Obesity Medicine Association announces award in Horn’s honor
The Obesity Medicine Association has established a new honor recognizing excellence in education, naming its inaugural Deborah Bade Horn Educator of the Year Award in tribute to Deborah Horn, DO, MPH, professor in the Department of Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston.
“Thank you to the Obesity Medicine Association. I am honored to have a named award, and even more excited that the inaugural recipient is my very good friend, colleague, and a fantastic educator,” Horn said.
Horn is the medical director at the UT Physicians Center of Obesity Medicine and Metabolic Performance. Known for her individualized approach to care, she emphasizes balance, comprehensive treatment strategies that address both obesity and metabolic health. An internationally recognized leader in the field, Horn works to advance integrated care models that promote healthier lifestyles and improved outcomes for patients worldwide.
By using the latest technology and medical support, her comprehensive approach to care includes improvement in obesity-associated comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, and arthritis pain.
Horn received her medical degree from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2001 and completed her preventive medicine residency at the University of South Carolina in 2004 and a family medicine residency at Houston Methodist Hospital in 2006.
“A very special thank you to Dr. Harold Bays, who called me last summer to share that he and Dr. Marissa Censani and the board of trustees would like to offer an award in my name,” Horn said. “The Obesity Medicine Association has been my obesity home for 25 years. I was just a resident when I went to my first meeting, took my boards as a resident, and am so honored to have served many roles, including as a previous president. I think it is just tremendous that Dr. Bays and the board recognize the leadership of women in the Obesity Medicine Association.”
The inaugural Deborah Bade Horn Educator of the Year Award was presented to Angela Fitch, MD, co-founder and chief medical officer of knownwell, the healthcare home for patients looking for evidence-based, weight management services and weight-inclusive primary care.
“Congratulations to my dear friend Angela Fitch. I can’t think of anyone more deserving,” Horn said. “From teaching at the Obesity Medicine Association, Harvard Mass General, and now through knownwell, you are a blessing both professionally and personally, and it is my true honor to call you my friend.”