May 18, 2019
The Texas Medical Association Alliance (TMAA) has elected Martha Vijjeswarapu, a Corpus Christi businesswoman, as its president-elect. TMAA is the community service and advocacy arm of the Texas Medical Association (TMA), comprising physicians and their spouses and partners.
Ms. Vijjeswarapu will serve as TMAA president-elect for one year, then become the TMAA president in 2020. She is married to Daniel V. Vijjeswarapu, MD, a Corpus Christi pediatrician and TMA member. For the past 15 years, Ms. Vijjeswarapu has helped run their medical practice.
“I am excited to serve as president-elect of the alliance,” said Ms. Vijjeswarapu. “I want to honor the confidence my colleagues have in me to lead this great organization. I’m looking forward to working with alliance chapters across the state, physicians, and medical students to bring important patient care issues to the forefront.”
Her goal is to help TMA and the alliance grow its grassroots advocacy efforts. “I want to help people understand the important role the family of medicine plays in our communities, and at the State Capitol to improve patient care,” said Ms. Vijjeswarapu.
She has made a difference in Corpus Christi through advocacy, particularly as an active member of the Nueces County Medical Society Alliance. She served as president in 2014-15.
At the statewide level, she has served on the TMAA board of directors as vice president of community health and vice president of legislation, and on the organization’s finance committee. She also has played a big role in TMA’s advocacy efforts, including as serving on the board of directors of the association’s political action committee, TEXPAC.
Ms. Vijjeswarapu attended Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas and then embarked on a seven-year stint performing missionary work in Hong Kong, Africa, India, and other places around the world. In this role she first learned the value of advocating for others.
She and Dr. Vijjeswarapu have two grown daughters, Rebecca, a resident of San Antonio, and Christy, who lives in Houston. They also have a new son-in-law, Trey, of Houston.
TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing nearly 53,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 110 component county medical societies around the state. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans.
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Contact: Brent Annear (512) 370-1381; cell: (512) 656-7320; email: brent.annear[at]texmed[dot]org
Marcus Cooper (512) 370-1382; cell: (512) 650-5336; email: marcus.cooper[at]texmed[dot]org
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