2025 Summary of Impact & Initiative December 17, 2025

In 2025, Texas PSR significantly expanded its reach, deepened its expertise, and amplified its voice — standing firmly at the intersection of climate, environmental justice, and public health. In a year marked by record heat, severe flooding, and rising concern around toxic exposures and nuclear risk, Texas PSR mobilized clinicians, students, and community members to turn data into action, and advocacy into change.

Education & Clinical Empowerment

Texas PSR delivered one of its boldest years of environmental health education for clinicians, trainees, and advocates. Through a robust lineup of free, CME-accredited webinars, hundreds of health-care professionals gained critical knowledge and skills:

• From PFAS to Plastics, Heat to Reproduction: Our webinars — Unveiling Forever Chemicals, Plastic Paradox, Heat & Kidney Health, Climate Change and Child Health, and more — translated cutting-edge science into clinical urgency.
• Beyond the Lectures: Texas PSR promoted national-level climate-communications training and the acclaimed Climate Health Storytelling program — helping clinicians craft authentic, effective messages for patients, communities, and lawmakers.
• Accessibility & Reach: By releasing the full webinar series on YouTube, we significantly expanded public access to environmental health education far beyond our immediate membership.

Policy Leadership & Advocacy Wins

In a year when environmental and climate threats loomed large, Texas PSR stepped up as a trusted voice for health, equity, and science-based policy. Key highlights:

• Launch of a statewide Environmental Health Committee (EHC) — uniting health professionals, public health experts, students, and community advocates to coordinate rapid-response work, legislative testimony, and strategic media outreach.
• Heat Safety & Worker Protection: Texas PSR spearheaded a health-professional sign-on letter supporting a proposed Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Heat Injury & Illness Prevention Rule — mobilizing clinicians to testify at federal hearings.
• PFAS Accountability: We supported state PFAS research legislation, HB 1730 by Representative Penny Morales Shaw — with impactful testimony from a medical student — to shed light on “forever chemicals” contaminating Texas communities.
• Defending Clean Air & Toxics Rules: Through data-driven advocacy, we helped defend the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards and issued formal comments opposing repeal of the EPA Endangerment Finding that underpins U.S. climate regulations.
• Public Awareness & Climate Resilience: Through statements, media engagement, and community outreach, we raised awareness about the health impacts of extreme heat, flooding, PFAS, oilfield wastewater, plastics, and air toxics — and promoted sustainable clinic practices through My Green Doctor.

Building the Next Generation of Leaders

Texas PSR’s student chapters — across six Texas medical schools — thrived in 2025. We supported and championed a remarkable range of training and education, original research, community engagement, and advocacy:

• Student-led studies on heat-illness risk, cooling access, airborne microplastics, and environmental justice health-fair effectiveness.
• Powerful PFAS testimony delivered to the Texas Legislature by a student member.
• Completion of a 12-session environmental health elective at Dell Medical School, equipping future physicians with the tools to address climate and toxic exposures in their clinical practice.

These efforts are building a generation of clinician advocates ready to integrate environmental health into everyday medical care.

Community Outreach, Health Fairs & Grassroots Engagement

Texas PSR expanded its on-the-ground community presence, bringing environmental-health education to neighborhoods across Texas including community events ranging from Earth Day in San Antonio to a health-fair in Dallas, offering screenings, heat-safety resources, clean-energy tools, and climate literacy content.

Nuclear Risk & Peace Advocacy — Maintaining a Dual Focus

True to its origins, Texas PSR maintained its commitment to peace and public health — intensifying engagement around nuclear risk and disarmament:

• Through the coalition TxPSR helped found, Texans Ending Nuclear Dangers (TEND), we continued to educate clinicians, community members, and policymakers on the catastrophic health risks posed by nuclear weapons.
• Supported the national Back from the Brink campaign, organized remembrance events honoring survivors of Hiroshima & Nagasaki, and mobilized health-care professionals to call for divestment from nuclear escalation and reinvestment in community well-being.

Organizational Growth & Strengthened Leadership

2025 marked a major expansion of Texas PSR’s leadership team — both in depth of expertise and breadth of generational energy:

Public Health & Environmental Science Leaders:

• Dr. Juan Aguilera, MD, PhD, MPH — environmental-epidemiology and air-pollution research.
• Dr. Blythe Mansfield, MD, MPH — occupational & environmental medicine specialist.
• Dr. Ronda McCarthy, MD, MPH — public health and preparedness expert.
• Dr. Anabel Rodriguez, PhD — environmental justice scholar focused on structural inequities in health.
• Dr. Rose Jones, PhD — medical-anthropology leader in bridging health systems, community resilience, and equity-centered research.

Emerging Leaders — Medical Student Board Members:

• Elizabeth “Libby” Banks — championing environmental health education in medical training.
• Grace Andres — gave compelling PFAS testimony before the Texas Legislature, elevating community exposure issues.
• Vineet Krishna Paidisetty — advancing research and advocacy at the intersection of climate, justice, and clinical care.

This dynamic and diverse board brings both seasoned expertise and forward-looking energy, positioning Texas PSR for even greater impact.

Looking Ahead: 2026 and Beyond

With this strengthened foundation of education, advocacy, community outreach, and leadership, Texas PSR is poised to take on even more ambitious challenges — from advancing toxics regulation and climate resilience to amplifying health equity and nuclear disarmament. Together, we continue building a healthier, safer, and more just future for all Texans.