August 2021

 

President's Message

I wonder how many families around the country are enjoying family reunions of one kind or another this summer. The Lewis family (the 30 who were available) gathered in Santa Fe, N.M., in June and enjoyed hiking, exploring ancient caves, and fabulous culinary offerings, as well as some much-needed storytelling and laughter.

There is such a feeling of relief when you are all gathered and can physically conceptualize that you are part of something much bigger than yourself and that there is a larger group where the love and support go without saying.

Aug. 28, 2021, is officially Physician Family Day. It’s a newer companion to Doctor’s Day, which is celebrated in March. Wouldn’t it be great to have multiple county alliance and medical society members gather, even very casually (pot luck or Dutch treat) to acknowledge our joint effort in improving the health of all Texans?

In case you missed it, the Family of Medicine is having a big Family Reunion at Fall Conference Sept. 16-18! It will be held at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines in Bastrop. If you have never been to this resort, you are missing out! There is something for everyone, and this year we are building in lots of time for playing, relaxing, and reconnecting with one another. We will celebrate the county alliance chapters for their incredibly impressive initiatives over the past year during an awards brunch on Friday morning, and party with the full TMA community Friday evening at a FUN-FOR-THE-WHOLE-FAMILY barbecue picnic with live music and games.

In his book The Art of Community, Charles Vogl writes, “One of the great pleasures of being part of a community is that we don’t have to explain ourselves. … (We) feel enormous relief that everyone in the room or conversation understands the fears, challenges, discomfort, and elation that comes with (our) own journey.” I encourage you to choose to join me and the TMA Alliance Board of Directors at Fall Conference for a grand celebration of the community that is the Family of Medicine.

Jennifer Lewis
TMA Alliance President 2021-22

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Nominations for 2022-23 Board of Directors

Interested in joining TMAA leadership, or know someone in your county with great ideas who would be interested in taking on another role? Submit a nomination for the 2022-23 TMAA Board of Directors. Fill out this short form to nominate yourself or someone else. TMAA’s Nominating Committee will meet next month to slate the incoming officers, so hurry and get those nominations in no later than Sept. 10, 2021.

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Make a Difference

Along with the Texas Medical Association, many county medical alliance chapters across the state are “gearing up” for a busy summer and fall with the Hard Hats for Little Heads program. Numerous in-person helmet distribution events are planned to meet the demand of increased bike and scooter riding among little Texans. The program goal for next year is to provide 13,500 helmets to children and reach five new sites, and here’s how TMA Alliance members can help.

As a member of the TMA Alliance, would you consider making a tax-deductible gift to TMA Foundation, TMA’s philanthropic arm, to make Hard Hats possible? The impact of your gift will be doubled thanks to a generous anonymous donor couple, who for the 10th year has pledged a $10,500 gift along with a challenge to TMAF’s family of donors to match this amount with their giving.

“Hard Hats instills the habits of safety and physical activity among young Texans,” the anonymous donors say. “This helps lay the foundation for a healthy future, and we’re honored to be a part of that future.”

Providing helmets to children has been particularly important during this prolonged pandemic, when wheeled activities increased as school and extracurricular activities were canceled or shut down. Thanks to the creativity of physicians and alliance members who pivoted when large health events were canceled, Hard Hats continued strong over the past 16 months to make sure children who needed a helmet had one.

Make your meaningful tax-deductible gift online, or call TMAF Data Manager Marilyn Anderson at (800) 880-1300, ext. 1466.

Thank you for helping ensure the TMAA and TMA members who host events around the state have plenty of helmets and educational materials to distribute to children who need them!

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Vaccines Get You Back to What Matters

A new video from TMA’s Vaccines Defend What Matters (VDWM) campaign focuses on vaccines as the way to get back to what we each love in life. It will debut in selected social media markets and is available on TMA’s VDWM webpage, where you can find patient education fact sheets, graphics about vaccine efficacy, and more. VDWM is made possible with grant funding from the TMA Foundation.

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Opportunity in Adversity - TMA Foundation 2020 Report

Thanks to TMA Foundation donors, volunteers, and community collaborators, along with TMA and TMA Alliance members like you, the foundation seized opportunities to improve health while COVID-19 presented challenge after challenge. We did it together. Lives were saved. Children protected. Wellness activities provided to stressed and burned-out TMA member physicians. Excellence in science teaching celebrated and rewarded. Medical and nursing students supported in their training. And more.

TMAF invites you to view this brief video presentation of its 2020 annual report to meet some of the people touched by the generosity of donors and volunteers. You may also read the printed report online or download it.

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More Local Impact Grants Available

The final round of Local Impact Grant funding in 2021 from the TMA Foundation is now open for applications. As part of TMA's Vaccines Defend What Matters campaign, the foundation offers grants of up to $3,500 to fund vaccination activities, educational resources, and community outreach events.

County medical societies, TMA Alliance chapters, medical student chapters, and TMA member-physician practices/clinics can apply. Grants can fund initiatives such as shot clinics to vaccinate underserved and uninsured people, events that educate the public about vaccinations, and outreach initiatives that address vaccine hesitancy.

TMA encourages physicians, medical students, and alliance members to apply for grants to fund a variety of vaccine clinics. However, applicants who wish to fund a COVID-19 vaccination clinic should confirm with the Texas Department of State Health Services that it has doses before applying for a grant.
Priority funding will go to applicants whose focus is in areas of greatest need, including counties with low immunization rates and high rates of conscientious exemptions.

The deadline for grant applicants is Sept 1. Visit the Vaccines Defend What Matters webpage for more information and to apply for a grant.

For any questions about the applications, please contact Daniel Marquez at phintern@texmed.org.

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Help a Physician in Need With a Referral to The Physicians Benevolent Fund

For 60 years, The Physicians Benevolent Fund (PBF) has provided financial support to countless physicians and their families during times of personal hardship resulting from illness or disability, an accident, a death, or another unfortunate circumstance. Recipients receive monthly assistance to cover day-to-day needs such as housing, utilities, medical bills, food, and other necessities.

The PBF Wellness Fund provides support to physicians who need short-term treatment for impairing conditions, including depression and substance abuse. Funds also may cover the family’s household expenses while the physician is receiving treatment.

“When we know someone in need, often the best thing we can do is direct them where they can find help,” said Austin internist Nancy Thorne Foster, MD, chair of The Physicians Benevolent Fund Committee. “Your mention of PBF or your referral could restore a family or save a career.”

TMA Family members can support PBF funds in two ways: Share these valuable resources with friends or colleagues who may need assistance, or make a contribution to sustain the funds.

“I’m thankful TMA provides this assistance that allows us to support our fellow physicians and their families when they find themselves in need of care,” Dr. Thorne Foster said.

If you know a physician or a physician’s family who could benefit, direct them to the PBF webpage for eligibility information and the confidential application. You also can email Chris Johnson, senior program manager, or call her at (512) 370-1602.
TMA staff strive to protect the anonymity of fund applicants and recipients.

If you’d like to contribute to PBF, donate online, text “CARING” to 56512, or send a check to The Physicians Benevolent Fund, Attn: TMA Finance Department, 401 W. 15th St., Austin, TX 78701-1680. Contributions are tax-deductible and may be in the form of honoraria or memorials.

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Back to School

With medical schools starting up this month, now is a great time to welcome new medical students and residents to your local alliance! Lubbock County Medical Society Alliance attended the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center orientation for medical students, providing information on the alliance and membership forms to make sign-up easy. They were able to recruit 75 new students!

Other ideas include hosting an ice cream social with new students and residents or sending a greeting card with a gift card to welcome them to town. Contact your medical school residency coordinator or work with your local medical society to help spread the word to students and residents.

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Fall Conference

After more than a year of being unable to see one another in person and celebrate, TMA and TMAA are pleased to host Fall Conference at Hyatt Lost Pines, Sept. 16-18. It’s going to be a weekend full of fun, including a TMAA cocktail hour on Thursday evening, the TMAA Awards Brunch on Friday morning, and a cookout for the whole Family of Medicine on Friday evening. For the full schedule of TMAA events, visit our website. Register and book your hotel room below – we can’t wait to see you there!

Registration     Hotel

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Upcoming Events

In addition to the events below, please be sure to check out our calendar, where you can sort events by county. If your chapter has an upcoming event you would like featured, email details (date, time, location, ticket prices, description) to Sasha.

Sept. 16-18
Fall Conference

Register

Have an event in your county that you would like advertised? Send details to sasha.khalifeh@texmed.org!

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