May 2021

 

President's Message

What an honor it has been to serve you as the Texas Medical Association Alliance (TMAA) president. During a year that many considered “closed,” the alliance chose to push forward. We worked with county medical societies to organize personal protective equipment (PPE) donation drives, arranged food deliveries for weary frontline workers, and volunteered at vaccine clinics. All the while, we continued to care for the home front. I am so proud of all of you!

This year was a success because of all the hard work from Pam Udall and Sasha Khalifeh. We have two of the most brilliant staff at TMA. Also thank you to my board members – every one of you played an unique role in our accomplishments for this year.

Even though this year was not a year full of traveling across the state and getting to meet you all in person, I am so very proud of all our county alliances. All of our leaders were very creative, working together and making the best out of these strenuous circumstances. All of you are exceptional leaders and have done an amazing job. It has been a privilege getting to work with you. We are the Family of Medicine, always running to the front lines and never shrinking back. We share the common value of serving others, caring for those around us, improving the health of our communities, and striving to make a difference.

I am pleased to be turning the presidency over to Jennifer Lewis. Jennifer is a capable leader with great love for the TMA Alliance. I have full confidence that she will continue building upon this foundation and lead the Alliance into its next phase in this (hopefully) post-pandemic world.

Martha Vijjeswarapu
TMA Alliance 2020-21 President

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Register Now for the TMAA Annual Business Meeting

TMAA’s annual business meeting will take place virtually on Thursday, May 13 from 10 am to noon. Use the link below to register for the meeting and encourage your fellow members to sign up.

All members are welcome to attend this meeting, and it is important to our organization that you participate! Each county chapter can cast up to ten votes to elect members of the nominating committee, so make your voice count and sign up today.

Register

Once you’re registered, use the checklist below to prepare for the meeting:
❏ Submit your nominations for the 2021-22 Nominating Committee (Due May 10),
❏ Download and review the Consent Agenda,
❏ Review the suggested revisions to TMAA Bylaws and Standing Rules,
❏ Send the names of deceased members to Sasha for the memorial.

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End of Year Survey

Last year, the onset of the coronavirus pandemic forced the TMA Alliance to make significant changes to many of our long-standing traditions. In addition to conducting our meetings virtually, we have introduced new programs in the form of the online Enrichment Series, fitness challenges, and more. Now, with vaccines widely available and in-person events on the horizon, we need you to tell us – how do you want to continue interacting with the alliance?

Please take a few minutes to respond to the survey and share your thoughts on the online Enrichment Series, virtual meetings, as well as how often you would like to participate in TMAA programs and events, what obstacles keep you from attending events, and what topics you are most interested in learning about.

The survey will close on May 28, so please get your answers in as soon as possible to make sure your voice is heard.

Take the Survey

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Congratulations to TMAA's 2021-22 Board of Directors

President: Jennifer Lewis, San Antonio
President-Elect: Libby White, Lubbock
President’s Special Advisor: Keely Hunsaker, Corpus Christi
VP of Community Health: Jenny Shepherd, San Antonio
VP of Communication: Mark Baerd, Houston
VP of Future Planning: Amanda Cutbirth, Corpus Christi
VP of Fiscal Affairs: Martha Howell, Temple
VP of Legislative Affairs: Christel Chase, Fort Worth
VP of Membership: Lori Routh, Dallas
VP-Elect of Membership: Joi Smith, Tyler
Recording Secretary: Lisa Drever, Longview
Parliamentarian: Mary Ann Shelton, Fort Worth
Revisions & Guidelines Chair: Lori Boies, San Antonio
Alliance of Physicians in Training (APT) Chair: Bailey Wesley, Amarillo

We thank you for your commitment to the TMA Alliance and look forward to seeing what you have in store!

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County Spotlight: Tarrant County Medical Society Alliance

Last February, Tarrant County Medical Society Alliance (TCMSA) celebrated its centennial year with its annual fundraising gala, the Medicine Ball. Shortly afterwards, the coronavirus entered our lives and upended everything. Despite countless obstacles, TCMSA still had an amazing year, continuing its many programs and activities such as vaccine drives and fundraisers for access to health care, which members have done throughout the organization’s history.

Founded in 1920, TCMSA has provided programs to support the health of their fellow Texans as and has provided a community for medical families. Tarrant County has had a long history of administering TMA health programs. Hard Hats for Little Heads has benefitted over 235,000 children since 1984. TCMSA is the most consistent county to put on Be Wise – Immunize events by partnering with Immunization Collaboration for Tarrant County (ICTC). ICTC’s annual Be Wise – Immunize low-cost vaccination events served 103,000 clients with 270,300 doses of vaccine since 2005. Not even a pandemic can stop them! TCMSA volunteered at the Be Wise – Immunize event mid-July to mid-September 2020 with ICTC, providing 5,100 clients with 12,300 doses of recommended vaccines for ages 0 to adult. The event used COVID-19 safety protocols to protect clients, staff, and volunteers.

ICTC is now planning the annual August Back to School vaccine event for 2021. Alliance members are on the ICTC Board and TCMSA provides $10,000 in funding annually as a partner with ICTC. The alliance provides funding for Tarrant County Public Health (TCPH) vaccine administration fees ($8 per shot) of up to $15,000 for families that cannot pay. The alliance also helps coordinate volunteer recruitment for our members, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, TCU and UNTHSC Medical School, other UNTHSC schools, and Tarrant County Medical Reserve Corp.

Alliance members are assisting the COVID-19 vaccination efforts in multiple ways. The TCMSA Facebook page frequently provides local vaccine information, vaccine safety information, and helps recruit volunteers for TCPH COVID-19 vaccine clinics. TCMSA is a great ally to TCPH, sharing additional health information and supporting vaccine efforts. Ten alliance members volunteered at COVID vaccine clinics beginning in late December. Volunteers provide ongoing clerical support at these vaccine clinics. All volunteers register with the Medical Reserve Corps to provide services at the COVID-19 vaccine events. Additionally, TCMSA has worked to promote TMA’s new vaccination-awareness program, Vaccines Defend What Matters, since its launch in January.

The pandemic did not slow down Tarrant County from raising and giving away funds. TCMS and TCMSA were still able to provide their annual Allied Health Scholarships for students in health career programs at Tarrant County College. TCMS and the alliance also work closely to support Project Access Tarrant County, a clinic providing low-cost medical and surgical procedures for low-income, working families. TCMS members volunteer time and services and partner with other local health care providers to donate supplies and facilities. Project Access is so important that TCMSA raised money for them on Doctor’s Day. TCMSA held a virtual fundraiser, asking people to donate in the name of their favorite doctor. They also partnered with Kendra Scott to donate a portion of sales on Doctor’s Day to Project Access. Besides virtual fundraising, TCMSA collected funds, fleece hoodies, and jackets for Warm Hugs for the Center for Transforming Lives, which benefits homeless children. They also held a Shower of Love baby shower drive during which they collected baby items for the JPS Foundation.

But it hasn’t been all work and no fun for TCMSA members – there have been several virtual and some socially distanced, in-person activities throughout the year. Members can stay cozy and get social during the Zoom Coffee Talk every first Friday, which allows them to safely connect and get a good dose of fellowship. Walk for Wellness was able to schedule a few outdoor walks for members. TCMSA also has a book club, a theater club (the Drama Queens), and an outing group (the Hometown Explorers). While these special interest groups were unable to meet this year, there were still many fun opportunities for members to connect with others who share their interests. Members and their families were able to connect with virtual bingo earlier in the year, and TCMSA hosted an online face mask design contest for kids. For Christmas, Tarrant County got creative and had a drive-thru cookie and coffee event where members wore their “best” Christmas sweaters and drove to different members’ homes for treats. In addition to all the fun, TCMSA members all enjoy a Perks Program where they get 10-20% discounts at different stores, including Apple.

First Tuesdays at the Capitol events during the pandemic have been different but just as valuable and productive. TCMS has scheduled Zoom meetings with district legislators to discuss bills impacting patient access and limiting patient protections and physicians’ ability to provide appropriate care. In some ways, the virtual calls have been more impactful than traditional in-person advocacy.

The caring members of TCMSA serve their county, but many also take on roles with the Texas Medical Association Alliance (TMAA). Fort Worth has had quite a few members serving at the state level, including recent past presidents Lisa Queralt and Angie Donahue; and Debbie Massingill, Marisa Mercer, and Mary Ann Shelton all recently have served on the TMAA board.

The alliance used so much creativity to maintain enrollment, connect members, and help their community, despite all the limitations from COVID-19. Their strong partnership with the Tarrant County Medical Society allowed them to help staff vaccine clinics, give out scholarships and improve access to low- or no-cost health care through Project Access Tarrant County. The compassion and dedication of this group is evident in programs such as a fundraiser for children experiencing homelessness, an infant health item drive, and a Doctor’s Day fundraiser. TCMSA worked hard to enable members to connect through service and virtual socializing. This year they succeeded despite a global pandemic and disruption of annual activities such as the Medicine Ball. The alliance used its skills of organization, community partnerships, and corporate sponsorship to enhance their positive impact on the Fort Worth community.

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“Will the Vaccines Give Me COVID-19?”

Are friends and family struggling with questions about COVID-19 vaccines? The Texas Medical Association has created a series of shareable social media graphics to help you answer those questions.

The new “Get the Facts” graphics can help you address common concerns such as:

  • “Will the vaccines give me COVID-19?”
  • “Should I get the vaccines if I’ve already had COVID-19?” and
  • “Do the COVID-19 vaccines alter your DNA?”

The graphics are available for download on TMA’s Vaccines Defend What Matters Social Media Toolkit in shareable sizes for both Twitter and Facebook.

This campaign is part of TMA’s Vaccines Defend What Matters program, a multimedia public health education and advocacy campaign aimed at reducing vaccine hesitancy and increasing vaccination rates in Texas.

Visit TMA’s Vaccines Defend What Matters Social Media Toolkit for a wide variety of downloadable and shareable materials – available in English and Spanish – to post to your social media channels, including the new COVID-19 Vaccine Fact Sheet in English and Spanish. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #VaccinesDefendWhatMatters on your posts.

TMA’s Vaccines Defend What Matters is funded in 2021 by the TMA Foundation thanks to major support from H-E-B, TMF Health Quality Institute, Cook Children’s Health Care System, and gifts from physicians and their families.

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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.

May 13, 10 am-Noon (CT)
TMAA Annual Business Meeting
Register

June 17, Noon-1 pm (CT)
Online Enrichment Series
Foods for Thought: Understanding the Impact of Diet and Lifestyle on Mental Health
Jason Pawloski, RDN
Register

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

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