Thursday, September 18, 2025
Two leaders from UNT Health Fort Worth were honored Sept. 4 as members of the 2025 Class of Advocates for Healthcare by The Business Press.
Dr. Dimitrios Karamichos, vice president for research and graduate studies, and Dr. Maria Crompton, associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine, were recognized during a banquet at The Fort Worth Club. The event highlighted individuals and organizations making a difference in healthcare across North Texas.
Advocates for Healthcare are selected through nominations by peers, clients and members of the business community. The program honors professionals who demonstrate innovation, leadership and compassion in serving patients and advancing the field.
Karamichos: Advancing vision research and policy
Karamichos, who also serves as executive director and endowed chair of the North Texas
Eye Research Institute, has built his career on advancing the understanding and treatment
of corneal diseases. His research focuses on conditions such as keratoconus and diabetic
keratopathy, while also developing new approaches for corneal trauma and transplantation.
With more than a dozen federally funded projects supported by the National Institutes of Health and other agencies, his work has drawn international attention. At 34, he secured his first R01 grant, a milestone typically achieved a decade later in a scientist’s career. Today, his lab fosters collaborations with clinicians and researchers across the globe.
His influence extends beyond the lab. In 2017, he briefed Congress on keratoconus, contributing to greater federal support for eye disease research. He launched the “Whole Eye Health” initiative in 2024 to educate the public on the links between vision and overall health, and he continues to mentor the next generation of scientists through programs at UNT Health and national organizations.
Karamichos has been listed among the top 2% of scientists worldwide by Stanford University and Elsevier. He was named “Most Visionary Leader to Watch in 2024” by Healthcare Everything magazine.
“Research is a cornerstone of health care and innovation. I’m incredibly fortunate to contribute to this vital space through my lab’s basic and translational research program, and also to champion and advocate for medical and health research from my leadership position,” Karamichos said. “This recognition truly anchors what I believe in and where my heart lies.”
Crompton: Championing holistic and community-based care
Crompton, an osteopathic physician, has spent her career emphasizing whole-person,
holistic care. Before joining UNT Health, she practiced full-scope rural family medicine
for nearly a decade in East Texas, where she cared for patients in both inpatient
and outpatient settings while staying active in the community.
“I believe health is deeply tied to where people live, work and play,” Crompton said. “To improve outcomes, we must meet patients where they are and address the social and environmental factors that shape their lives.”
At UNT Health, Crompton directs rural medical education, training medical students and residents to serve diverse and underserved communities. She helped launch the Social Determinants of Health Initiative in the Family Medicine Department, giving providers a structured way to screen for housing, food insecurity and other factors that affect patient well-being.
Her primary role is to recruit and prepare medical students for rural medical training and inspire their commitment to ultimately practice in rural areas. In this position, she also cares for an ethnically diverse and predominantly low-income population while guiding students and residents to provide compassionate, whole-person care. She views this work as leadership development for the next generation of physicians, who must be prepared to engage in advocacy, policy change and systems-level improvements to better serve rural and underserved communities.
She has built partnerships with organizations such as local food banks and community
centers to extend resources to UNT Health’s clinic population. Through a collaboration
with one center, she launched a Walk With a Doc chapter, encouraging residents to
exercise and learn about health topics in an accessible setting.
Nationally, she contributes to the Health Equity Achieved through Lifestyle Medicine
initiative, serving on the “Community Conversations” subcommittee to expand preventive,
community-based care.
Celebrating health care advocates
The Business Press launched the Advocates for Healthcare awards to recognize individuals who advance the industry’s mission of helping others live their best lives. The Sept. 4 event drew leaders from across Fort Worth’s health care and business communities for an evening of fellowship and recognition.
With their inclusion in the 2025 Class of Advocates for Healthcare, Karamichos and Crompton join a distinguished group of professionals whose efforts are shaping a healthier future for North Texas and beyond.
From UNT Health Newsroom - Community by Nicole Luna