UTSA Chief Medical Officer Dr. Beth Wichman retires after decades of UTSA, UT System service
Dr. Beth Wichman, chief medical officer at UTSA, retired on Aug. 31, 2024, after an extensive career supporting the Roadrunner community. She worked with UT System for over 30 years and at UTSA since 1998. Her efforts were pivotal in supporting UTSA’s COVID-19 pandemic response, helping to keep the Roadrunner community safe and continuous campus operations possible.
In July 2020, Dr. Wichman was appointed chief medical officer for UTSA following the onset of the pandemic. “It was an honor to be promoted to Chief Medical Officer for the entire university because it allowed me to work with faculty, staff and students,” said Dr. Wichman. Prior to that, she served as Chief Medical Officer and Associate Vice President for Student Health Services (SHS) for two years.
Working with the COVID-19 Public Health Task Force within Business Affairs, Dr. Wichman was part of the committee to set up all health protocols, directing the medical component of the team. she helped guide UTSA through the pandemic, organizing and running vaccination clinics, distributing thousands of COVID-19 test kits, establishing an on-campus testing site at UTSA, monitoring test results and advising those who tested positive in accordance with CDC guidance. During all of this, she also served as a doctor at a family practice.
Dr. Wichman began her tenure at UTSA as a part-time staff physician at an on-campus clinic. She became a full-time employee and in 2011 was promoted to the director of SHS, where she managed hiring efforts, the creation of new positions and the SHS annual budget.
From 2011-2012, Dr. Wichman oversaw SHS’s efforts for Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) certification, a rigorous and difficult achievement for outpatient clinics nationwide. At the same time, she managed the rollout of the mandatory vaccination program for bacterial meningitis at UTSA, which helped over 10,000 students get vaccinated.
During her time with SHS, Dr. Wichman spearheaded several initiatives to advance the program’s efforts. In 2013, she transitioned SHS from paper records to the Electronic Health Record, a process the team perfected over the next seven years. Additionally, she oversaw SHS’s work to become part of the Vaccination for Children's program. Working in consultation with UT-Austin, she launched commercial billing of insurance.
Dr. Wichman also served multiple terms as the head of the American College Health Association (ACHA) Southwest Chapter, which includes New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas. In 2013, she helped organize the ACHA annual convention when it was held in San Antonio. During the convention, she met with the heads of each state to help formulate policy statements, write up minutes and work on budget concerns.
After retirement, Dr. Wichman will continue practicing medicine as a part-time consultant while she works on her green thumb growing tomatoes, cooking delicious gourmet food and spending time with her family and grandchildren.
