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Unlocking Doors: Minority Scholarship Program Connects Students with Mentors - 08/19/2019

When the Texas Medical Association founded its Minority Scholarship Program in 1998 to diversify the physician workforce, Dr. Ramamurthy became both a contributor and a mentor to students who receive the scholarships. “When you’re mentoring students, one of the things that you want them to understand is that you’re somebody they can talk to who is not only there as a teacher, but as a friend,” she said. Other top donors to the Minority Scholarship serve voluntarily as mentors to student awardees. TMA encourages those arrangements because they can benefit both parties.

Talk to Patients About: Hib - 08/12/2019

Talk to your patients about Haemophilus influenzae type b – or Hib, which, despite its name, does not cause influenza. However, Hib causes several severe illnesses, particularly meningitis, mostly in children younger than 5.

With Your Help, TMA Foundation Improved Health Throughout Texas - 08/02/2019

“Good health is priceless. That’s why your charitable gifts to TMA Foundation are so valuable.” That’s the message from Susan M. Pike, MD, president of the Texas Medical Association Foundation (TMAF), in its 2018 Annual Report.

Talk to Patients About: Meningococcal B - 08/02/2019

Meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine is the new kid on the block for children and adolescents, having won Food and Drug Administration approval in 2014. This presents a problem for physicians: Because there is an older vaccine for the other types of meningococcal bacteria, many patients who’ve had that vaccine wrongly believe they’re also protected against MenB.

Vaccinations Available for Tarrant County Kids, Adults - 08/01/2019

Uninsured and underinsured Tarrant County residents can get low-cost vaccinations to prepare for school, and to prevent harmful and potentially deadly diseases. The Texas Medical Association’s (TMA’s) Be Wise – ImmunizeSM program will join efforts with the Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant County (ICTC) to provide vaccinations to local kids, as well as adults.

Keep Hib Germs Away: Vaccination Can Prevent Serious Childhood Illness - 08/01/2019

Many things aren’t harmful until they are. This applies to the Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) bacteria: It typically can live in our noses and throats without causing harm, but if Hib moves to other parts of the body, it can cause serious illness or even death.

Montgomery County Kids to Receive School Vaccinations - 07/29/2019

Montgomery County incoming schoolchildren can get free vaccinations at the Don’t Miss the Bus back-to-school event. Area kindergartners through 12th-graders can get a well check, along with vaccinations required for school to prevent harmful and potentially deadly diseases.

TMA Awards Minority Medical Student Scholarships, 2019 - 07/29/2019

Thirteen minority students entering Texas medical schools this fall each will receive a $10,000 scholarship from the Texas Medical Association (TMA). TMA awarded the scholarships to the students today in Dallas at TexMed, TMA’s annual conference.

Texas Losing Ground in Disease-Prevention Battle, Physicians Warn - 07/17/2019

Some Texas physicians say the anti-vaccination movement is creating skepticism that could undermine the state’s ability to prevent a widespread disease outbreak. The state has fended off outbreaks in the past because a majority of Texans are vaccinated, but soaring vaccine exemptions could leave Texans vulnerable.

Talk to Patients About: Texas School Vaccinations - 07/08/2019

All Texas public schools (and most private schools) and colleges require students to have certain shots before they can attend classes.

Talk to Patients About: Diphtheria - 07/08/2019

 Diphtheria infected more than 200,000 and killed 15,000 in the U.S. in 1920, but the growing use of vaccines during that decade caused rates to drop, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says. In the 1940s, the diphtheria vaccine was combined with tetanus and pertussis, and the shot became routine for children. Between 2004 and 2017, only two U.S. cases were reported, CDC says.

Talk to Your Patients About: Meningococcal B - 07/08/2019

Texas Medicine recently highlighted Meningococcal B, a bacterial infection that can affect the blood, brain, and spinal cord with lasting effects like learning difficulties, hearing loss, or limb amputation. The Meningococcal B vaccine is relatively new, having won Food and Drug Administration approval in 2014.

Time Is Running Out to Apply for a TMAF Grant - 07/03/2019

Helping your community to be healthier couldn’t be easier. Just apply for a Texas Medical Association Foundation grant that can help fund an immunization clinic, health fair, smoking cessation program, and more. To apply for a grant, submit a letter of intent by July 15, and a completed application by July 31. Applicants will be notified of grant decisions the week of Sept. 16.

Talk to Patients About: Flu - 07/02/2019

Flu is serious, and the vaccine can prevent or minimize the illness.

Talk to Patients About: Rotavirus - 07/02/2019

Rotavirus is a highly contagious viral infection that inflames the lining of the stomach and intestines, and especially affects children 2 years old and younger. In the United States, the introduction of a vaccine in 2006 helped arrest rotavirus illnesses and deaths.

Talk to Patients About: Polio - 07/02/2019

Polio once terrified Americans. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the virus crippled around 35,000 Americans a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Because polio often attacked abdominal muscles used to breathe, many died or permanently needed a respirator called an iron lung.

Defend Yourself From Diphtheria: Bacterial Infection Can Stop Breathing - 07/01/2019

Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection that affects the respiratory system and damages the heart, nerves, and kidneys. It can hinder or stop breathing, and causes fatigue, sore throat, fever, and swollen neck glands. The infection can be deadly without any medical treatment. Several immunizations are available to protect people against this disease.

Texas is No. 1 in “Hotspots” For Vaccine Exemptions - 06/27/2019

Houston, Fort Worth, Plano, and Austin are among the cities in the nation with the highest number of kindergartners who have not received vaccinations because of nonmedical reasons, according to the study published this week in the journal PLOS Medicine.

El Paso Physician is 2019 Community Health Superhero - 06/19/2019

Joseph Segapeli, MD, and El Paso Pediatric Associates dipped their toes in the Texas Medical Association’s outreach programs in 2017 when they hosted a bicycle helmet giveaway for local children. Two years later, after putting on monthly community walks and an annual flu shot clinic, Dr. Segapeli and the practice were proclaimed TMA Health Heroes.

How Do I Plan a Be Wise — Immunize Event or Clinic? - 06/18/2019

TMA has the tools you need to plan, organize, and carry out an immunization clinic. Or, if you want to staff a booth at your community health fair, we have free materials to educate that vaccinations are important, safe, and effective. Plus, our free merchandise for kids and Beatrice the Bee mascot make your event more fun.

What Does Be Wise — Immunize Offer for Physicians? - 06/18/2019

Be Wise can help you implement or enhance vaccination practices in your office with our vaccination toolkits and continuing medical education courses; educate about vaccines in your office, in the media, or at public gatherings such as parent-teacher associations and civic organizations; and more!

TMA to Make Be Wise Vaccination Program Even More Effective - 06/17/2019

The Texas Medical Association is always looking for ways to improve the Be Wise – Immunize program, particularly in light of a changing vaccination landscape that includes a rise in vaccine hesitancy and a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases. So in late 2018, TMA’s Council on Health Promotion established a workgroup to find ways to make it easier for physicians to participate in Be Wise and to reach more communities.

What is Be Wise — Immunize? - 06/04/2019

Be Wise — ImmunizeSM is a public health initiative of the Texas Medical Association. The program works with physicians, medical students, and TMA Alliance members to improve vaccination rates in Texas through education and hands-on immunization clinics.

Potentially Deadly Meningococcal Disease is Preventable - 06/03/2019

It travels fast and can leave its victims with permanent complications or death within a matter of hours. Meningococcal disease is serious – and preventable – according to the Texas Medical Association’s (TMA’s) Texas Medicine magazine.

El Paso Physician Named TMA Health Hero - 05/23/2019

Joseph H. Segapeli, MD, an El Paso pediatrician, was named a Health Hero Saturday by the Texas Medical Association (TMA) for his commitment to improving the health of his community. Dr. Segapeli was honored with the third annual award last week during TexMed, TMA’s annual conference, in Dallas.