Accreditation and Governance

The TMC Library is a private, stand-alone and not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization independent from any one university or research institution. Unique to medical and research libraries across the country, it is the only library in the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries that reports to a separate governing board and draws its funding from several non-related academic, health and research institutions.

The Library is a distinctive consortium with authority vested in a Board of Directors comprised of appointed representatives from seven governing institutions of the TMC. An additional 13 supporting organizations are non-governing members of the Library.

The Library, as a free-standing member of the TMC, operates under bylaws and operating agreements to which the Governing Institutions are parties. The Board of Directors is the Library’s governing body and appoints and empowers the Executive Director with rights and responsibilities for the operations of the Library.

In addition, the Library is required for accreditation by the accrediting bodies which oversee the teaching curriculum of the educational institutions of the TMC.

Accrediting bodies are:

• The Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME) of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Medical Association (AMA)
• The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) for nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, optometry and allied health
• The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)

Governing Organizations:

• Baylor College of Medicine
• Houston Academy of Medicine
• Texas Medical Center
• Texas Southern University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
• University of Texas Health Science Center
• University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Supporting Institutions:

• Houston Community College System
• LifeGift Organ Donation Center
• Memorial Hermann Hospital System (including TIRR)
• Prairie View A&M University College of Nursing
• Chi St. Luke’s Health – Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center
• Texas Children’s Hospital
• Texas Heart Institute

Board of Directors

• Carolyn L. Smith, PhD, Chair – Baylor College of Medicine
• Clara Fowler, MSLS, Secretary – UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
• Oscar Ballarta, MBA – UT Health Science Center at Houston
• Denise Castillo Rhodes, CPA, MBA – Texas Medical Center
• Michael Fordis, MD – Baylor College of Medicine
• Constance M. Johnson, RN, PhD, FAAN – UT Health Cizik School of Nursing
• Mary Majumder, JD, PhD – Baylor College of Medicine
• Kimberly E. Monday, MD – Houston Academy of Medicine
• Rashid Mosavin, RPh, PhD, MBA – Texas Southern University
• Sean Murphy, JD – Houston Academy of Medicine
• Philip R. Orlander, MD, FACP – UT Health Science Center at Houston
• Gordon E. Schutze, MD, FAAP – Baylor College of Medicine
• Arlo Weltge, MD, MPH, FACEP – Houston Academy of Medicine

Executive Director

• Katherine ‘Katie’ Prentice, MSIS, AHIP