Related Stories

Playing the Long Game: Adrian Billings, MD, Deepens the Rural Physician Bench - 10/02/2021

Although medicine wasn’t his initial choice, Dr. Billings’ passion for his work is palpable and extends far beyond the exam room, especially when he’s training future rural physicians.

Feds Focus New COVID Relief on Rural Areas, Give Grace Period on Previous Reporting Deadline - 09/29/2021

The Biden administration has announced plans to distribute $25.5 billion in funding to physicians, hospitals, and other health care facilities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the Provider Relief Fund (PRF), and will open the portal for funding applications on Sept. 29.

Feds Distribute Grant to Boost Vaccine Confidence in Rural Texas - 07/28/2021

Texas rural health clinics are receiving more than $7 million out of nearly $100 million the Biden-Harris administration is distributing to rural clinics nationwide to support COVID-19 vaccination outreach.

Protect and Revitalize Rural Texans’ Health Care - 03/30/2021

Prior to the arrival of the COVID-19 virus, Texas’ rural health care already faced unprecedented financial and demographic pressures. The pandemic now has amplified the crisis.

How is Your Relationship With Your Hospital? - 10/06/2020

TMA is conducting the 2020 survey, and we’d appreciate your input this month on how hospital relationships affect you.

Be Vigilant - Hospital Medical Staff Bylaws and You - 09/16/2020

To bolster an argument that bylaws are binding on physicians, medical staff, and a hospital, the Texas Medical Association Office of the General Counsel has crafted language that could improve the binding effect of your hospital’s bylaws.

Census Undercount Could Stifle Texas’ Health Services, Doctors Say - 03/11/2020

Texas physicians are urging patients to answer the upcoming U.S. Census to ensure the state won’t lose billions of dollars’ worth of health and human services funding – a loss that could harm the patients themselves.

Update: TMB Clears Up Questions About PMP Checks for Inpatient Care - 02/21/2020

Will you be required to check the Texas Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) when a patient is admitted to a hospital or emergency department? Will you be required to check PMP Aware upon admission? What if you need to prescribe those medications while the patient is in that facility? The Texas Medical Board issued guidance on those very questions this week.

Why I am Hopeful for Health Care (And You Should Be, Too) - 01/03/2020

The positivity, professionalism, and commitment demonstrated by my masters of health administration students leaves me with a confident outlook for American medicine.

Hospitals Can Improve Care for Patients With Hearing-Loss, TMA Says - 01/03/2020

Hospitals and emergency departments should provide specific forms of identification for patients with hearing loss, the Texas Medical Association emphasized to the Texas Hospital Association last year.

Physician, Hospital Groups Distribute Urgent Measles Advisory - 08/06/2019

Texas doctors and hospitals have a new tool to fight the ever-increasing measles threat, as the number of people sickened by the infectious yet preventable disease climbs. The Texas Medical Association (TMA) and Texas Hospital Association (THA) have created a new resource to help physicians, hospitals, and other health care professionals combat the highly contagious, yet entirely preventable, respiratory illness.

All Together Now: Health Care Mergers Reshape the Way Texas Physicians Practice - 08/02/2019

Consolidation has touched just about every part of today’s health care industry. Hospitals, medical practices, pharmacies, insurance companies are all merging in various ways — a trend epitomized by the 2018 announcement that hospital systems Baylor Scott & White Health in Dallas and Memorial Hermann in Houston plan to become one big nonprofit.

The Deal's Off: Baylor, Memorial Hermann Opt to Skip Merger - 03/12/2019

Many health care companies have merged in recent years, but nothing symbolized the high-dollar, high-stakes nature of the trend like the proposed $14 billion merger of Texas health care giants Baylor Scott & White Health in Dallas and Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston. But then officials from both health care systems abruptly called off the deal today.

Each Physician Generates $2.4 Million For Hospitals, Survey Shows - 02/28/2019

According to a survey released this week, a physician generates an average of almost $2.4 million per year in net revenue on behalf of his or her affiliated hospitals. That’s an increase of almost 52 percent from 2016 figures, according to the  2019 Physician Inpatient/Outpatient Revenue Survey .

Physician Employment Continues to Grow, Survey Shows - 02/21/2019

According to a survey released this week, hospitals and health systems acquired 8,000 medical practices nationwide between July 2016 and January 2018. Also during those 18 months, 14,000 physicians left private practice for employment arrangements with hospitals, the numbers show.

Help Rural Hospitals Receive State Revenue - 02/05/2019

If you understand rural health needs and have some time to help hospitals in those areas seek state funding, the State Office of Rural Health needs your help.

Rural FP Finds Rewards With Full-scope Training, Deep Roots - 01/04/2019

Texas physician acknowledges the hard work it takes to build a solo practice in a rural community.

Crisis in the Country - 09/26/2018

Since 2010, Texas has seen more rural hospitals close than has any other state, leaving huge gaps in health care; however, the state's rural areas have options for maintaining health care facilities.

Rural Doc Hopes to Build Ties With Big Cities - 09/20/2018

Jacksonville OB-Gyn hopes rural docs and big centers can build collegiality.

Researchers Seek Your Input on Palliative Care Telementoring Program - 06/22/2018

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is creating an online mentoring program, called ECHO Palliative Care Texas, to help rural physicians care for patients who need supportive and/or palliative care as they receive cancer treatment.

TMA Applauds 15-month Medicaid Waiver Extension - 06/19/2018

Statement of John Holcomb, MD, Chair of the Texas Medical Association Select Committee on Medicaid, CHIP & Uninsured, on today's Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announcement confirming a 15-month extension of the Medicaid 1115 Waiver for the state of Texas.

Is Congress Doing Enough to Protect Physician Practices? - 02/27/2018

The Physicians Advocacy Institute is urging federal lawmakers to re-examine health care policies to ensure they promote competition and put private physicians on a level playing field with hospitals and other corporate entities.

Reviewers Required for Rural Revenue Recipients - 02/06/2018

If you understand rural health needs and have some time to help facilities in those areas seek state funding, the State Office of Rural Health needs your help.

Peer Review Farce - 01/31/2018

TMA's policies on medical peer review promote a fair, reasonable system; the association condemns peer review abuses that harm physicians and have negative ramifications for patient care. Doctors subjected to unwarranted peer review action can sue. TMA came to the aid of locum tenens emergency physician Van Mask, MD, after he sued Coon Memorial Hospital in Dalhart, alleging officials published false and defamatory statements about him and falsely represented that he had quality and liability problems pursuant to a medical staff committee review. TMA argues in part that the hospital's ER/Trauma Committee didn't appear to be a medical peer review committee under Texas law. The case was settled before going to trial.

Road to Resolution - 01/31/2018

No one knows the challenges of a rural practice better than family physician Jeff Alling, MD, who delivered babies for 18 years at a hospital that later stripped him of his obstetric privileges. With help from the Texas Medical Association and the Texas Academy of Family Physicians, Dr. Alling and other family doctors ultimately regained their obstetrical privileges. But the road to resolution was rocky, and the parties narrowly avoided an expensive legal battle.