was recognized by the faculty of the Department of Internal Medicine as "Outstanding Resident for 1991-1992". Currently Dr. Khandheria is an Associate Professor, the Associate Program Director for Internal Medicine. and leader of Adolescent Medicine efforts within the Department of Pediatrics.
Dr. Khandheria is board-certified in Internal Medicine and possesses a Certificate of Added Qualification in Adolescent Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. He has several peer-reviewed publications and a book chapter to his credit.
Karen Cutts, M.D.
Karen Joyce Cutts, M.D., joined the Texas Tech School of Medicine at Amarillo faculty in 1986 as an Internal Medicine resident and joined the faculty in the Department of Internal Medicine in 1989. She is currently an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine.
Cutts received a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Colorado School of Nursing in 1979. From 1979 to 1985, Dr. Cutts served as a registered nurse in the medium-risk nursery at University Hospital, Denver. In 1986, she received her M.D. degree from the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Cutts then came to Amarillo where she completed her specialty training in Internal Medicine.
Dr. Cutts is active in the Amarillo community. She is currently a member of the Junior League of Amarillo, a board member of Planned Parenthood of Amarillo, and a member of the Association of American University Women. She has had memberships in other area organizations such as the Amarillo Professional Network and African-American Women Association.
She is a past advisory board member of Sunshine Health Services and Outreach Health Services, a past participant in the United Citizen's Forum "Stay in School" program, and a past participant in Team Amarillo.
Robert S. Urban, M.D., FACP
Vice Chair
Student Clerkship Director
Endowed Professorship In Internal Medicine
Robert S. Urban, M.D., FACP, joined the fulltime faculty of TTUHSC-Amarillo as Associate Professor in July 2000, although his academic relationship with the department dates back to 1989. He served as Internal Medicine Residency Program Director until June 2003. In 2004 he became the Internal Medicine Student Clerkship Director. Dr. Urban has earned numerous teaching awards from residents and students. In 2007 he received the Presidents' Excellence in Teaching Award. He has been President of the Faculty Council.
Dr. Urban earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and graduated summa cum laude from Texas Christian University in 1973. He then received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine, graduating magma cum laude, in 1978. This was followed by Internal Medicine residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, where he was chief resident, and board certification in Internal Medicine in 1981. Dr. Urban returned to the Panhandle to enter the private practice of general Internal Medicine in Amarillo.
Dr. Urban has been an executive committee member of the following civic organizations: The Amarillo Area Foundation, the Don & Sybil Harrington Cancer Center and the Coffee Memorial Blood Center. He is also a member of several professional organizations including the Potter-Randall County Medical Society, the Texas Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, Alpha Omega Alpha, and Phi Beta Kappa.
Brian Weis, M.D., Ph.D., FACP
Program Director
Dr. Brian Weis joined the Texas Tech School of Medicine at Amarillo Internal Medicine faculty in January of 2005 as an Associate Professor, coming over from the University of Texas Southwestern. His well-rounded background includes the Bachelor of Arts in Theology, Summa Cum Laude, from Georgetown University, followed by his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and medical degree from UT-Southwestern. His Internal Medicine residency was then accomplished at that institution, after which he remained there as Senior Research Associate and clinician faculty member.
Dr. Weis is a board-certified general internist with special expertise and publications in metabolism and diabetes. He performs the full range of clinical and teaching duties and became Program Director in November, 2006. In 2007 he received the Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching. Dr. Weis is Chairperson of the Texas Tech Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Chief of Medicine at Northwest Texas Hospital where he won "Physician of the Year" for 2009! Outside of medicine he might be found involved in various musical activities, including playing the guitar and drums.
James "Whit" Walker, M.D.
Dr. James “Whit” Walker grew up in Amarillo and graduated from Amarillo High School. He then attended Texas A&M undergraduate, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, then University of Alabama at Birmingham for Residency in Internal Medicine. He has worked in Amarillo since 1993 including time at the J. O. Wyatt clinic in indigent care and the Jan Werner Adult Day Care (PACE program) for the elderly where he has consistently received high marks from medical students for teaching. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Palliative Care. He has served on the board of Directors of CareNet Crisis Pregnancy Center and Panhandle Aquatics. In his spare time he serves as the swim coach at San Jacinto Christian Academy, where his four children have attended, and two have graduated. He has travelled to several developing countries on short term medical missions trips.
Todd Bell, M.D.
Dr. Todd Bell is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. He received his Bachelors of Science degrees from Oklahoma State University in 1997 and his MD degree from the University of Arkansas School of Medicine in 2001. Dr Bell completed his combined residency training in internal medicine and pediatrics at Duke University Medicinal Center in 2005, then stayed on as chief resident for an additional six months before joining Texas Tech in 2006. Dr. Bell was recognized with the 2004 "Golden Apple Teaching Award" for the best resident teacher at Duke University Medical Center. At the University of Arkansas he was awarded the Tom Dugan Award for Outstanding Senior in Pediatrics.
Dr. Bell is board certified in internal medicine and pediatrics. He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the Society of Hospital Medicine, the Infectious Disease Society of America and the International Society for Influenza and Respiratory Viruses. Dr. Bell has a special interest in MRSA epidemiology, influenza, community health, inpatient care and resident and medical student education.
He became the Local Health Authority for the Amarillo-Bi-City-County Health District in January of 2009. Dr. Bell also serves as the Director of the West Texas Influenza Center.
Dermatology
Jack Waller, M.D.
Dr. Jack Waller grew up in the Texas Panhandle where he attended Sunray public schools. He attended The University of Texas at Austin and then continued on to medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Dr. Waller trained in dermatology at the Brooke Army Medical Center at Ft. Sam Houston, TX. Dr. Waller returned to Amarillo and started his dermatology practice in 1975. Dr. Waller holds patents on an innovative Cryosurgical Spraying Apparatus and Moisture collecting Chamber. He has served as President of the Potter-Randall Medical Society and has served on the Board of Directors for the American College of Cryosurgery.
Dr. Waller is currently an Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and actively teaches medical students and residents at the Amarillo campus. Dr. Waller travels with several medical mission teams each year to underserved areas and is the Chief Flight Surgeon for the Honor Flight operated by America Supports You, Amarillo, Texas chapter.
Hospitalist Medicine
Rahul Chandra, M.D.
Dr. Rahul Chandra obtained his MBBS from the University College of Medicine Sciences of Delhi, where he was first in pathology and first in biochemistry. He did an internship and residency at Weill Medical College of Cornell University and joined us in 2007 as an Assistant Professor.
Dr. Chandra's research interest involve ventilaroy management. He submitted posters about extubation failure rates and unplanned extubations at the 2006 and 2007 American Thoracic Society meetings. He previously volunteered with the World Health Organiztion Pilot Program for Polio eradication. He is fluent in English, Hindi, and Spanish.
Matt Chua, M.D.
Matt Chua, M.D., joined the faculty of Texas Tech School of Medicine at Amarillo in 2009 as Assistant Professor. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy and MD degree from University of Santo Tomas, Philippines. He finished his internship and residency at Mount Sinai School of Medicine - Jersey City Program in New Jersey, staying an extra year as chief resident and junior teaching attending. During his residency he received several awards for his exceptional leadership and scholastic activities including the Best Teaching Resident in his senior year. He also presented numerous abstracts and posters to different societies and colleges accumulating more than 20 during his training. Dr. Chua is board certified in Internal Medicine and is currently the director of Resident's Scholastic Activities and adviser to our Jeopardy Team. Dr. Chua serves as a member of West Texas Influenza Center research group.
Cardiology
Walter Allison, M.D.
Dr. Walter Allison received his undergraduate degree from Union University and his M.D. degree from the University of Tennessee, where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He did an internship and residency at the University of Tennessee and a cardiology fellowship at St. Paul Hospital in Dallas.
Dr. Allison was in private medical practice and has served as the VA staff cardiologist since 1972. He has served as Chief of Cardiology, Chief of Medical Staff, Medical Director of the Coronary Care Unit and Medical Director of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, all at Baptist St. Anthony's Hospital in Amarillo.
In 2006 Dr. Allison joined as an Associate Professor and divides his time between the medical school and the Amarillo VA Medical Center. He runs the cardiology service at Northwest Texas Hospital and the VA.
Critical Care/Pulmonary
Kishore Yalamanchili, M.D.
Division Chief of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medcine
Kishore Yalamanchili, M.D. added Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine expertise with his addition to the Texas Tech School of Medicine at Amarillo Internal Medicine faculty in July 2005. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Diseases, and Critical Care Medicine.
Dr. Yalamanchili grew up in the Houston, Texas area and received his Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry, Magna Cum Laude, from Houston Baptist University. He achieved his medical degree at the University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio, followed by an Internal Medicine residency at UTMB-Galveston and most recently, his Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship at Louisiana State University Health Science Center- New Orleans.
Dr. Yalamanchili brings the latest in Pulmonology to our ICU and consultative services. His wife, Chandana, recently completed her Texas Tech Internal Medicine residency and now serves as a hospitalist at Northwest Texas Hospital.
Endocrinology
Harold Werner, M.D., FACE
Harold Werner, M.D., FACE, joined the faculty at Texas Tech Amarillo in 1992. He is currently Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, and Associate Professor in the Texas Tech School of Pharmacy. Prior to coming to Texas Tech, Werner was director of the Diabetes Center at the Ozarks Medical Center, West Plains, Missouri.
Dr. Werner has a Master of Arts in Biochemistry from the University of South Dakota and his medical degree from Northwestern University in Chicago, followed there by internship, residency in Internal Medicine, and an Endocrine fellowship. He completed research fellowships at Washington University Medical School in St. Louis and McGill University Medical in Montreal.
Dr. Werner is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in the specialties of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology - Metabolism, and Geriatrics. He is a Fellow of the American College of Endocrinology and a charter member of the Texas Tech Teaching Academy. Dr. Werner holds memberships in the Potter-Randall County Medical Society, Texas Medical Association, and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. He has numerous publications to his credit. His latest book, Werner's Office Diagnosis, is an original approach to that subject. Dr. Werner was awarded the Presidents' Excellence in Teaching Award in 1995.
Outside Texas Tech, Dr. Werner has served on the boards of the Amarillo International Club, Amarillo Heart Association and the Amarillo Symphony.
Geriatrics
Stephanie C. McClure, M.D., FACP
Mirick-Myers Endowed Chair in Geriatric Medicine
Division Chief of Geriatrics
Stephanie C. McClure, M.D., FACP, came to the Texas Tech School of Medicine at Amarillo in July 2005 as Professor of Internal Medicine and served as the founding Associate Regional Dean of Faculty Development for two years. She is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics.
Dr. McClure is a native of Tennessee and obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry at East Tennessee State University, followed by her medical degree at the James H. Quillen College of Medicine of ETSU. She completed her Internal Medicine residency there, with her last year as Chief Resident. She remained on the ETSU faculty, was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha, and rapidly rose to become Professor and Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
Dr. McClure's clinical activities focus on Geriatrics. She is the co-PI for the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation grant and is the Co-Program/Curriculum Director for the Geriatric Education Center subaward of the Consortium through UTHSC San Antonio granted by HRSA. In addition, she is the co-PI of the PoWERS program funded by the National Science Foundation.
She has two awesome daughters, Rashea and Briana, who enjoy reading, art, and participating in sports.
Marge Dean
CS-BC, GNP-BC, MSN, FAANP
Marge is a geriatric nurse practitioner with over 20 years of experience as a nurse practitioner/educator who is dually appointed in the Department of Internal Medicine and the School of Nursing. She provides primary care for patients ages 55 and older and has special interest and experience in the area of diagnosing and treating Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Marge is actively involved in geriatrics research projects and is the author of a number of book chapters. She enjoys teaching medical students and nurse practitioner students for Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
She also serves the community by working with Adult Protective Services, making home visits with social workers to determine the suitability of living conditions and the ability of patients for self-care.
Infectious Disease
Faisal Khasawneh, M.D.
Faisal Khasawneh, M.D., joined the faculty of Texas Tech School of Medicine at Amarillo as an Assistant Professor in 2009. He received his M.D. degree from Jordan University of Science and Technology in 1998 and then completed his Internal Medicine Residency at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI. Subsequently, he did a fellowship in Critical Care Medicine at Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University in Detroit, MI and a second fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. He is currently board certified in Internal Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, and Infectious Diseases and is serving as the Director of the Intensive Care Unit at Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo.Dr. Khasawneh has a special interest in critical care echocardiography in which he has a postgraduate diploma in Perioperative and Critical Care Echocardiography through the University of Melbourne, Australia in 2009.
Scott J. Milton, M.D.
Division Chief of Infectious Disease
Dr. Scott Milton received his Medical Degree from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. He trained in Internal Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia and finished his fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University in 1996. Prior to joining the faculty at Texas Tech Medical School in Amarillo he was in private practice for twelve years at Amarillo Diagnostic Clinic. His current interests include Influenza, community acquired MRSA and Travel Medicine.
Women's Health
Marjorie Jenkins, M.D.
Executive Director, Laura W. Bush Institute for Women's Health
Marjorie Jenkins, M.D. received her undergraduate degree in chemical engineering. After several years in the chemical industry, she attended medical school at East Tennessee State University . She then completed her residency at the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dr. Jenkins conducted an internal medicine private practice prior to pursuing a career in academics.
Dr. Jenkins earned the Special Dean's Award, OB/Gyn Award, and Janet M. Glascow Award, which is presented to a woman graduating first in her class. She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Omega Alpha honor societies.
Dr. Jenkins joined TTUHSC with a joint appointment in Internal Medicine/OB-GYN in June 2001 at the rank of Assistant Professor, promoting in 2005 to Associate Professor. Her special focus is Women's Health, including the development of our Women's Health Fellowship. Dr. Jenkins is also Executive Director of the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women's Health in Amarillo at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. In 2006 she received the Dean's Distinguished Service Award. Her current research is directed toward osteoporosis and postmenopausal hypertension.
Joanna Wilson, D.O.
Medical Director, Internal Medicine and Women's Health Clinics
Division Chief of Women's Health
Director, Women's Health Fellowship Program
Dr. Wilson came to the Texas Tech School of Medicine at Amarillo in August 2005 with a joint appointment as Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Obstetrics & Gynecology, functioning as a general internist with the full range of clinical and teaching duties, with special emphasis in Women's Health. In addition, she is the Medical Director of the Texas Tech Physician's Internal Medicine practice.
Dr. Wilson received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan and her D.O. degree from the University of North Texas (TCOM). Dr. Wilson's Internal Medicine residency, leading to board-certification, was performed at the St. Paul Hospital affiliate of UT-Southwestern. Following her residency, up to her joining our faculty, she was in private practice. Dr. Wilson specializes in Women's Health and is currently doing research on menopause. She is the coordinator of the Women's Health rotation and Fellowship and is currently the President of the Faculty Council.