Chris Bajaj, DO
Dr. Bajaj is a physician with a passion for prevention.  He has always wanted to give patients the opportunity to help themselves.  He has seen what patients can do with small changes in their everyday life.

Born and raised in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Dr. Bajaj is a true native.  He received his Bachelors’ degree from The University of Texas at Austin and then completed his medical school training at The University of North Texas Health Science Center/Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine.  This medical school is one the top rated of all medical schools (both allopathic “MD” and osteopathic “DO”) in the country by US News and World Report. Dr. Bajaj completed both his residency training in Internal Medicine and fellowship training in Endocrinology at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

Dr. Bajaj started practicing in a growing clinic in Grapevine, Texas for 2 years.  In 2007, he joined Dr. Lackan in opening the Diabetes and Thyroid Center of Fort Worth.  Since this time, the practice has flourished and grown significantly. He has been voted by other physicians as a “Top Doc” in the field of Endocrinology for 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 by Fort Worth, Texas Magazine.  He was also elected to the Leadership Board of the American Diabetes Association in 2011.  He is married to his beautiful wife since 2002 and blessed with 2 amazing children.  He is active in church and enjoys running.  He has finished several marathons, half marathons and an Olympic length triathlon.

Dr. Bajaj has been featured on the Discovery Health Channel program, Mystery Diagnosis.  “This was a special case for me, and I feel blessed to have been apart of it.” says Dr. Bajaj.  With the help of Dr. Darren Lackan, he diagnosed an extremely rare tumor that was excreting a hormone causing hypoglycemia and abnormal growth.  At the time, there were less than 20 cases published on the condition.  Once the tumor was surgically removed, the patient’s condition completely reversed.

Darren Lackan, MD
Darren Lackan, MD is a native Texan. He was born in San Antonio and has lived throughout the state.  He attended Austin College in Sherman, Texas earning a Bachelor of Arts degree  and returned to San Antonio to attend medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center.  Dr. Lackan then moved to Galveston to complete a three year training program in Internal Medicine and a two year fellowship program in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB).  After finishing his fellowship training, he stayed on as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine within the Division of Endocrinology at UTMB.  Dr. Lackan spent this time training Endocrinology fellows, Internal Medicine residents and medical students.  He remains an adjunct Assistant Professor at UTMB.  

In 2005, Dr. Lackan moved to Fort Worth to be closer to his wife’s family.  He began practicing Endocrinology in Fort Worth in April 2005 with Baylor Specialty Associates.  In January 2007, Dr. Lackan founded the Diabetes and Thyroid Center of Fort Worth.  He plans to build the Center into a world class diabetes center and a regional center of excellence for the treatment of thyroid cancer.  Dr. Lackan’s other professional interests include metabolism, weight loss and thyroid disorders.  In Fall 2010, the Diabetes and Thyroid Center will be moving into a new facility where Dr. Lackan will be opening a weight loss and metabolism center.  

Dr. Lackan is board certified in Internal Medicine and Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism by the American Board of Internal Medicine.  He is licensed by the state of Texas to administer radioactive iodine in the clinic to treat various thyroid disorders including cancer.  Additionally, he is a member of the Texas Medical Association, the Tarrant County Medical Society, the American Diabetes Association and the American College of Clinical Endocrinologists.  

Dr. Lackan has received numerous awards and certifications including funding from the National Institutes of Health, being named a Fellow of the American College of Endocrinology (FACE), designated as an Endocrine Certified Neck Ultrasonographer (ECNU), and named Fort Worth Top Doc in Endocrinology for the past 5 years.  

Anjanette Tan, MD
Dr. Tan was born and raised in Manila, Philippines.  She finished medical school at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine, through the Integrated Liberal Arts-Medicine program, a prestigious 7-year accelerated program that admits 40 applicants from the top 100 freshman qualifiers of the university-wide UP College Admission Test.  She came to the United States in 1999, and completed her Internal Medicine residency training at the Atlanticare Regional Medical Center program in Atlantic City, New Jersey, affiliated with Thomas Jefferson University, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and the Medical College of Pennsylvannia/Hahnemann.  Here, she received the James F. Gleason Resident Teacher Award and the ARMC Scholastic Achievement Award.  She then pursued her fellowship in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at the University of Missouri-Columbia.  She has written several manuscripts and articles on diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.
 
After her training, she started her Endocrinology practice at Centra Southside Community Hospital in Farmville, Virginia, helping the underserved communities of Southside Virginia.  She also served as an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg, Virginia, an affiliate of Virginia Tech University.
 
She is an active member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, where she serves as a member of the Minority Health Affairs Committee. She is a Fellow of the American College of Endocrinology (FACE).  She has also received the Excellence in Diabetes Care Recognition from the Diabetes Physician Recognition Program of the National Committee for Quality Assurance. She has been voted by other physicians as a “Top Doc” in the field of Endocrinology for 2012 by Fort Worth, Texas Magazine. Other memberships include the American Diabetes Association, the American College of Physicians, and the Endocrine Society.
 
Dr. Tan and family decided to move to Texas to be closer to family, who mostly resides in San Antonio.  Through the years, they have visited Texas and can think of no better place to raise their family.   She and her husband, Joel, have 2 young girls, Ava and Ella.  Her other interests include reading novels and playing classical piano.  
 
Dr. Tan believes in arming patients with thoughtful knowledge and honest insight on their condition.  Patients seek health, and need caring doctors to help them navigate through the complexities of the health care system and the confusing sea of available information.  She believes her role to be a compassionate bridge between the advances and limitations of our existing science, and the practicalities of everyday life.  

Julie Taylor MS, RN, FNP-C

Julie gets her passion for diabetes from her father who has had type 1 diabetes for 41 years. She has always pursued advanced training in diabetes, to help her understand her patients and their feelings toward their disease. She was a volunteer at Camp Aurora, a summer camp for children with diabetes, for 2 years, where she was the children's activities coordinator. From 2004-2005, she worked as a certified pump trainer with Medtronic, where she trained patients on the insulin pumps. She has completed the curriculum for the American Association of Diabetic Educators, and her focus is on patient education as well as managing their disease state.

Julie’s passion to help her patients move through the process of understanding, dealing with diabetes and preventing complications continues to drive her practice. Julie is married to a wonderful husband, Derek.  They are blessed with 2 daughters, Olivia and Ella.

Ashley Foster MPAS, PA-C
Ashley Foster is originally from Kansas City, Kansas. She attended Kansas State University and received her Bachelor’s of Science magna cum laude in Human Nutrition. She went on to receive her Master’s degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center magna cum laude in Physician Assistant Studies.

Since her first visit to Texas as a toddler, Ashley told her family that she wanted to move to Texas. She jumped at the opportunity to practice in the field of medicine she was most interested in, Endocrinology, in a place she had always wanted to live.

Spending time with friends, family, and her black lab, Sophie, are important to her. Ashley enjoys running, volunteering, traveling, and being outside. She ran her first half marathon in September, 2010 in Lincoln, Nebraska and hiked Pike’s Peak last summer. Her favorite places to visit are Colorado, Hawaii, and Italy.

Ashley has a passion for education and feels that educating patients is essential to facilitating their treatment.

Laura Sapaugh MPAS, PA-C
Laura Sapaugh was born in St. Louis, MO. Her family moved to Spring, TX (near Houston) when she was a toddler. She graduated cum laude from Stephen F. Austin State University with a Bachelor of Science and went on to earn her Master’s degree from The University of North Texas Health Science Center in Physician Assistant Studies. She worked as a Physician Assistant for 2 years in women’s health before being offered the opportunity to join Diabetes and Thyroid Center.

Laura’s interest in a medical career stemmed from growing up with a father with Type I diabetes. She observed how treating his diabetes was a part of normal life and did not hold him back from living life to the fullest. This inspired her to learn more about diabetes and pursuing a career where she would be involved in patient care. Patient education is also very important to Laura. For her master’s thesis she focused on motivating patients to make positive changes for their health such as quitting smoking and initiating physical activity. Laura is passionate about preventative care and encouraging patients to take ownership of their health.

Laura and her husband Micah enjoy living in Fort Worth with their two dogs and their new baby girl.