Stories with related Professional Interests

Monkeypox Wave Intensifies; Get Educated With TMA Fact Sheet - 06/24/2022

The monkeypox outbreak in the U.S. is now the worst documented wave of the disease in the nation’s history, surpassing the previous one in 2003. As cases of this rarely seen disease climb, the Texas Medical Association’s Committee on Infectious Diseases has put together a four-page fact sheet, Monkeypox: What Physicians Need to Know, to help educate physicians.

Texas Ranked Worst State for Access to Prenatal, Maternal Care - 06/10/2022

A recent study ranked Texas 50th among all states in access to high-quality prenatal and maternal care, and one of the main reasons is the difficulties women face in getting health care coverage both before and after their hospital stay to give birth, says Houston obstetrician-gynecologist Rakhi Dimino, MD, chair of the Texas Medical Association’s Committee on Reproductive, Women’s and Perinatal Health.

Feds Declare “Long COVID” a Disability - 06/10/2022

Although the pandemic rages on, there may be some relief in sight for people with lingering effects from COVID 19 infection – or “long COVID” – as well as consequences for the physicians who treat and employ them. The Biden administration in late

Monkeypox Cases Resurface; CDC Urges Vigilance - 06/09/2022

With cases of monkeypox recently reported in several countries that don’t normally have that virus – including at least one confirmed case in the U.S. – federal health authorities are advising physicians to be on the lookout for the characteristic rash usually associated with monkeypox.

Early RSV Spread Prompts State to Make Synagis More Available - 06/07/2022

High-risk children enrolled in Medicaid and two children’s health programs will be able to access the medication Synagis in the coming weeks to combat an earlier-than-expected resurgence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), state health authorities say.

For Five Decades, Texas Physicians Have Helped Care for Physicians - 06/07/2022

Since 1961, the Texas Medical Association’s Physicians Benevolent Fund has provided assistance to Texas physicians and their families who have fallen on hard times because of poverty, sickness, disability, accident, or other circumstances. Beginning this year, the newly established PBF Wellness Fund is available for qualified physicians who cannot afford treatment for depression, substance-abuse disorders, or other impairments.

Physicians Benevolent Fund Supports Physicians in Need - 06/07/2022

The Physicians Benevolent Fund helps support physicians and their immediate families who fall on desperate financial times or who are in treatment, perhaps as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or because of other circumstances. TMA family members can support PBF in two ways.

Preorder COVID Vaccines for Ages 6 Months to 5 Years - 06/03/2022

State health authorities are asking COVID-19 vaccinators who will immunize children from ages 6 months through 5 years to preorder the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines that will collectively serve that age group once they’re approved.

Infant Formula Shortage: What Physician Practices Need to Know - 05/31/2022

The recent nationwide shortage of baby formula has prompted many families to contact their child’s physician for help finding formula, or with questions about safe alternatives.

How to Start a Medical-Legal Partnership - 05/31/2022

Medical entities can join forces with legal entities to form medical-legal partnerships (MLPs), and these partnerships are helpful for patients whose conditions are worsened by social determinants of health.

CDC Issues New Recommendations on Possible Adenovirus-Hepatitis Cases - 05/25/2022

As cases of pediatric hepatitis climb across the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its previous health alert on the threat with more recommendations for clinicians.

CDC Probing Monkeypox Case in Dallas - 05/24/2022

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating a case of monkeypox in a person who was diagnosed with the virus after traveling from Nigeria to Dallas.

Public Health Emergency’s End Would Kickstart Medicaid Eligibility Re-Checks. Here’s How to Prepare - 05/20/2022

After strong advocacy by the American Medical Association and other organizations, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services appears poised to extend the COVID-19 public health emergency for a 10th time.

Grant Applications Once Again Open to Help Promote Vaccines - 05/17/2022

In the face of persistent vaccine hesitancy, more than ever, medicine needs its soldiers to promote the safety, efficacy, and importance of vaccinations. You can receive help with a grant from the Texas Medical Association Foundation as part of Vaccines Defend What Matters, TMA’s multimedia public health education and advocacy effort to increase vaccination rates in Texas.

Improve Your Work-Life Balance with These Simple Steps - 05/16/2022

You’re a busy physician, so you might not always have time to take care of yourself as well as your patients. But taking care of yourself doesn’t just mean focusing on your physical well-being. Your mental, financial, and emotional fitness need to be looked after as well. The Texas Medical Association’s Committee on Physician Health and Wellness can help you assess your work-life balance and determine your core values.

Low-Dose Aspirin No Longer Widely Recommended to Prevent Heart Disease - 05/16/2022

Low-dose aspirin does not help prevent cardiovascular disease like once thought, and physicians should prescribe it in a relatively narrow set of circumstances.

Texas No. 1 in Congenital Syphilis Cases: How All Docs Can Help - 05/11/2022

With Texas leading the nation in the number of congenital syphilis cases, a Texas Medical Association collaboration on new resources aims to help all physicians understand the growing public health threat and tackle it head on through improved diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Texas Physician COVID Profiles - 05/10/2022

Read about the experiences of some Texas physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dialing In on Disparities: CDC Grant Helps Texas Tackle COVID-Aggravated Health Gaps - 05/06/2022

It’s a short-term federal grant that Stephen Pont, MD, hopes can make a long-term impact.

Houston Includes E-Cigarettes in Anti-Smoking Ordinance - 05/04/2022

The Houston City Council scored a big win for public health when it voted unanimously to add e-cigarettes to the city’s ordinance on smoking in public places, says Pasadena pediatrician Lindy Upton McGee, MD, an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine.

Talk to Patients About: Should I Get Vaccinated if I’ve Had COVID-19? - 05/01/2022

There is a lot of misinformation about vaccines, so each month Texas Medicine highlights common concerns that patients raise about immunizations. This material is designed to help you talk to your patients and help them understand the benefits of vaccines. Find

De-Emphasizing Devices: How to Help Patients Combat Phone Addiction - 05/01/2022

When Dallas adolescent medicine specialist M. Brett Cooper, MD, talks to his young patients in the exam room, most pay attention. But some kids find their smartphones so irresistible that Dr. Cooper is just an afterthought.

Payer Flexibilities Continue With COVID Emergency Extension - 04/21/2022

The U.S. Department of Health and Services’ extension of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) until July 15, 2022, means many of the waivers that public and private payers instituted remain in place.

Vaccine Program Grantees Serving the Underserved - 04/12/2022

Underserved, uninsured, and Latino patients across Texas will benefit from three programs focusing on vaccinations and vaccine education awarded funds in the first round of the Texas Medical Association’s 2022 Vaccines Defend What Matters grant program.

FDA Cancels Authorization to Treat COVID With Sotrovimab - 04/06/2022

The monoclonal antibody sotrovimab is no longer authorized to treat COVID-19 in the U.S. following the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to pull its emergency use authorization.