Honoring a Life of Service: Dr. Larry Wallace Sr. Receives Honorary Doctorate
We are honored to share that Dr. Larry Wallace Sr., founder and CEO of the Black Men’s Health Clinic®, has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Healthcare Administration from International American University (IAU)—a distinction reserved for individuals whose real-world contributions have transformed communities and advanced equity in lasting, measurable ways.
While honorary degrees are sometimes given for symbolic reasons, this one stands on decades of tangible change.
Dr. Wallace Sr.’s career is marked not just by leadership, but by building systems of care that previously did not exist—and doing so at scale. His impact includes:
– Providing executive leadership in the design and oversight of publicly funded health systems with combined budgets exceeding $2 billion, including JPS Health Network, Central Health, CommUnityCare Health Centers, the Community Care Collaborative, and Dell Medical School. His work led to the launch of first-in-region healthcare models—such as school-based clinics, urgent care centers, mobile health units, and integrated behavioral health services—many of which were implemented years ahead of national adoption. These innovations dramatically expanded care access for hundreds of thousands of uninsured and underserved residents across Texas and continue to shape equitable health delivery statewide.
– Key executive leadership in the creation of Central Health, Sendero Health Plans, CommUnityCare Health Centers, the Community Care Collaborative (CCC), and Dell Medical School—foundational institutions that together reshaped how safety-net healthcare is delivered in Central Texas. These entities now anchor one of the most comprehensive, publicly accountable health ecosystems in the country. Central Health serves as the county’s health care district, ensuring access to care for uninsured residents. Sendero Health Plans was launched to provide affordable insurance options under the Affordable Care Act. CommUnityCare delivers primary and specialty care to tens of thousands of patients across a network of clinics. The CCC brought public and private providers into formal collaboration to better coordinate care and funding. And Dell Medical School—created with a public mandate—represents a new model of academic medicine focused on community health, health equity, and value-based care. Together, these institutions remain central to the region’s ongoing strategy for addressing health disparities and building a more just, person-centered healthcare system.
– Mentoring the next generation of leaders at institutions such as the University of Texas at Austin – LBJ School of Public Affairs and shaping public policy to center equity, Medicaid access, and preventive care.
– Founding the Black Men’s Health Clinic (BMHC), the first and only health system of its kind—purpose-built to remove barriers for men of color by delivering no-cost, real-time support through an integrated public and private healthcare network. Under his vision, BMHC redefines what a clinic can be: not just a site of care, but a trusted system that navigates the full spectrum of life’s challenges—from housing and employment to chronic disease and mental health—through culturally grounded, person-centered services. Unlike traditional models, BMHC embeds itself within communities, operates through formal partnerships with FQHCs and mental health authorities, and aligns its services with the lived realities of the people it serves. BMHC is not a pilot or a program layered onto an existing system—it’s an entirely new infrastructure for health equity that didn’t exist until he built it.
Thus, this honorary doctorate from IAU is not a celebration of titles or positions—it is a recognition of lasting impact.
It honors the uncommon vision, courage, and sustained commitment
required to redesign healthcare systems for those too often overlooked, and to turn bold ideas into tangible change.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Wallace Sr. on this well-deserved honor.
His journey continues to inspire our work every day and reminds us that real change happens when service and leadership walk hand in hand.
