TMA's success in the just-completed session of the Texas Legislature was due in large part to physicians who provided key testimony to House and Senate committees as they conducted hearings on health care-related bills. Forty-two physicians, ranging from former TMA presidents to members of the TMA Board of Trustees to rank-and-file physicians, joined TMA Presidents William H. Fleming III, MD, and Josie Williams, MD, in testifying during the 140-day session.
Dr. Fleming thanked his colleagues for their efforts and praised their willingness to help TMA push its legislative agenda.
"These physicians took time away from their practices to share their expertise with legislators," Dr. Fleming said. "Giving the legislature the perspective of physicians who practice medicine and face the challenges it brings every day made a big difference. It's one thing for a legislator to hear from an insurance executive or a state official. It's quite another for him or her to hear from a physician who sees how the legislature's actions affect patients and physicians. The white coat has a big impact."
Samuel B. Adkins III, MD, Austin
Bohn D. Allen, MD, Arlington
Louis Appel, MD, Austin
Cassandra Arceneaux, MD, MPH, LaMarque
Sara Austin, MD, Austin
Michelle Berger, MD, Austin
Ari Brown, MD, Austin
Dawn Buckingham, MD, Austin
Mark Chassay, MD, Austin
Joel Dunnington, MD, Houston
Kimberly Edwards, MD, Austin
Gary Floyd, MD, Fort Worth
Lewis Foxhall, MD, Houston
A. Tomas Garcia, MD, Houston
John Gill, MD, Dallas
Albert Gros, MD, Austin
Charleta Guillory, MD, Houston
John Hellerstedt, MD, Austin
Richard Helmer III, MD, Austin
Robert S. Hendler, MD, Dallas
Carlos Hernandez, MD, Eagle Pass
John Holcomb, MD, San Antonio
Ladon Homer, MD, Fort Worth
Jerry Hunsaker, MD, Corpus Christi
John Jackson, MD, Fort Worth
Jeff Jekot, MD, Austin
Barry Lachman, MD, Dallas
C. Bruce Malone, MD, Austin
Dan McCoy, MD, Dallas
Clifford Moy, MD, Austin
Sharon Raimer, MD, Galveston
Janet Realini, MD, MPH, San Antonio
Cristy M. Schade, MD, PhD, Garland
Joseph Schneider, MD, MBA, Dallas
Charlotte Smith, MD, Austin
Michael Speer, MD, Houston
Bernard Swift, DO, San Antonio
Jason Terk, MD, Keller
Todd Thames, MD, San Antonio
Lyle Thorstenson, MD, Nacogdoches
Stanley Wang, MD, Austin,
Dennis Watts, MD, Austin
James T. Willerson, MD, Houston
Action , June 3, 2009