Vol. 98 No. 3
COVER STORY
Sick Doctors
What happens when doctors become patients? Do they follow their doctors' instructions? Not always. Does their medical training help? Not really. Does it make them better doctors because they know what their patients are going through? Absolutely. One doctor says he learned how comforting a simple touch can be. These and other physicians talk about what it's like when the exam tables are turned.
By Larry BeSaw
SCIENCE
Heartier Heart Care
TMA efforts such as the HeartCare Partnership, Project WATCH, and the Stroke Project are helping Texas physicians improve how they treat heart attack and stroke. That's great news because a federal government report ranked Texas near the bottom in many quality indicators.
By Ken Ortolon
LAW
Fanning the Flames
The fines and restitution the state imposed on major insurance companies for violating the prompt pay law have done little to satisfy physicians stiffed by the insurers' failure to pay on time. In fact, the controversy is as hot as ever.
By Walt Borges
MEDICAL ECONOMICS
Thinking Inside the Box
Four boxes on the forms physicians submit to get their claims paid are causing headaches for doctors. Some wonder if insurers are scheming to increase scrutiny of claims.
By Walt Borges
MEDICAL EDUCATION
More Medical Schools?
There's a push on in Texas to create new medical schools or expand some that already exist, particularly in the underserved areas along the border. However, there are some real concerns about whether we need any new schools.
By Ken Ortolon
LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS
Redistricting Fallout
There are going to be lot of new faces and a steep learning curve when the Texas Legislature convenes in 2003, thanks to a redistricting plan that prompted a scramble for seats and caused several veteran lawmakers to retire. The question is, how will the turnover affect medicine's agenda in the next session?
By Ken Ortolon
TMA 2001 Annual Report: "America's Best Medical Society"
THE JOURNAL
A Citywide Evaluation of Identification of Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease in Emergency Department Patients Complaining of Chest Pain
By H.X. Nguyen, MD; T.E. Tenner, PhD; L.A. Jenkins, MD; H. Andrew Hansen II, MD; and L.O. Lutherer, MD, PhD
ROUNDS
April in Dallas * Foundation Gala * Electronic Library Resources * Dr. Homer Honored * Healthier Kids * MedBytes * Colon Cancer Screening * In Case You Missed It * Contract Clause of the Month
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