Governor Abbott Appoints Four To Texas Physician Assistant Board

TEXAS, April 4 - April 4, 2025 | Austin, Texas | Appointment

Governor Greg Abbott appointed Lyle Grimes and Chad Moody and reappointed Rao Ali, M.D. and Sandra Longoria, D.M.Sc. to the Texas Physician Assistant Board for terms set to expire on February 1, 2031. The Board issues physician assistant licenses to qualified individuals to practice in the state of Texas.
 
Lyle Grimes of Cedar Park is the global account manager for Choice Hotel International. He is the treasurer for the Austin Chapter of the Global Business Travel Association, vice president of the Leander FFA Booster Club, and former director of the Williamson County Conservation Foundation, Reveal Resource Center, Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority, and the Leander Youth Football Association. Grimes studied Government at The University of Texas (UT) at Austin.
 
Chad Moody of Hemphill is a physician assistant at Preferred Hospital Leasing in Hemphill. He is a member of the American Academy of Physician Associates and former member of the Hemphill Independent School District Board of Trustees. Moody received a Bachelor of Science from Stephen F. Austin University and a Master of Science from Baylor College of Medicine.
 
Rao Ali, M.D. of Southlake is the founder and CEO of Premier Pain Centers, and a double board-certified pain physician. He is a member of the Texas Pain Society, American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, North American Neuromodulation Society, the Texas Medical Association and former president of the Richland County Medical Society. Ali completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York and his fellowship in Interventional Pain Medicine at Case Western Reserve University Hospital.
 
Sandra Longoria, D.M.Sc. of Harlingen is a physician assistant specializing in Internal Medicine and Geriatric Care. She is a former member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the Texas Academy of Physician Assistants. Additionally, she is a former volunteer with the American Red Cross. Longoria received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from UT Rio Grande Valley, formerly UT Brownsville, a Master of Biomedical Science from the University of North Texas Health Science Center, a Master of Physician Assistant Studies from UT Rio Grande Valley, formerly UT Pan American, and a Doctor of Medical Science from the University of Lynchburg.
 
These appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.