Related Stories

TMA Moment in Time: Hurricane Harvey Response - 04/09/2024

In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey dumped a record 60 inches of rain in four days on the Gulf Coast region. The Texas Medical Association quickly put together a response that helped physicians in need and saved lives among those affected by the storm.

Physicians Now May Apply for TMA Disaster Relief Program Aid - 03/23/2024

Any Texas physician whose Harvey-damaged medical practice is located in a federally declared disaster area now may apply for relief funds from the Texas Medical Association (TMA) Disaster Relief Program.

Physicians Benevolent Fund Bolstered by TMAIT Gift - 03/14/2024

In an effort to support physician well-being, TMA Insurance Trust has announced a donation of $15,000 to The Physicians Benevolent Fund to help provide crucial assistance to physicians and their families during times of need.

Safety in Statute: State Law Guides Violence Prevention in Health Care - 01/05/2024

A new state law guides violence prevention plans in health care.  

“When Everything Inside of You Just Wants to Quit, PBF Is There.” - 09/08/2023

Without help from the Texas Medical Association’s Physician Benevolent Fund, Marie Haeffner-Reeves believes she and her husband wouldn’t have had the resources to rise above the financial difficulties that became unmanageable after he experienced heart problems.

PBF Cares for Physician Families During Financial Crises - 07/31/2023

The vast and varied needs of members of the medical community continue to amaze Texas Medical Association Alliance member Sue Bailey, of Kerrville.

TMA Disaster Relief Program Sends $350,000 in Aid to First Physician Applicants - 06/28/2023

Relief is on the way for some Texas physicians uprooted from their medical practice by Hurricane Harvey. The Texas Medical Association (TMA) Disaster Relief Program committee distributed nearly $350,000 to the first 28 medical practices to apply for assistance to rebuild. Physicians whose Harvey-damaged medical practice is located in a federally declared disaster area have been applying for assistance for damage not covered by insurance or other means, to speed the rebuilding of their community doctor offices.

TMA Hits $1 Million Milestone to Aid Harvey-Damaged Medical Practices - 06/28/2023

The TMA Disaster Relief Program, set up to aid Texas physicians’ practices damaged by Hurricane Harvey, has reached the $1 million mark. A gift of $5,000 from the Michigan State Medical Society Foundation to the Texas Medical Association Foundation (TMAF) Disaster Relief Campaign, tipped the total raised to over $1 million, fulfilling the campaign goal.

Relief Program Launched to Reopen Hurricane-Devastated Medical Practices - 06/28/2023

When staff of a Houston-area children’s urgent care clinic saw security-camera images of brown, murky Hurricane Harvey floodwater submerging the waiting room, they knew it was bad. Quickly, the physicians and other clinic workers jumped into action. Soon they also consulted the Texas Medical Association (TMA) for help, and learned about the TMA Disaster Relief Program.

Generous Contributions Push TMA Relief Program Near $1 Million - 06/28/2023

Two substantial contributions by national physician organizations gave the Texas Medical Association (TMA) TMA Disaster Relief Program a giant boost today, pushing the total raised to nearly $1 million. The program aims to assist thousands of Texas physician practices damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Harvey recover and reopen to care for patients as quickly as possible.

Need Financial Assistance? TMA May Have a Fund for That - 03/14/2023

The Texas Medical Association oversees an array of funds designed to help physicians with financial needs at every step of their careers, from medical school to retirement. Yet many physicians don’t know about these funds or don’t fully understand how they can help.

In Times of Need: How PBF Assists Physicians Financially and Emotionally - 12/12/2022

The Physicians Benevolent Fund assists physicians financially and emotionally.

Why the Physicians Benevolent Fund Is Important: A Conversation With TMA Vice Speaker John Flores, MD - 11/08/2022

WHEN PHYSICIANS AND their families encounter personal hardship – such as a widow left with a family to raise following her physician husband’s death, or an elderly couple struggling to make ends meet as their savings dwindle following a dementia diagnosis – the Texas Medical Association’s Physicians Benevolent Fund (PBF) is here to help.

Prepare for Disasters With TMA’s Help - 10/08/2022

The Atlantic hurricane season has begun, and physicians who may be affected by a hurricane or other tropical storm need to be prepared. For help doing so, look to TMA's Disaster Preparedness and Response Resource Center.

Hurricane Harvey: One Year Later - 09/01/2022

Studies of the public health, mental health, and environmental effects of the storm could take years to complete. Meanwhile, physician practices share their own lessons learned.

Use This Disaster Prep Tool to Help Patients Collect Their Personal Medical Information - 08/26/2022

With flooding already hitting parts of Texas, now’s the time to remind patients to get copies of their vital personal medical information, in case of an emergency or natural disaster later.

PBF Wellness Fund - 08/24/2022

The Physician Health and Rehabilitation (PHR) Assistance Fund was established in 1983. The purpose of the fund is to provide financial assistance to physicians who cannot afford treatment for depression, substance use disorders, or other potentially impairing conditions.

Why the Physicians Benevolent Fund Is Important: A Conversation - 07/11/2022

When physicians and their families encounter personal hardship – such as a widow left with a family to raise following her physician husband’s death, or an elderly couple struggling to make ends meets as their savings dwindle following a dementia diagnosis – the Texas Medical Association’s Physicians Benevolent Fund (PBF) is here to help.

For Five Decades, Texas Physicians Have Helped Care for Physicians - 06/07/2022

Since 1961, the Texas Medical Association’s Physicians Benevolent Fund has provided assistance to Texas physicians and their families who have fallen on hard times because of poverty, sickness, disability, accident, or other circumstances. Beginning this year, the newly established PBF Wellness Fund is available for qualified physicians who cannot afford treatment for depression, substance-abuse disorders, or other impairments.

Physicians Benevolent Fund Supports Physicians in Need - 06/07/2022

The Physicians Benevolent Fund helps support physicians and their immediate families who fall on desperate financial times or who are in treatment, perhaps as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or because of other circumstances. TMA family members can support PBF in two ways.

Help a Physician in Need With a Referral to The Physicians Benevolent Fund - 06/07/2022

It’s often said that talk is cheap. In the case of The Physicians Benevolent Fund (PBF), the payoff for a little talk could be huge for a colleague or friend in need. By sharing information about PBF or by referring someone to the Texas Medical Association, you could give a friend or colleague a much-needed hand up.

Burnout a National Problem; TMA Wellness Fund Can Help - 06/06/2022

In a recent advisory calling attention to health care worker burnout, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, highlighted the broad response the situation calls for: “We must ensure that every health worker has access to affordable, confidential, and convenient mental health care.”

For Doctors Who’ve Suffered a Stroke, Physicians Benevolent Fund Can Help - 05/25/2022

Alison H. Brown, MD, couldn’t have imagined what lay ahead for her as she started down the path to a career in women’s health in the late 1980s.

TMA Physicians Benevolent Fund Helps Sustain Medical Families in Need - 03/29/2022

Healer. Comforter. Hard-working. Resilient. Skilled. Empathetic. As we honor our physicians on Doctor’s Day for all the invaluable roles and noble qualities you offer your patients and communities, remember the Texas Medical Association is here if you encounter times when you need help, hope, and healing through The Physicians Benevolent Fund.

How the Physicians Benevolent Fund Saved These Doctors’ Families - 02/28/2022

After he became disabled in an automobile accident, a Texas physician and his wife quickly ran through the funds awarded in a legal settlement for his ongoing medical bills.