Empathy and Expertise

Dr. Dallas Bailes, chief medical officer & medical director of Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital, honors his grandfather’s legacy through his leadership
By Madeline Haak

photo by shane darby.

There was a time when Dr. Dallas Bailes, chief medical officer of Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital, spent his days playing music in Hollywood, California. He had lost his musician father at the age of 13 to an overdose and wanted to honor him through a career in the arts. “I practiced guitar four or five hours a day, left high school early, and attended the Musicians Institute in Hollywood,” he said. “I loved it.” However, Dallas eventually realized that being a rock star wasn’t the most reliable career path, and it was then that he turned his attention toward a field besides music. That field was medicine.

“I shifted gears, went to junior college, and found myself drawn back to the world of science and service I’d grown up around. That’s what led me to medical school at Loma Linda and eventually an emergency medicine residency in Manhattan,” he said.

Medicine, like music, runs in Bailes’ family: his grandfather, Dr. Jerry Bailes, was a Texarkana physician for over 50 years.

“[Dr. Jerry Bailes]—‘Papa’ to me—was a cornerstone of medicine in Texarkana,” Dallas said. “I grew up in Southern California but spent my summers here, staying with him, shadowing him, and watching the way people in town looked up to him with such respect and affection.”

In his time spent as his grandfather’s apprentice, Dallas gained wisdom that he now tries to implement in his practice today.

“Papa used to say, ‘If you listen to a patient, eventually they will tell you what’s wrong with them.’ That simple idea—listening with genuine attention—has shaped the way I practice medicine more than any textbook ever could,” he said.

This attitude serves Texarkana residents well, as Dallas has made it a priority for patient care at Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital.

“Texarkana has a generosity of spirit you just don’t find everywhere,” he said. “There’s a real sense of neighbors helping neighbors, of people wanting to lift each other up. When we built Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital, that’s what we wanted to reflect—a place where you’re treated like family, not a number.”

As he steps into his new role, Dr. Bailes has set goals for Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital that align with the aforementioned generosity of spirit and highlight that the emergency center is a physician-owned, community-driven facility—not a “bureaucracy.”

“I’m most excited about leading a team that truly cares,” he said. “Every time I walk through the doors and see patients being treated with compassion and excellence, I feel proud of what we’ve built here together.”

Dallas wakesurfs with his son Jack in Steamboat, Colorado, where they live. submitted photo.

Put simply, under the leadership of Dr. Bailes, Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital has a clear, patient-focused mission.

“Our goal is simple: to make every patient feel seen, heard, and cared for. That means shorter wait times, transparent communication, and keeping care as personal as possible. We want patients to leave not just better physically but also reassured that someone truly cared about their well-being,” he said.

Dallas took his son, Jack, to Paris. They are pictured here from the Eiffel Tower. submitted photo.

Specifically, Dr. Bailes wishes to promote preventative medicine among the citizens of Texarkana. In Colorado, where he currently lives, he has a longevity practice where he helps patients prevent disease occurrence instead of reacting to it. He himself maintains a healthy routine as well so that he can be an example to the people he cares for.

“I’m passionate about longevity medicine—what I call metabolic optimization. It’s heavily focused on fitness and strength, mindfulness, stoicism, and physiologic flexibility,” he said. “I believe that optimizing metabolism and fitness are the best ways to address illness—by preventing it before it starts.”

Dallas resides in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where he lives a very active life with his 8-year-old son, Jack. Dallas’ primary motivation, aside from the inspiration he draws from his grandfather, is his son.

Dallas vacationed at Casa Bonita with his fiancee, Heather Lacombe, and his son, Jack. submitted photo.

“In Colorado, I’m outdoors as much as possible—I’m an avid cyclist, should-be-retired rugby player, hiker, snowboarder, and father first,” he said. “Jack and I ski together, ride bikes, and explore the mountains any chance we get. He’s the best part of my life and keeps me grounded and grateful.”

Though he isn’t a Texarkana resident, Dallas prioritizes this town and its individuals. “This place has always felt like home in a very real way,” he said. He hopes to emphasize the patient-first approach that has always been paramount to the physicians and medical personnel at Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital. 

Dallas is a cyclist. He is pictured here mid-ride in Portugal. submitted photo.

“Behind every set of vitals is a person—often scared, often in pain—who needs empathy as much as expertise,” he said. “‘Patient-first’ means taking the extra time, explaining things clearly, and making decisions as if it were your own family member in that bed. That’s how my grandfather practiced, and that’s the culture I want to keep alive here.”

Regarding his grandfather’s legacy in the field of medicine, Dallas believes that, by practicing medicine himself, he is honoring not only his family name but also a duty he has to serve. He wishes his grandpa could see him now.

Dallas played rugby in Catalina Island, California. submitted photo.

“I think he’d smile, maybe put a hand on my shoulder, and say, ‘I’m proud of you,’” Dallas shared. “He always believed that medicine was more than a job—it was a calling to serve. I hope he’d feel that that same calling lives on through the work we’re doing in Texarkana.”