Alliance Activities and Accomplishments(2)

Community Service
The alliance, along with community partners including local health departments and the Caring for Children Care Van program, contributed to more than 47,000 immunizations administered to the state's children during the past year.  Because of the collaborative effort of the Be Wise-Immunize program, Texas moved from 48th in the rate of childhood immunizations to 24th in the nation. In addition, according to the 2005 National Immunization Survey (NIS), the immunization rate in Texas was 76.8 percent - an 11 percent increase, and the first time Texas ranked above the national average in the survey's 11-year history.

As part of many of the BWI events, alliances incorporated other health screenings, distributed bicycle helmets through the Hard Hats for Little Heads program, and educated the public about a whole host of health-related subjects.

In various areas across the state, work continues on programs to combat childhood obesity with education campaigns and school health activities. Likewise, alliances customize local programs to fight AIDS, family violence, and elder abuse, as well as bring attention to the need for tissue and organ donation.

AMA Alliance Involvement
Texas continues to lead the nation in AMAA membership. It is anticipated that TMAA will send ten delegates, the largest delegation in the nation, to AMAA's convention in Chicago in June.

Texas representatives in AMAA leadership include Susan Todd who serves on the board as a director, Pat Hyer who serves on the legislation committee, and Mary Meyers who serves on the integrated marketing communications committee. Texas also is represented by Texas alliance member Nancy Neal who serves as the only alliance member on the AMPAC Board of Directors. Mary Ann Homer, immediate past AMAA president, chairs the 2006-2007 nominating committee.

Membership
Membership remains stable with nearly 7,000 members, easily the largest state alliance in the nation.  California comes in a distant second with approximately 1,800 members.

TMAA continued its membership policy with the resident and medical student spouse population.  All known resident and student spouses are on TMAA rolls as a result of paying their own dues or being sponsored by their county alliance or TMAA. In addition, all expenses are paid and all fees are waived for leaders of Alliance for Physicians in Training (APT) groups to attend the alliance training conference InfoExpo held in September during Summit. Financial consideration also is given to the resident or medical student spouse representative to attend meetings of the Alliance Board of Directors and the AMA Alliance annual convention.

Legislation/Political Action
With the 80th legislative session underway, TMAA and TMA brought back the hugely important First Tuesdays at the Capitol legislative visit program. Physicians and alliance members obtain grassroots lobbying training and then share medicine's view on issues including scope of practice, Medicaid and CHIP, workers' compensation, immunization, and obesity.

As a special component of First Tuesdays at the Capitol, a condensed version of AMPAC's renowned campaign school was held March 5 at TMA headquarters in Austin.

Alliance member Maureen Priestner of Abilene was named recipient of the June Bratcher award of political involvement for her work to elect Susan King to the Texas House of Representatives.

Alliance members continue to support TEXPAC in ever-increasing numbers with approximately 900 of the 4,100 members.

TMA Foundation
The alliance continues its involvement and promotion of TMAF by assisting with the annual benefit and its ongoing efforts to heighten awareness of the foundation and its value to the association and the TMA Alliance. The official family holiday sharing card was repeated in 2006 raising $2,200. County alliances also contribute manpower and funds to assist in the success of the annual benefit event during TexMed.

Former alliance president Susan Todd serves will be the first non-physician to serve as president of the TMAF Board of Trustees when she assumes that office during TexMed.  In addition, Susan Leshnower of Odessa serves as the other alliance member on the board.

TMA House of Delegates: TexMed 2007