TMA GRANTS - In support of TMA’s population health, science, and quality of care priorities
Vaccines Defend What Matters (VDWM): VDWM is TMA’s integrated, multimedia education and advocacy effort to overcome vaccine hesitancy and increase vaccination rates in Texas. VDWM sends a strong message from today’s medical heroes that choosing to be immunized against COVID-19 and other infectious disease safeguards good health, jobs, schools, and the Texas economy. VDWM educates leaders and policymakers about the importance of vaccines, physicians on how to counter vaccine hesitancy in their patients, and the public on the impact immunization can have on their lives. In 2023, VDWM supported grants to 17 county medical societies and TMA Alliance and medical student chapters that want to bring the campaign’s message into their communities through outreach and opportunities to become vaccinated.
TMA’s Hard Hats for Little Heads (HHLH): HHLH encourages safe exercise and prevention of life-altering or fatal brain injuries to Texas children engaged in wheeled sports. Since inception in 1994, more than 385,000 free helmets have been given to youths aged 14 and younger at community events such as bicycle safety rodeos and health fairs. TMA and TMA Alliance members and community collaborators educate parents and children about the importance of wearing a properly fitted helmet when bicycling, inline skating, skateboarding, or riding a scooter.
TMA’s Ernest and Sarah Butler Awards for Excellence in Science Teaching: TMA is committed to elevating the importance of science in our modern society by recognizing and rewarding outstanding science teachers in elementary and junior and senior high schools. Since 1990, TMA has helped increase science literacy by providing cash awards to winning teachers and their schools to enhance their science curriculum.
TMA’s Diversity in Medicine Scholarship: Established in 1998, the scholarships were designed as a unique means to fill a gap brought about by the Hopwood ruling barring public medical schools from offering minority-specific scholarships. In Texas, minority groups underrepresented regarding population-to-physician ratios are Hispanic, Black, and Native American. Annually, a qualified student entering each of Texas’ medical schools is selected to receive a $10,000 scholarship and named a “Bayardo Scholar” after Dr. and Mrs. Roberto Bayardo who established a fund that provides major support for this program.
Walk with a Doc Texas (WWAD): WWAD engages physicians and their patients and the community in healthy physical activity to reverse the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle, especially obesity. In 2023, 68 host sites held a total of 609 events with more than 6,977 participants. Participants enjoy a healthy snack and a brief health-related presentation before each 45–90-minute walk.
TMA Alliance Texas BookShare: The BookShare program promotes healthy habits in children of all ages by supplying them with books on topics such as the importance of physical activity, growing fruits and vegetables, and maintaining a healthy diet. In 2023, county chapters collaborated with local pediatricians and family physicians to distribute 4,916 books to young patients. Inside each book is a personal message of encouragement from an alliance member.
History of Medicine Banner Program: This program enables TMA’s History of Medicine Committee to offer the seven exhibit banner sets to schools, libraries and other venues that educate the public on a range of health and medical subjects, enhance the image of physicians, and encourage the pursuit of research and science education. The banners promote TMA’s patient health advocacy goals through education and historical content.
FAMILY OF FUNDS
The Family of Funds (FOF) is the umbrella for TMAF funds and endowments that support the charitable health improvement and education goals of TMA and TMAA members and the related efforts of TMA county medical societies and TMA alliance and medical student chapters.
TMAF Hispanic Nursing Scholarship Trust Fund of Dr. Roberto J. and Agniela (Annie) M. Bayardo: This fund provides scholarships annually for selected nursing students in Harris and Travis counties and is administered by the Harris County Medical Society Alliance Philanthropic Fund and the Travis County Medical Society Alliance Foundation.
TMAF Medical Student Scholarship and Grant Trust Fund of Dr. Roberto J. and Agniela (Annie) M. Bayardo: TMA County Medical Societies and alliance chapters that have a medical student scholarship program may apply for scholarship grant funds that match their scholarship (up to $5,000). This fund also supports TMAF community health grants to TMA medical student chapters. In 2023, Lubbock, Midland, Smith, and Travis county medical societies and Bexar and Wichita county medical alliances were each awarded one matching scholarship.
TMAF Hispanic Medical Student Scholarship Fund of Dr. Roberto J. and Agniela (Annie) M. Bayardo: This fund provides scholarships to Hispanic individuals accepted to or attending a Texas medical school. TMA County Medical Societies and alliance chapters that have a medical student scholarship program may apply for scholarship grants that match their scholarship (up to $5,000). In 2023, Midland, Smith, and Travis county medical societies and Bexar County Medical Alliance were each awarded one matching scholarship.
TMAF Radha, Naren & Hitaine Endowment for Medical Student Scholarships by Shakuntala and Mahendra Patel, MD: This endowment support a scholarship to Hispanic, Asian, or Black Texas medical school students entering the second, third or fourth year of medical school with demonstrated financial aid. This scholarship is administered through the Lubbock County Medical Society and its medical student scholarship program in concert with Texas Tech University Health Science Center School of Medicine in Lubbock. In 2023, three $2,100 scholarships were awarded.
County medical societies and alliance and TMA medical student chapters may apply for a grant to support their community health improvement initiative focused on any TMA priorities in the areas of population health and science and TMA organizational focus areas of population health, medical education, and quality of care.
COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETIES AND ALLIANCE CHAPTERS – Medical Community Grants
Physician Coaching and Wellness Program/ Bexar County Medical Society: This program provides an effective, evidenced-based physician coaching experience that decreases burnout, improves wellness, and empowers physicians to lead with confidence. A Certified Physician Coach leads engaging didactic and group coaching sessions that foster a leadership mindset and builds community each month. Participants will access a website for recorded didactics, worksheets, and resources to utilize on demand. A monthly CME Wellness Webinar will be offered to enhance leadership skills and professional development.”
NEW! Volunteers in Medicine/Comal County Medical Society: CMS member physicians volunteer their time to provide primary medical care at no charge to low-income uninsured adults at New Braunfels Christian Ministries Volunteers in Medicine (VIM). Since inception in 2008, VIM has served patients at more than 72,000 medical appointments providing more than $38 million in donated care.
Promoting Literacy and Healthy Habits in our Adopt-a-School/The Nueces County Medical Society Alliance (NCMSA): NCMSA’s adopt-a-school benefits 400-425 elementary students, 95% of whom are economically disadvantaged and not often exposed to books outside of school so tend to struggle to learn to read, and often don't have basic hygiene essentials. Physicians visitthe classroom once or twice a semester to read a book about healthy habits and provide hygiene essentials and gently used clothing so students can attend school with confidence. Through a collaboration with TMA Alliance’s Texas BookShare, the students are able to take a copy of the book home with them to encourage literacy and promote the healthy habits covered.
Improving Asthma Outcomes for Uninsured Children in Travis County/Travis County Medical Alliance and Foundation: This program works to improve the health and well-being of children living with asthma, while removing the barrier of cost to their families and promote school attendance, learning, and participation in all childhood activities.
Physician Wellness Program/Travis County Medical Society (TCMS): This wellness program offers four counseling sessions to the more than 4,400 TCMS members, medical students, and their spouses/partners as well as an annual CME symposium focused on specific aspects of physician wellness, such as stress and burnout. All members receive a weekly email that features practical resources for physician health and well-being.
TMA MEDICAL STUDENT CHAPTERS –Medical Student Community Leadership Grants
Funding for these grants is made possible by the TMAF Medical Student Scholarship and Grant Trust Fund of Dr. Roberto J. and Agniela (Annie) M. Bayardo.
Alliance Refugee Health Fair/Baylor College of Medicine: This annual event seeks to address the healthcare inequities faced by Houston's underserved refugee population by providing direct medical and preventative health services, education about health and wellbeing, and resources for greater access to care. Working with various local refugee aid organizations and resettlement agencies, this event will provide refugees with culturally competent resources to navigate the Harris Health System and other local services, thus allowing an easier transition to self-sustained living.
Eighth Annual HOPE Health Fair/University of Texas Medical Branch: This collaborative event integrates family practice physicians, TMA physician members, and students from UTMB's school of medicine, nursing, and occupational therapy to connect vulnerable patients in the greater Galveston area with health/support services at the St. Vincent's student-run clinic. The fair provides vaccinations, STD/STI testing, breast cancer screenings, as well as general health screenings and connect patients to primary care provider services at the clinic.
NEW! Pop-Up Wellness (Clinics in Huntsville and Conroe Areas)/Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine: Pop-Up Wellness, a program conducted by medical students at women and children shelters like SAAFE house, aims to provide comprehensive wellness checks and informational support. Vital signs assessments, screenings, patient interviews, and educational resources are offered to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable populations, empowering them with knowledge and access to healthcare services.
NEW! Hepatitis Education and Screening Outreach for the Asian American Community in Texas/The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio: According to the Centers for Disease and Control, while Asian Americans make up 6% of the total population in the United States, they account for 58% of all chronic hepatitis B patients in the US. Hepatitis B and C increase the risk of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer, and the CDC recommends screening for at-risk populations. This program works to raise awareness of the risks and the importance of screening through creating and presenting educational resources in multiple languages like English, Vietnamese, Korean, and Mandarin at community events and health fairs.
NEW! Hypertension and Stroke Prevention Community Health Fair/The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine: This patient education initiative for uninsured patients in Hidalgo County distributes blood pressure monitors to pre-screened patients and provides one-on-one education in each follow-up visit with their provider. Medical students and Area Health Education Center Scholars program students work with providers to offer specific techniques (i.e., home workout programs and culturally competent recipes) from multiple disciplines like dietetics, nutrition, and exercise studies to help patients control their blood pressure and address other risk factors for strokes like smoking cessation and diabetes management. Students talk one-on-one with the patients, provide reading materials, and teach signs of a stroke.
Frontera de Salud/University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) – McGovern Medical School: Founded in 2011, Frontera provides free quarterly health screenings, education and resources to underserved populations in Brownsville through a collaboration with the Cameron County Public Health Department. These clinics are held once in the fall, once in the spring, and once in the summer.
NEW! Health and Wellness Month: Enhancing a Culture of Growth, Belonging, and Joy/Dell Medical School: Dell Med’s Health and Wellness Month: Enhancing a Culture of Growth, Belonging, and Joy” is a student-led, school-supported initiative focused on ensuring all medical students have the knowledge, skills, and opportunities to maintain their healthiest selves across a variety of environments. The initiative is modeled from the pillars set forth by the American Academy of Family Physician's to addressing physician well-being which include the following: burnout and depression support, creating a culture of well-being, increasing joy in practice, practicing self-care, and suicide prevention and emergency help.
NEW! C.D. Doyle Clinic's Health Fair: Promoting and Facilitating Healthy Living for All People/Dell Medical School: C.D. Doyle is the student-run clinic at the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School which provides free care to any and all individuals. “C.D. Doyle Clinic’s Health Fair: Promoting and Facilitating Healthy Living for All” is a student-driven, school-supported initiative to increase health education, opportunities and accessibility for individuals currently experiencing homelessness. With the Texas Medical Association Foundation, we hope to integrate the clinic, school, and diverse community partners to bring forward a robust, accessible health fair that not only promotes healthy living but facilitates it with the needed resources, education, and next steps.
NEW! Creation & Integration of Spanish Culture & Language Learning/Dell Medical School: This program consists of engaging opportunities to learn and practice medical Spanish at various levels of medical training across Dell Medical School with plans to create safe opportunities to practice medical Spanish, organize patient-centered seminars discussing impacts of language on healthcare with certified Spanish language instructors, and promote cultural enrichment focusing on Latinx culture. The program will offer trainees the chance to develop and practice Spanish cultural proficiency and language, ultimately enhancing the quality of care provided to our diverse population.
Maroon Health Free Clinic/Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine: Maroon Health Free Clinic is a Texas A&M medical student-run free clinic in Houston operating through a partnership with Open Gate Homeless Ministries to provide medical care biweekly to individuals experiencing homelessness in the Montrose neighborhood. The program meets participants where they are at the outreach center to provide same-day well checks, sick visits, and patient education that they otherwise might not have the opportunity to receive. The program also provides an environment for medical students to practice clinical skills, receive hands-on experience with social determinants of health, and navigate local health and social resources with their patients.
NEW! HepBFree: Immunizations for Hepatitis B/UT Health Science Center San Antonio: Medical students and the Long School of Medicine's APAMSA Chapter are teaming up with the Texas Liver Institute to offer free Hepatitis B screenings and vaccinations in San Antonio. This initiative responds to the pressing need observed among individuals lacking insurance or financial means for Hepatitis B vaccination after screening negative for Hepatitis B antibodies. Hepatitis B vaccination is crucial as it prevents a potentially often asymptomatic until life-threatening liver infection that can lead to liver failure even liver cancer. With a focus on education about Hepatitis B and dispelling vaccination myths, the program aims to empower the San Antonio community. Anticipated outcomes include increased vaccination rates and heightened awareness about Hepatitis B, contributing to improved community health.