When Aimee Garza, MD, started her career, the Frisco neurologist admitted feeling isolated, like a “little boat in a big ocean.” That was until she joined the Texas Medical Association and learned about various programs designed to establish deeper patient connections.
Now as chair of TMA’s Council on Health Promotion, Dr. Garza believes the association’s community outreach initiatives put the spotlight on local physicians and what they do beyond their practices.
“We’re not just physicians. We’re parents, we’re spouses, we’re community members, and we all want to feel like we’re connected to something bigger,” Dr. Garza said. “That connection allows us to become more involved in our own community and reach out to patients or even people who aren’t patients in ways we can’t necessarily do in the office.”
Each of TMA’s signature outreach programs is aimed at improving the health of all Texans. The initiatives are all overseen by the Council on Health Promotion and funded by the TMA Foundation, which was founded to support philanthropic purposes aligning with the association’s mission. Among them:
• Walk with a Doc pairs physicians with community members for guided walks and health conversations, for measurable impact on both physical activity and physician-patient relationships.
• Vaccines Defend What Matters is a public health advocacy program that provides local grants for vaccine education and outreach, as well as supporting a digital marketing campaign to address vaccine hesitancy.
• Hard Hats for Little Heads, TMA’s longest-running program, allows physicians to sponsor helmet giveaways, while Texas BookShare strives to improve literacy among children by giving them free books.
“It’s another aspect of TMA membership,” said Tammy Wishard, executive director of TMA Alliance and outreach programs. If community outreach is what a physician is passionate about, “you’ve got opportunities through TMA.
Dr. Garza says each program has its own niche and appeals to physicians in unique ways:
• Walk with a Doc more than pays for a physician’s TMA membership – valued at $2,100 to start the program, it’s free to members. Texas currently has 70 walk chapters, all TMA members. Most physicians blend 10- to 15-minute health care presentations with low-impact walks at neighborhood parks or trails.
• Vaccines Defend What Matters provides education to help reduce vaccine hesitancy, and local community grants can establish vaccine events. More than 16 grants are awarded annually.
• Hard Hats for Little Heads gives free helmets to Texas children to encourage physical activity and help reduce head injuries. One key TMA member benefit is a matching program that can supplement the number of helmets provided.
• Texas BookShare promotes literacy and healthy lifestyle habits through books distributed to underserved Texas children. First-time hosts can receive $1,500 worth of books for different age groups in both English and Spanish.
All these programs are meant for physicians to interact with the community in imaginative and distinct ways.
“We get to be people,” Dr. Garza said. “In the office, we rein our personalities in a little bit. We must be everything to everybody. [Outreach] is a more natural conversation. You get to kind of relax and just be you and make those connections.”