TMA Foundation Grants Funds to Help Improve Texans’ Health

 Feb. 14, 2018  

Texans from the panhandle to the Rio Grande Valley will benefit from $11,420 in Texas Medical Association Foundation (TMAF) grant funding for health-improvement projects. TMAF awarded the funds to four county medical societies, TMA medical student chapters, and county chapters of the TMA Alliance (TMA physician members and their spouses who volunteer for TMA outreach programs). The 2017-18 TMAF Medical Community Grant Programs fund health improvement programs that increase people’s health care access in local communities. The funds will combat human trafficking, vaccinate underserved people, help patients with Parkinson’s disease, and improve health for underserved residents along the U.S.-Mexico border. 

secrest “I want to congratulate all of the 2018 grant recipients,” said Leslie Secrest, MD, president of TMAF, TMA’s philanthropic arm (at left). “We believe these organizations will play a big role in improving the health of Texans, and I am proud that the TMA Foundation is partnering with them.”

This year’s grant recipients are (in alphabetical order):

  •  The Lubbock-Crosby-Garza County Medical Society (LCGMS) received a grant of $1,320 to raise awareness about the problem of human sex trafficking of minors in Texas. The Lubbock Anti-Sex Trafficking Project is a collaboration among local organizations to create safe havens for children who could fall victim to sex trafficking. The group affixes stickers across Lubbock with advice on how potential victims can get help. “The funding from TMAF will make a huge difference in the number of stickers — with the national sex trafficking hotline number — that we can purchase to place in local businesses’ restrooms,” said Melinda Garcia Schalow, MD, project committee co-chair. “Public restrooms are often the only place where a victim will receive a few moments of privacy to memorize or retain the number for help.”  

  •  The TMA Medical Student Section chapter of the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston received $2,600 in TMAF grant funding for Frontera de Salud, a student-based community health project to address health disparities and promote healthy living for residents along the Texas-Mexico border. The program provides an opportunity for medical and public health students to serve the community’s health needs while practicing their health care skills. “It is truly an honor to receive this grant, and we are privileged to now have an opportunity to make our organization greater than ever before,” said Ben Danna, TMA chapter president at McGovern Medical School. “We have an upcoming trip to south Texas this weekend, and TMAF’s generosity has already allowed us to restock diabetes test strips and glucose monitors to use there. This is all thanks to TMAF.” 

  •  The Tarrant County Medical Society (TCMS) Alliance Foundation will use its $3,750 in TMAF Medical Community Grant funding for the Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant County. The collaboration will provide low-cost vaccines for 7,000 eligible children, teens, and adults through TMA’s Be Wise — ImmunizeSM program, a public health initiative to improve vaccination rates in Texas through education and hands-on immunization clinics. “TCMS Alliance Foundation is grateful for TMA Foundation’s continued support for our Be Wise — Immunize project partnering with Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant County,” said Terri Andrews, chair of the Tarrant County initiative. “The funding will be applied to low-cost vaccine events as well as the important expansion of internet and social media education about the importance and safety of immunizations.” 

  •  The Travis County Medical Society will receive $3,750 for its Power for Parkinson’s initiative. The effort provides free group fitness and dance classes, singing groups, and social activities for Austin-area people with Parkinson's disease and their care partners. “This grant will help Power for Parkinson’s raise awareness among the Travis County medical community as well as allow us to expand programming to improve the well-being of the local Parkinson’s community through free exercise, dance, and singing classes,” said Nina Mosier, MD, Power for Parkinson’s director. 

(One additional grant was originally announced, but the applicant notified TMAF they have withdrawn the application.)

Each year, local medical society and alliance chapters may apply for up to $7,500 in matching funds from the TMAF Medical Community Grant Program. Medical student chapters may apply for up to $3,000 in matching funds from the TMAF Medical Student Community Leadership Grants Program. The TMA Foundation board approved the grant funding during its meeting at TMA Winter Conference in January.

TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more than 51,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 112 component county medical societies around the state. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans. The TMA Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) organization that raises funds to support the population health, science, and quality-of-care priority initiatives of TMA and the Family of Medicine.

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Be Wise — Immunize is a service mark of the Texas Medical Association.

Contact:  Brent Annear (512) 370-1381; cell: (512) 656-7320; email: brent.annear[at]texmed[dot]org
Marcus Cooper (512) 370-1382; cell: (512) 650-5336; email: marcus.cooper[at]texmed[dot]org 

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Last Updated On

February 14, 2020

Originally Published On

February 14, 2018