Beaumont Neurosurgeon Receives AMA’s Distinguished Service Award

AMA President Dr. Lazarus, left,
presents the Distinguished Service
Award to Dr. Kubala.

HONOLULU – The American Medical Association honored former Texas Medical Association President Mark J. Kubala, MD, with the 2012 AMA Distinguished Service Award during AMA’s semi-annual conference in Hawaii. “His passion for neurosurgery and the care of his patients is boundless, and his generosity of spirit is demonstrated by the many hours he spends volunteering his time and energy to his professional and community endeavors,” AMA President Jeremy Lazarus, MD, said of Dr. Kubala.

Since his days as a medical student, Dr. Kubala, a neurosurgeon from Beaumont, has been active in organized medicine to improve access and quality care for Texas patients.

The AMA Distinguished Service Award, established in 1938, is presented for “meritorious service in the science and art of medicine.”

“It is an honor to present Dr. Kubala with this award for outstanding commitment to his community and the practice of medicine,” said AMA Board Chair Steven J. Stack, MD. “His long-standing commitment to the practice of medicine — and to patients — is an inspiration to his fellow physicians.”

Dr. Kubala has been a practicing physician for more than 50 years, and has earned numerous awards for dedication to his patients and his profession, including TMA’s own Distinguished Service Award in 2006, the association’s highest honor. Other honors include the Julie Roger’s Distinguished Service Award from the Beaumont Health Association, and awards from the American Heart Association, The University of Texas Medical Branch, and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

Dr. Kubala was one of the founders of the TMA Foundation (TMAF), the philanthropic arm of the TMA, serving as its first and fourth president, and continues to serve within the organization. It was under Dr. Kubala’s watch that TMAF launched the Hard Hats for Little Heads program, which has given out more than 130,000 bicycle helmets to Texas children.