For one Texas physician still in fellowship, the math wasn’t working. He was raising a large family, driving hundreds of miles between work and home, behind on household bills, and waiting for the day his new position would begin. The Physicians Benevolent Fund (PBF) provided six months of support for him and his young family so they could breathe a little easier.
Retelling that physician’s story, Little Elm internist John Flores, MD, chair of the PBF Committee, says that kind of assistance is exactly what the fund exists to do.
“It’s rewarding to be able to help someone in need, because I think a lot of us were in that position in our training, where we just didn’t have the resources to feel secure,” Dr. Flores said.
He sees the same kind of impact rippling out across TMA’s broader physician wellness work, where he says the tide is finally beginning to turn.
“Burnout rates are improving because [these resources] are teaching physicians how to regain the agency they need to feel they’re doing something worthwhile,” he said.
Established in 1961 by the Texas Medical Association, The Physicians Benevolent Fund offers financial help to Texas physicians and their families navigating illness, accident, or unexpected hardship. PBF’s family of funds has delivered just over $1 million to 800-plus physicians and their families over the past decade.
Some beneficiaries receive temporary support for three to six months; others draw monthly assistance over a longer stretch.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Flores said, the fund kept several physicians afloat by providing a lifeline reaching well past the individual recipient.
“If the fund didn’t provide the resources, some communities would lose that physician – and the ability to get the care they needed,” Dr. Flores said. “You’re not talking about helping one person; you’re actually helping a whole community of thousands of people.”
That broader slate of TMA resources is built to ease burnout, manage emotional challenges, and protect work-life balance. At the center is Wellness First, the association’s hub for physician mental health resources. The site hosts downloadable brochures on stress and substance use disorders alongside CME courses on work-life integration, boundary setting, and other practical topics – all free to TMA members courtesy of the TMA Insurance Trust.
The hub also connects members to Anticipate Joy, a low-cost, confidential counseling service that TMA first contracted with in 2023 to provide 30-minute, individual, online professional therapy services for physicians licensed to practice medicine and residing in Texas and has since assisted nearly 150 physicians, along with a crisis hotline and well-being self-assessments.
Also in 2023, TMA’s Committee on Physician Health and Wellness launched a CME wellness track at TexMed. After nearly 200 attendees turned out for the inaugural sessions, the committee expanded the track. Physician courses on mental health and resilience remain the highest-attended CME at the annual conference, said Casey Harrison, associate vice president of TMA’s Physician Education Services.
Online, TMA’s Education Center hosts a well-being CME library with nearly 20 free courses for members; “Advocating for Physician Wellness: It’s Everyone’s Job!” and “AI in Health Care: Can It Deter Physician Burnout?” lead members’ registration counts, and new self-care courses are added on a rolling basis.
For Edinburg pediatric hospitalist Cristel Escalona, MD, chair of TMA’s Committee on Physician Health and Wellness, this may be the most pivotal year yet for physician well-being. She urges her colleagues to explore the offerings – and to start with themselves.
“First and foremost, [your own well-being] is probably the key thing you can have as a physician – a good mindset, and the ability to take care of yourself before taking care of others,” Dr. Escalona said.