The staff couldn't help but notice the pretty young girl with the dark hair and sniffles in the waiting room of Dr. Thomas Zavaleta's clinic who bore a striking resemblance to "High School Musical" star Vanessa Hudgens.

When she left, Zavaleta confirmed the young starlet was his patient. It was 2008, and Hudgens was in Austin filming the critically acclaimed movie, "Bandslam." She and several others in the cast and production crew came down with an upper respiratory infection, which did not bode well for any major motion picture – particularly one that required singing. Zavaleta, who was named Pediatrician of the Year in Austin in 1999, came highly recommended. He wound up treating Hudgens and others in the cast, mostly on set.

With more than three decades as a practicing physician in Austin, Zavaleta is treating a very different, though no less glamorous, panel of patients these days. Earlier this year, he joined WellMed Senior Clinic at Midtown as a primary care physician. WellMed, which just opened its fourth clinic in Austin, specializes in senior health care. Born in Santa Monica, Calif., and raised in Brownsville, Texas, Zavaleta has earned a stellar reputation in the medical community in Austin. He moved to Central Texas in 1968, and except for a year of residency in San Antonio, has made the Capitol City his home ever since.

"He's one of the kindest, nicest and most thorough physicians I've ever met," said Dr. David Wright, a family practice physician and faculty member with the UT Southwestern Residency Program at Seton. Zavaleta mentored Wright during his residency training at Brackenridge Hospital. "Many people don't realize how much Zavaleta contributed to creation and stabilization of the pediatric residency program here in Austin in the early to mid '80s," Wright said. "He just made invaluable contributions to the health and well-being of a large number of children here in Central Texas."

A little more than a decade later, the doctors would switch roles, as Zavaleta decided to move into family practice. He became a resident in the program that Wright oversaw. The switch, Wright noted, allowed Zavaleta to treat adult patients whom he once treated as children. "He was a true inspiration," Wright said. "He showed many of us how a doctor ought to conduct himself and interact with patients – particularly how he would interact with parents." Dr. Adam Barta, another faculty member at UT Southwestern Residency Program, said Zavaleta's analytical skills rank second only to his ability to relate to his patients.

"Tom Zavaleta is an amazing listener," Barta said. "He's one of those doctors who sits down, looks the patient in the eye and listens to what a patient has to say, which is not as common as you think. He should be a wonderful addition to WellMed." Zavaleta was a co-founder of Austin Regional Clinic and served on the board of directors. He also served on the board of the Austin Chapter of the American Diabetes Association and the Pediatric ICU Committee of Brackenridge Hospital. He mentored numerous family practice residents and students from the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, and nursing students from both the UT School of Nursing and Austin Community College Nursing School.

Zavaleta, who has two board certifications and has been selected as a "super doctor" in the state of Texas three times, was always drawn to primary care. "Primary care is a calling," he said. "It's a devotion to ensuring that people get the best quality care. I also like the variety in primary care – the challenge of treating the whole patient." Zavaleta credits his uncle, Dr. Joseph Zavaleta, a longtime primary care physician and OB/GYN in Brownsville, for nurturing his career aspirations. "He started getting me interested in medicine and getting me to the office in junior high – about sixth grade," Zavaleta recalled. "He told me, 'You're going to be a doctor.' I really picked up on the vision that young. It's so important to have that kind of focus and a goal at that age."

The emphasis on education stayed with Zavaleta, who raised four children with his wife, Sylvia. The oldest, Dr. Camille Zavaleta Hinojosa, is an occupational medicine specialist in Waco. The youngest son, Eric, is in his last year of ophthalmology residency at the University of Florida School of Medicine. The two other sons, David and Thomas, work in the IT field in Austin. Zavaleta's brother, Anthony, is provost at the University of Texas at Brownsville. Earlier this year, Zavaleta decided to make yet another move and join WellMed, which specializes in senior health care. Working out of the WellMed Senior Clinic at Midtown on Jefferson Avenue, Zavaleta continues to make a difference in the lives of patients.

"These patients I have today – many of them are from the greatest generation," he said. "They deserve to be in a health-care system that will take time to treat them with respect and serve their needs. That's what really interested me most about WellMed." Zavaleta said WellMed's model for health care gives him more time to spend with patients, and great support for treating their needs, such as a staff that includes health coaches to guide patients through effective preventive care and complex care needs.

"Our patients often have multiple significant medical problems that can't be rushed over in a quick visit," he said. "WellMed as a concept is wonderful. I enjoy having the luxury of spending time with patients and knowing they are going to get the quality care and follow-up they need." Many WellMed patients are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan through subsidiary Physicians Health Choice, which offers many plan members no-cost rides to the clinic and referral specialists utilizing another WellMed subsidiary, Comfort Care Transportation. Comfort Care Transportation recently surpassed one million miles of no-cost patient transports in the Austin area, celebrating the milestone by donating $1,500 to the non-profit Cancer Connection, a local charity selected by the Million Mile Rider, 84-year-old Mercedes Palomo.

For more information about WellMed, call toll-free at 1-888-781-WELL (9355) or visit www.wellmedmedicalgroup.com.