January 2022
TMAA President’s Message
Whenever I feel discouraged by circumstances and events in the world these days, I find comfort in Facebook. I’m sure you’re thinking, “Are you insane?” To be more precise, I am encouraged by the many Facebook posts from our county alliance chapters around the state.
Over the past five months, several county chapters have hosted Hard Hats for Little Heads and Texas BookShare events with clever twists that personalize these events for their regions. They’ve also held successful fundraisers and fun membership recruitment and retention events. If you haven’t already, take a few minutes to explore the Texas Medical Association Alliance Facebook page, and see what county alliances are doing across the state. While you are there, “like” the page too. It will fill you with much-needed encouragement.
You may be asking yourself why it matters to you what other county chapters are doing, but the posts are a warm and positive reminder of our mission – to provide camaraderie and support in our communities, and to improve the health of all Texans.
I was overwhelmed when I looked at the ways different TMA Alliance chapters celebrated the holidays. That includes the enormous turnout for Smith County’s fashion show/luncheon/fundraiser/BookShare launch and Dallas County’s gorgeous, elaborate holiday decorations at Aldredge House. Meanwhile, the homes of Libby White in Lubbock and Mary Campbell in Corpus Christi became places of joyful holiday celebrations. I attended several of these events and was able to experience the joy, beauty, and fellowship firsthand.
Celebrating the success of our county organizations matters because we are stronger when we can share in the knowledge of good work being done throughout the state. Also, this lets alliance members borrow ideas that can help us increase membership and make a bigger impact on our individual communities.
Kudos to all of you for your innovation and energy, and for all the wonderful programs being implemented across our diverse state. Join us on Facebook and find time to encourage and be encouraged by your fellow TMA Alliance members.
My best,
Jennifer
WHY I BELONG
What does it mean to be a TMA Alliance Member?
My name is Christel Chase, and I have the privilege of being married to a wonderful man who also is a Tarrant County emergency department physician. Being a physician’s spouse comes with many benefits, and the best of all is that I get to be a TMA Alliance member.
I joined in 2007 and gradually became more involved in the organization. That has given me many opportunities to grow. I have built friendships with some fantastic people, all of whom have different talents to offer the group.
One of my best decisions: taking a position on the Tarrant County Medical Society Alliance board when Layna Chase was president. This opportunity allowed me to see the philanthropic role the TMA Alliance plays and how it affects the entire Tarrant County community. Being on the board has pushed me outside my comfort zone and given me a chance to work with experienced members who could mentor me, like Layna Chase, Angie Donahue, and Marisa Mercer.
The TCMSA nominating committee offered me the opportunity to be the vice president of legislation. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed learning about the many ways TMA and the TMA Alliance expand and protect access to health care for all Texans. It also made me proud of paying my dues to TEXPAC.
I am now the vice president of legislative affairs for the entire TMA Alliance, and I look forward to serving as TCMSA president for 2022-23. I will soon be an empty nester when I send the last of my three sons off to college, and I am so thankful for my TMA Alliance family at the local and state levels. Alliance members understand what it is like to be married to a physician and the many hats we wear.
Christel Chase
TMAA VP Legislative Affairs
Thank You for Sharing the Gift of Health!
A special thank you to the 81 TMA Alliance member donors who beat our ambitious goal with $5,078 raised for the 27th Annual TMA Alliance Holiday Sharing Card in support of the TMA Foundation. This was the second most successful year of this campaign that supports TMA Foundation funded programs including Texas Bookshare, Vaccines Defend What Matters, and Hard Hats for Little Heads. All donors are recognized on the 2020 Holiday Sharing card.
County Alliance Roundup
The Tarrant County Medical Society Alliance hosted its inaugural "Party of Medicine" Casino Night. A TMA Alliance Membership Incentive Grant helped make the event possible, and it was well attended by members, physicians, and medical students. Several students joined the alliance during the festivities. TMA Alliance President Jennifer Lewis attended, and everyone had a great time while learning about the role the alliance and TEXPAC play in improving health and the profession of medicine.
The Nueces County Medical Society Alliance (NCMSA) hosted its annual Holiday Coffee honoring past presidents on Dec. 9 at the home of long-time TMA Alliance member and past NCMSA President Mary Campbell. The turnout was excellent, with about 40 members attending – including many of our past presidents. TMA Alliance President Jennifer Lewis served as guest speaker. She shared information about the Texas BookShare program and the impact of illiteracy on Texas communities. The coffee concluded with a fun optional ornament exchange game. It was a truly enjoyable event with lots of holiday cheer.
The NCMSA also held two other events in December. One was a Hard Hats for Little Heads event done in partnership with Bikes for Kids Corpus Christi. This allowed the two groups to give away helmets and bikes at once. TMA Alliance members and physicians fit enthusiastic cyclists with their new helmets. Meanwhile, NCMSA also held a Texas BookShare program at George Evans Elementary School. Due to COVID-19, guests were not allowed to interact with students. Instead, the school made recordings of the physicians reading the books and gave the students their books during the school’s annual holiday party.
The Potter-Randall County Medical Alliance (PRCMA) is a newly reinvigorated chapter that has launched great events all year targeting resident spouses and medical families. PRCMA ended the year with a festive helmet giveaway event for Amarillo children. We’re so proud of the innovative TMA Alliance chapters that are doing so much for their communities.
Help Families Manage Screen Time – and Mental Health – With TMA’s “Turn It Off Today” Campaign
The Lubbock County Medical Society Alliance piloted a program called Turn It Off Today. It was a huge success and was approved by TMA's Council on Health Promotion for statewide use. It's a simple program to implement – all you need to do is fill out a pledge card indicating you will take a break from your phone, iPad, gaming computer, etc. and encourage your kids or grandchildren to do the same. Take a photo of you and your kids and post it on Facebook or Instagram, or put it on your refrigerator as a reminder. Share the pledge cards with your friends, family, and county medical societies. You can find more information about the program here. Please contact Jenny Shepherd, TMAA vice president of community outreach, for more information.
Check out the Turn It Off Today toolkit for the materials you need to launch this program in your community.
SAVE THE DATE
Special Presentation: Join TMA Alliance Friday, Jan. 28 from 11 am to 12:30 pm for a presentation from Charles Vogl, author of The Art of Community. His amazing books eloquently articulate the TMA Alliance’s mission for our communities and for the Family of Medicine. Use this Zoom link to join the presentation: https://texmed.zoom.us/j/2726228458
2022 ALLMed: Great news – the TMA Alliance state convention is meeting IN PERSON April 28-29 in Houston. ALLMed includes our annual business meeting, special speaker presentations, leadership development, fellowship, networking, and fun. Reserve your room now. AllMed is for all TMA Alliance members, and we especially encourage attendance by those in leadership positions and those who want to pursue a leadership position in their county alliance. Look for more details later this month on the TMAA website.