Benjamin found his passion for healthcare while serving in the United States Navy as a Hospital Corpsman. Shortly after moving back to Texas, he attended The University of Texas Medical Branch to obtain his Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. Benjamin went on to earn his Master’s of Science in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner from The University of Texas Medical Branch as well.

Benjamin is board certified through the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the international nursing honor society. Benjamin also enjoys spending time as a Clinical Instructor for the School of Nursing at UTMB Galveston, where he is able to share his knowledge and experiences as a healthcare professional with future nurses.

Benjamin enjoys fishing, running, spending time with his wife and two rescue dogs, and staying active in church. He focuses on a holistic approach to patient care with an emphasis on disease prevention.

Dr. Raquel Mena received her medical degree graduating cum laude from the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Urena in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She completed her pediatric residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.

Dr. Mena's philosophy of practice is to provide parents as much information as possible to promote healthy dietary and safety habits. She welcomes questions from parents.

She is fluent in both Spanish and French. Dr. Mena resides in the Clear Lake area. In her free time, Dr. Mena enjoys reading and traveling.

Beverly Pennington completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science Family Nurse Practitioner and Doctor of Nursing Practice at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX. A few years later, she came back to UTMB to join the Geriatric Division as the Geriatric Nurse Practitioner serving the Galveston community. Beverly is an active member of Sigma Theta Tau which recognize superior achievements and developing leadership qualities. She is also an active member of organizations such as American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Hospice and Palliative Care Association, Texas Nurse Practitioners, and Texas Doctor of Nursing Practice.

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Dr. Thint has been residing in Clear Lake/Friendswood area since 1994. She began her medical profession after completing her medical school in her home town, Yangon, Myanmar, in 1984. After moving to the United States, she completed her pediatric residency program at St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, MD (1992) and Pediatric Infectious Diseases Fellowship with the Children's National Medical Center and the Food and Drug Administration in Washington, DC (1994). Her first job was Assistant Clinical Professor position at University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) (1994-1996). She was responsible for teaching and research as well as taking care of both inpatients and outpatients. Her areas of interest and research were in middle ear infections.

Dr. Thint continued to see pediatric patients after she joined MacGregor Medical Group, a large multi-specialty group and continued pediatric clinical research from 1996-2002. The next adventure was a position as a pediatric hospitalist for four local hospitals in the Clear Lake/Pasadena area (Bayshore Medical Center, Clear Lake Regional Hospital, SE Memorial Hospital and Mainland Medical Center) from 2002-2007. She then joined Texas Children's Pediatrics for over 10 years (2007-2017) as a general pediatrician.

She has now come full circle and is very excited to be with UTMB again to care for your children. She is a board certified pediatrician and a mom. And she believes that listening to you is very important and that team work with you is very essential. This way she can strive to successfully keep your children at their highest quality of physical, emotional and social health.

Sini Thomas is a dedicated Nurse Practitioner committed to delivering exceptional patient care. Her clinical expertise encompasses health promotion, wellness, primary care, and chronic care management.

Sini earned her undergraduate degree in nursing from St. John's Medical College in Bangalore, India, in 2000. She further advanced her education at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), where she graduated with a Master of Science in Nursing in 2016, specializing as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Sini is credentialed by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).

On a personal note, Sini is actively involved in her community as a case worker for the American Red Cross. She values quality time with her family and enjoys watching movies, cooking, and traveling.

Amy Laird- Payne was born and raised in the Brazosport Area. She is a 1996 graduate of Brazoswood High school. She received her Master's Degree in Physician Assistant Studies with an emphasis in Medical Education from The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth in 2003.

Amy joined the UTMB Lake Jackson Pediatric Clinic in March 2018. She has worked in Pediatric Medicine as a Certified Physician Assistant in the Brazosport Area for the past 15 years and has been certified by the NCCPA since 2003.

Amy is passionate about empowering people to pursue their dreams and obtain great health. She enjoys spending time with her family and performing volunteer work in the community. She lives in the Brazosport Area with her husband and 3 children.

Dr. Adri P. Smith joined UTMB Pediatric Community Based Clinics in 2006.  She completed her residency in Pediatrics at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston in 2005 and received her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio in 2002.  She completed her bachelor's degree in biomedical science at Texas A&M University in College Station in 1997.

Board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, Dr. Smith has a special interest in adolescent preventative medicine, infant care, treating and preventing obesity in children and treating allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis and asthma.  She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics.  She also enjoys teaching medical students and residents and is bilingual in English and Spanish.

When she is not seeing patients, she enjoys spending time with her three children, husband, family and friends.

Dr. Mariam Khan’s journey into medicine began with a passion for primary care, driven by the desire to build enduring relationships with patients from childhood through their golden years. While completing her medical degree at UTMB, she was initially drawn to pediatrics, and ultimately found her calling in UTMB’s Family Medicine residency program, influenced in part by her husband’s great experience within UTMB.

Dr. Khan's commitment to UTMB didn't end with her training; she chose to stay on as a practicing physician after completing her residency in 2023 and lives in the area. This decision was influenced by the camaraderie among UTMB graduates who have chosen to remain at the institution. She appreciates the stability and strong connections that come from this tight-knit community of medical professionals.

In her clinical practice, Dr. Khan's special interests lie in preventative health and evidence-based medicine, and during residency, was recognized for her dedication to compassionate care with the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism and Excellence Teaching Award. She thrives on the daily challenges of her role and takes an approach involving motivational interviewing to empower her patients in managing various health issues, whether related to mental health or chronic conditions like diabetes. Her persistence and ability to connect with her patients shine through as she helps them navigate their health journey. Outside of her medical career, she cherishes family time, enjoys traveling, and has a passion for cooking.

Married for 36 years to Dr. Tommy Sim, an allergy/immunology specialist in Friendswood, TX. Dr. Sim is a proud mother of 3 children; Tom, diagnosed with Autism, graduated from University of Houston in HRM, currently employed at UTMB Health Clear Lake Campus hospital; Timmy, graduated from Baylor University with a BS in Biology, currently schooling in Computer Science at UHCL; and Theresa, graduated with a BS in Chemical Engineering from UT Austin. I feel empathetic to parents with children with disability. I feel a need to share my family's story about my eldest son with Autism and maybe can inspire somebody like him to strive and succeed.

I am grateful for the opportunities that came my way. I am honored for the trust that parents have given to me to take care of their children's health. I feel rewarded when I see my patients grow up healthy and become good citizens.

Her professional associations include the Texas Pediatric Society, Bay Area Pediatric Society and the Harris County Medical Society.

She believes that good listening leads to good care and appreciates the opinions of parents.

In her spare time, she enjoys playing the piano, reading and traveling with her family.