Dr. Ann Barnes, Chief Medical Officer – A Physician Profile

Welcome to our acting CEO, Dr. Ann Barnes. She found her calling to serve Legacy’s primary patient population – the underserved – growing up and going to church in Houston’s Fifth Ward. Her upbringing is also the basis for her governing philosophy, what she coins the Medical Golden Rule: care for others as you wish to be cared for.

The exam-room experiences of the 170 medical providers Barnes oversees as chief confirm the startling statistics that obesity – and related conditions like diabetes and depression – is the number one health problem today. The solution, Barnes says, is for medical institutions to expand their singular focus
beyond the exam room to environmental factors, like access to affordable, healthy food and exercise facilities.

“Your daily grind, my daily grind, has a direct impact on our health,” says Barnes. “My hope is more providers get into the business of influencing social determinants of health like Legacy is. That’s the only way we will see a truly healthier Houston.”