REPORT OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES
BOT Report 13-A-07
Subject: Policy Review
Presented by: C. Bruce Malone, MD, Chair
Referred to: Reference Committee on Financial and Organizational Affairs
The Board of Trustees has reviewed the following association policies and submits its recommendations for retention, amendment, or deletion.
280.023 Scientific Section Programming and Content . Specific references to scientific sections will be eliminated from the TMA Constitution and Bylaws, leaving references to content sufficiently broad to allow program coordinators to plan educational content based on specified sources and their expert opinions on current "hot" issues in their areas (Board of Trustees, p 16, I-97).
In May 2006, the Council on Annual Session was replaced by a TexMed Executive Team (CAS Report 1-A-06). The executive team oversees a planning team and a programming team responsible for planning TexMed and its educational programs. Scientific section chairs have been replaced by the approximately 20 CME program chairs who represent various specialty societies, councils, and committees and plan the educational portion of TexMed.
Recommendation 1: Delete.
300.001 Recognition of Council and Committee Members and Chairs. Council and committee chairs and members will be recognized at the luncheon held during TMA's Annual Session (Res. 29G, p 155, I-97).
New council and committee chair and member appointments do not take effect until after the President's Installation at TexMed. There is very limited time on the agenda to make additional introductions. A more appropriate time for recognition would be during lunch at the TMA Fall Conference, when all new councils and committees are meeting for the first time. The board recommends that this policy be amended as follows:
300.001 Recognition of Council and Committee Members and Chairs. Council and committee chairs and members will be recognized at the luncheon held during TMA's Annual Session association fall conferences (Res. 29G, p 155, I-97).
Recommendation 2 : Approve as amended .
300.002 Annual Session . Future annual sessions will be scheduled in late April, after fulfilling present contractual commitments through the year 2000 (Board of Trustees, p 15, I-97).
300.003 Annual Session Meeting Dates . The Board of Trustees will keep San Antonio in the annual session rotation and be particularly mindful of Easter and Fiesta dates when planning for the Texas Medical Association Annual Session in San Antonio (Res. 29J, p 155, A-97).
The Texas Medical Association voted to keep San Antonio in the annual session rotation and that dates of major patriotic, local, cultural or religious events be avoided when planning for the annual meeting (Amended Res. 29P, p 155, A-98).
Staff has made best efforts to schedule TexMed in April, but hotels and convention centers are not always available. San Antonio is in the rotation, and staff is particularly mindful of Easter and Fiesta dates when planning for TexMed. The board recommends that these policies be combined and amended as follows:
300.002 Annual Session. TexMed. TexMed annual sessions will be scheduled in late April , whenever possible, dependent upon availability of meeting space at convention centers and hotels. after fulfilling present contractual commitments through the year 2000 (Board of Trustees, p 15, I-97).
300.003 Annual Session Meeting Dates. The Board of Trustees will keep San Antonio in the annual session rotation and be particularly mindful of Easter and Fiesta dates when planning for the Texas Medical Association Annual Session in San Antonio (Res. 29J, p 155, A-97).
The Texas Medical Association voted to keep San Antonio will be kept in the annual session TexMed rotation , and that dates of major patriotic, local, cultural or religious events will be avoided when planning for the annual meeting (Board of Trustees, p 15, I-97; Amended Res. 29P, p 155, A-98).
Recommendation 3: Approve as amended.
310.002 JointTMA/TMAA Programs at Annual Meetings. The Texas Medical Association will provide joint programming of interest to physicians and spouses at its annual session and the fall and winter conferences. TMA will make available child care and family activities at its annual session and assess the need for these at the fall and winter conferences (TMA Alliance, p 145, I-97).
The TexMed Executive Team selects topics for TexMed's key audience: physician members. TMA Alliance attendance continues to decline even with programming developed to attract alliance members, who are invited to all programs offered for physician members. Practice management topics are marketed to the alliance, as many alliance members are involved in their spouse's medical practices. However, the alliance holds its own meeting two days prior to TMA, with its own keynote speakers.
Child care discontinued officially by the Council on Annual Session in 2003 because it was expensive, not well received, and underutilized.
Recommendation 4: Delete.
305.006 Resident Physician Membership Participation and Retention. The Texas Medical Association, in cooperation with county medical societies in which resident physicians are trained, will (1) develop and implement a timely, coordinated system to process resident membership applications; (2) develop outreach programs with the goal of increasing resident physician interest, membership and participation; and (3) encourage retention or renewal of resident physician members in counties where resident membership has decreased because of discontinuation of TMAIT as the provider of insurance to residents (Resident Physician Section, p 136, A-97).
Resident recruitment remains a high priority as TMA continues to look at the challenges of recruiting and retaining young physicians .
Recommendation 5: Retain .
310.001 Committee on Annual Statewide Joint Community Service Projects . The Texas Medical Association supports development of a joint TMA/TMAA/TMAF committee charged with developing, two or more years in advance, an annual statewide joint community service project (TMA Alliance, p 145, I-97).
In May 2006, the Board of Trustees proposed and the House of Delegates approved establishment of a Council on Health Promotion (BOT Report 17-A-06). The new council is charged with planning and overseeing programs and activities that enable TMA, TMAA, and TMAF to work effectively and collectively in support of the association's vision - improve the health of all Texans. The council is composed of nine TMA member physicians, three TMA Alliance members, and three TMA Foundation representatives, all with full rights of participation including the right to vote, and all 15 members have been elected by the house. This restructuring and repurposing leverages more effectively the leadership, organizational resources, and talent of TMA, TMAA, and TMAF, and the Joint Committee on Health Improvement Initiatives has been discharged.
Policy 310.001 is not needed, as its intent has been realized fully with the inclusion of the new council in the association's governance structure.
Recommendation 6: Delete.
165.003 Grassroots Political Action . The Texas Medical Association supports establishment of a joint committee which will report to the TMA Council on Legislation and be charged with the responsibility of identifying, recruiting, organizing, and directing Texas Medical Association Alliance and TMA members to actively support TMA's political and legislative goals through grassroots political action (TMA Alliance, p 146, I-97).
Instead of establishing a jointcommittee, the Council on Legislation has utilized TEXPAC, the TMA Alliance, and county medical societies to serve in the role of identifying and recruiting members to support TMA's political and legislative efforts.
For each of the 31 senate districts, TEXPAC selects both a chair and alliance member, and also designates a number of vice-chair positions with the explicit goal of enhancing TMA's political and legislative efforts in local communities. These individuals work to help identify key physician and alliance relationships, and to help elected officials and potential candidates with fundraising efforts in the district.
The TMA Alliance also is an essential resource in implementing a successful grassroots strategy. Alliance members work on political campaigns, coordinate meetings with candidates, assist in fundraising, and participate in other activities with elected officials and potential candidates. This helps to ensure that legislators recognize the commitment TEXPAC has to endorsed candidates and builds goodwill during the legislative session on issues that are of importance to TMA.
Finally, county medical societies serve as a key resource to both the council and TEXPAC. County medical society directors help identify potential candidates for both groups, and the societies provide an opportunity for public affairs staff to discuss with local physicians the importance of involvement in state and federal legislative efforts. The CMS directors also identify problem issues that are occurring with physicians in their counties and provide substantive input on potential solutions to those issues.
One potential problem with the establishment of a joint committee is that it adds another layer of complexity and dynamics in the relationships between COL, TEXPAC, TMA Alliance, and CMSs. Each of these entities -- the council, TEXPAC, the alliance and county medical societies, as well as all the physicians and alliance members that participate in TMA as part of organized medicine -- has a responsibility not only to be involved themselves, but also to share the importance of being involved in the political process, both at the state and federal level, with others. Accountability exists within each group to work together on grassroots political action which will enhance the ability of TMA to be successful in the political process.
Recommendation 7: Delete.
TMA House of Delegates: TexMed 2007