Through the ebbs and flows of life, Dr. Crystal Garza finds that her “why” constantly evolves, taking on new shapes from its past iterations. In the wake of the recent loss of her father, Garza began the process of sorting through old photos and pieces of life, eventually stumbling upon her original personal statement for medical school. Reading her own words from 21 years ago, she felt how her father’s determination and sense of perseverance shaped the physician and person she would become. She strives to wear many hats—mother, wife, daughter, sister, doctor, friend—and through her devotion to wearing them all with compassion and strength, she finds her stride.
Garza’s call to medicine came at a young age, in the form of a third-grade school project requiring drawing different organ systems of the human body. “I remember being fascinated by how everything worked together and immediately wanting to understand more,” she said. “Even then, I wanted to become a physician.”
After completing a degree in biology at The University of Texas Pan-American, Garza followed her calling to medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch, graduating with her MD in 2010. A South Texas native, she draws on her familiarity with the challenges communities in this region face around determinants of health. Watching her father and grandmother navigate the healthcare system inspired Garza’s patient-centered, humanistic approach to care over her 16 years in the field.
As medical director for outpatient care at WellMed in Corpus Christi, she leads over 50 clinicians and staff across 14 clinics, caring for the most vulnerable patients when illness requires a hospital stay. One of the greatest challenges facing those in the healthcare industry is ensuring continuity of care for patients as they navigate different systems on their way to wellness. For Garza, too often being a patient in the hospital system can boil down to the details of a chart, while the key to getting and staying healthy lies in empowering patients to be active, educated partners in their own care.
“Many of the patients we care for are older adults who have spent their lives working, raising families and contributing to their communities,” she said of working in the Coastal Bend. “They come to us with their medical conditions, but they are humans facing financial concerns, transportation barriers, caregiver challenges, loneliness and limited resources. That has profoundly influenced the way I think and care for my patients. I always try to connect it to the people behind the chart, behind the diagnosis, behind the metric.”
While the pressure to perform weighs heavily when lives are at stake, the focus on providing quality, compassionate care grounds Garza’s practice both as a physician and as a team leader. “There have been many times throughout my career when I have stepped into spaces that required me to grow,” she said of learning the balance in becoming a physician and moving into healthcare leadership. “I don’t think courage means you never question yourself; I think it means deciding to do something meaningful outweighs the fear that you may not be ready.”
In addition to the full-time duties of leading a clinic collective and still practicing bedside with patients, Garza’s desire to better her approach to the job hasn’t diminished. Outside her clinical duties, she is nearing completion of a master’s degree in hospital administration, and serves as vice president on the executive board of the Nueces County Medical Society. Her aspirations continue to grow as she deepens her roots as a physician and healthcare leader.
“I have a passion to create a facility, or home for patients who are in the ‘in-between’—those who may be alone, or need a support system, and suffer from a life-limiting illness [like] dementia,” she said of her vision, inspired by her father’s battle with the disease. “I want to meet that need by creating a space [or] facility where they can come, live and feel unafraid of the next step in their journey.”
As a woman in healthcare leadership, she has found strength in striking the balance among her many traits—making room for ambition and compassion, strength and tenderness. “First, believe that you belong in the room, even before you feel completely ready for the room,” Garza said, offering encouraging advice to women in or entering the field. “You can lead decisively and still care about people, pursue a challenging career and remain deeply devoted to your family. Most importantly, surround yourself with people who support and believe in you.”
Amid everything, Garza keeps family and faith as the focal points of her life and works to instill in her children the same core beliefs her parents passed on to her: Treat people with compassion and integrity. Although her “why” evolves with every new chapter and season of life, finding her way back to grounding and purpose often involves going back to basics.
“The Coastal Bend has given me the privilege of caring for people in a community where relationships, family and taking care of one another truly matter,” Garza said. “What has sustained me throughout my career is the desire to serve—to help people who need guidance, advocacy, compassion, and someone willing to walk alongside them through their own medical journeys.”
