By Mercedes Dossa, VP of Community Engagement
During National Immunization Month, we put the spotlight on Tarrant County Medical Society Alliance (TCMSA), which has played a huge role in ensuring local residents have access to vaccinations. With the support of the TMA Foundation, TCMSA helped form the Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant County (ICTC) more than 20 years ago and continues to support its work.
Every summer TCMSA partners with ICTC on two large-scale, back-to-school vaccination clinics. This event could not happen without the countless number of volunteers collecting intake information, greeting patients, easing the fears of a young child, informing people about the various vaccines, or walking patients to the nurses and physicians who volunteer their time and expertise to make these events a success.
TCMSA first got involved in its vaccination work through TMA’s Be Wise – Immunize program, now known as Vaccine Defends What Matters. The community outreach program provides an opportunity for TMA physicians, medical students, and resident physicians; TMA Alliance members; and community coalitions to come together across Texas to provide education and vaccinations.
“The Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant County continues to partner with TMA to strengthen successful vaccine events and grow the impact of community vaccine education,” said Terri Andrews, TCMSA and ICTC founding member.
Has your alliance considered how community outreach efforts, like Vaccines Defend What Matters, also help with membership recruitment and engagement? The vaccination clinics provide countless volunteer engagement opportunities for TCMSA members from direct service to leadership positions. Kelly Parsley, TCMSA member, serves on the ICTC board as a member at large, the alliance liaison, and the back-to-school vaccination clinics volunteer coordinator. Members are encouraged to volunteer with their teenage or adult children, their spouse, and friends. It’s an opportunity for TCMSA members to show those inside and outside the medical community the impact the alliance makes in Tarrant County.
Here is what TCMSA members have to say about their volunteer experience:
Marisa Mercer: “Being able to participate to protect our communities’ children against disease is very gratifying. No matter how small the part I play may seem, collectively, the impact is significant.”
Angie Donahue: “I think the implementation of TMA’s vaccination programs through the Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant County was one of the most significant public health initiatives in our community in the past 20 years. It makes me proud to have contributed both as a TCMSA volunteer and with TCMSA’s fundraising efforts. We all have been part of giving children a chance to grow up healthy.”
Volunteer opportunities can help you boost membership! Do you provide hands-on and leadership volunteer opportunities to engage your members? Do you encourage volunteer opportunities that allow members to participate with their families and friends outside of the alliance? One thing we constantly hear from our members is that giving back to their community is important to them. Participating in TMA community projects allows alliances to engage their membership while making a big community impact. Learn more about VDWM and other TMA outreach programs.