Stories written by Tammy Wishard

Last Chance to Order Bicycle Helmets to Give to Your Community’s Children - 12/22/2020

Although the Texas Medical Association’s Hard Hats for Little Heads program will pause in early 2021 because of COVID-19, TMA’s remaining helmet inventory is available for purchase through the end of December for use at “safe” giveaways in the new year, such as during well-checks.

TCEP Kicks Off Hard Hats for Little Heads Collaboration - 12/16/2020

More than 300 students at Waverly Park Elementary School in Fort Worth received some early holiday cheer in late November with a free bicycle helmet from the Texas College of Emergency Physicians in conjunction with TMA’s Hard Hats for Little Heads program.

TMA Honors Outstanding Health Reporting - 12/10/2020

For the third year in a row, a San Antonio Express-News journalist took home the Texas Health Journalist of the Year title in the Texas Medical Association’s Anson Jones, MD, Awards news media competition.

Hard Hats for Little Heads to Take Hiatus in Early 2021 - 12/08/2020

Because health fairs and similar community events aren’t a safe option right now, the Texas Medical Association will pause Hard Hats operations in early 2021.

TMA Bike Helmets + Holiday Gift Giveaways = Safe, Happy Kids - 11/13/2020

As the holidays approach, the Texas Medical Association’s Hard Hats for Little Heads bike helmet giveaway program provides a way to put smiles – and safety – into the lives of children in your community.

TMA Has Bike Helmets For Your Next Giveaway - 11/13/2020

If you want to help kids in your community get outside and stay active, consider hosting a Hard Hats for Little Heads bike helmet giveaway. By hosting an event, you can join with the Texas Medical Association to urge Texas kids: “Get Moving. Stay Safe. Wear a Helmet.”

Here’s Everything You Need to Spread the Word About Flu Vaccines - 10/01/2020

Today is Texas Influenza Awareness Day, which the Texas Department of State Health Services designated to stress the importance of every Texan over 6 months old receiving a seasonal flu vaccine. The Texas Medical Association’s Be Wise – Immunize program has created several tools and resources you can use to get the word out today and throughout flu season.

New Poster Encourages Flu Vaccination Amid COVID-19 - 09/24/2020

“COVID-19 is here, but so is the flu.” That is the message of a new downloadable poster available from the Texas Medical Association’s Be Wise – Immunize program to help you stress the need for flu vaccination, this year more than ever.

Back-to-School Vaccination Clinics Adapt During COVID-19 - 08/25/2020

Although the start of school might look different than last year, efforts to help children meet the state vaccination requirements remain as strong as ever, thanks to the Texas Medical Association’s Be Wise – ImmunizeSM program.

Encourage School Vaccinations with Prewritten Letters to the Editor - 08/20/2020

To help you spread the word to families who might have missed or avoided vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Texas Medical Association’s Be Wise – Immunize program and the Texas Pediatric Society have created four prewritten letters to the editor you can send to your local newspaper.

Hard Hats School Giveaways Help Kids Read, Ride - 08/06/2020

During the COVID-19 pandemic, joining with a local school that gives bikes as a reward for achievement is a good fit for a Texas Medical Association Hard Hats for Little Heads bike helmet giveaway.

Be Wise Offers Ready-to-Use Vaccination Social Media Posts - 07/24/2020

Addressing vaccination hesitancy just got easier, thanks to a Vaccination Social Media Toolkit created by the Texas Medical Association’s Be Wise – Immunize program. The toolkit consists of shareable social media assets to help you convey that vaccinations for children and adults are important, safe, and effective.

Well-Checks, Emergency Settings Are Fitting Times to Give Out Bicycle Helmets - 07/16/2020

As a family physician in the North Texas town of Jacksboro, Shivum Agarwal, MD, not only sees patients at his office and the emergency department, he also helps keep them safe through the Texas Medical Association’s Hard Hats for Little Heads program.

Don’t Miss the Bus on Vaccine Clinic Grants - 07/07/2020

If you’ve seen a decrease in vaccinations in your community – either through conscientious exemptions or during the COVID-19 pandemic – consider applying for a grant to host your own Be Wise – Immunize vaccination event.

New CME! Talk to Parents About Vaccine-Preventable Diseases - 06/17/2020

Talking to parents about vaccines can be challenging, especially with the anti-vaccine movement, and the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a decline in childhood vaccinations across the country. That’s why the Texas Medical Association has created a CME course to better prepare you for these conversations.

Drive Through to Prevent Flu and Other Illnesses - 06/10/2020

As social distancing continues, consider hosting a Texas Medical Association Be Wise – ImmunizeSM drive-through shot clinic, as the Lamar-Delta County Medical Society has done the past six years with financial support from TMA.

Promote Safe Exercise With In-Office Hard Hats Giveaways - 06/05/2020

As COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders are lifted statewide, you might be looking for ways to reconnect with your community. But, social-distancing recommendations mean you have to get creative. TMA's Hard Hats for Little Heads has bicycle helmets available that you can give to kids during well checks.

Emergency Physicians: Join TMA in Protecting Kids’ Heads - 03/10/2020

Do kids in your community end up in the emergency department (ED) because they were riding their bikes without a helmet or wearing it incorrectly? If so, the Texas Medical Association’s Hard Hats for Little Heads program can help you prevent similar injuries in the future.

Be Wise Grants Deadline Extended - 03/03/2020

Thinking about hosting a Texas Medical Association Be Wise – ImmunizeSM education event or shot clinic? If so, you’re in luck because the deadline to apply for a Local Impact Grant to help fund the event has been extended to March 15.

Be Like This Belton Clinic – Boost Flu Shots in Your Community - 02/07/2020

A Belton health clinic that serves uninsured Bell County residents more than doubled the number of flu shots given last year thanks to a Local Impact Grant provided through the Texas Medical Association’s Be Wise – ImmunizeSM program. The clinic was able to give 160 adults flu shots with the grant funding, compared with 70 given during the 2018-19 flu season.

Nominate Health Reporting that Impacted Medicine - 02/03/2020

As you look back at medicine and health care in 2019, take a minute to consider local journalists who helped the public understand a health issue and nominate them for the Texas Medical Association's Anson Jones, MD, Award. Three of last year’s award winners were nominated by a TMA physician or county medical society.

Journalism Contest Recognizes Physician and Medical Student Work - 01/06/2020

Do you moonlight as a medical reporter? Maybe you write a blog or a column for your local newspaper or magazine. Or perhaps you host a health-focused segment on a local TV or radio station. If so, enter your work in the TMA Anson Jones, MD, Awards contest.

Honoring Journalism’s Impact on Health Care in Texas - 10/30/2019

The Texas Medical Association's Anson Jones, MD,  Awards recognize outstanding health reporting for Texas print, television, radio, online, and physician journalists. TMA’s Council on Health Promotion oversees the awards, and TMA physician members present the awards to journalists in their newsrooms.

Connect to Your Community Through A Vaccination Clinic - 10/10/2019

Sometimes, health care is most effective when you bring it to patients, instead of waiting for them to come to you. That’s exactly what students at The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School did when they organized a pertussis vaccination clinic this spring with help from a grant from the Texas Medical Association’s Be Wise – Immunize program.

Help Patients Be Wise About Flu Shots - 09/24/2019

Influenza has been particularly memorable during the past two seasons. The 2018-19 season was the longest in a decade, lasting 21 weeks, while 2017-18 saw a record 186 pediatric flu-related deaths, including 17 in Texas. As we begin another flu season, the Texas Medical Association’s Be Wise – Immunize program offers tools to help you make this one unremarkable.