Stories written by Hannah Wisterman

Delegates Emphasize Women’s, Reproductive Health Ahead of Legislative Session - 05/15/2024

Continuing its mission to improve the health of mothers and babies in Texas, along with addressing ongoing sexual health and opioid crises, TMA passed and strengthened policy to shape the association’s advocacy come legislative session.

Physicians Advocate, Educate, Innovate at TexMed 2024 - 05/08/2024

From cutting-edge CME and robust discussion to the installation of new association leadership and policymaking, this year’s annual meeting in Dallas was filled with excitement as more than 1,200 physicians, residents, and medical students successfully fulfilled the three missions of TexMed 2024: advocate, educate, and innovate.

TexMed 2024 Brings Exciting Speakers to All Attendees - 04/23/2024

Thanks to a new scheduling approach, attendees at TexMed 2024 will experience a more cohesive conference, bringing together members from all different stages in the path of organized medicine.

TMA Moment In Time: Pandemic Response - 04/09/2024

The strength of organized medicine carried TMA and Texas physicians through an unprecedented public health crisis and beyond.

The Knowledge Center Turns 20: Answering Physicians' Questions and Stewarding Medical History - 04/09/2024

The Texas Medical Association Knowledge Center helps physicians navigate daily challenges, and stewards an archive of Texas medical history.

TMA Moment in Time: AMA Presidents - 04/09/2024

Texas' git-er-done approach has launched TMA physicians to the AMA presidency.

Data-Driven Interventions: TMA Zeroes in on Quality Opioid Care - 04/01/2024

TMA zeroes in on physicians’ obstacles to quality opioid care.

“It’s Real. It Happens.” Panel Discusses How Shifting Values Can Shift Physicians Away From Burnout - 01/31/2024

By tuning in to personal convictions and values, physicians can improve relationships with their medical team, patients, and themselves. Given the increasing pressures on physicians, that shift is necessary and possible, medical leadership experts shared at TMA’s Leadership Summit. Read more.

AMA President-Elect to Speak at TMA Leadership Summit - 01/17/2024

Amid a full schedule of focused CME to help physicians lead in their practices and communities, the Texas Medical Association’s Leadership Summit will host American Medical Association President-Elect Bruce Scott, MD, as he presents “Top Issues Impacting Medicine.”

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.  

Private Insurers Must Cover Surveillance Colonoscopies, TMA Urges Feds - 01/03/2024

To uphold the established standard of care for colorectal cancer screening, commercial insurers regulated by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) must cover follow-up surveillance colonoscopies that take place after the removal of precancerous polyps or lesions in initial screening tests.

New Leadership Summit Heeds Physicians’ Calls for Career Training - 12/10/2023

Physicians are more than doctors; they are leaders for their practices, communities, and peers. Answering the call from members to cultivate the skills needed for such roles, the Texas Medical Association will host a Leadership Summit – formerly Winter Conference – Jan. 25-27 at the Hyatt Regency in Austin.

Sickle Cell Disease Care Targeted in State, Federal Efforts - 12/06/2023

Physicians could see improvements in their ability to care for patients with sickle cell disease as moves by the state and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services aim to standardize and improve treatment for the disease and expand access to care.

Widening the Net: New RSV Preventions Can Reduce Seasonal Burden of Disease - 12/04/2023

These new preventive treatments for RSV can help reduce seasonal burden of disease.

Misdirected: Health Plan Directories See Damaging Gaps Awaiting Final Rules - 12/04/2023

Health plan directories see damaging gaps while awaiting No Surprises Act final directory rules – and accountability.

CMS Strengthens Price Transparency for Hospitals - 11/29/2023

A new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services final rule aims to strengthen hospital price transparency regulations for 2024, a move physicians hope will address weaknesses in prior policy that hindered them and patients from making informed health care decisions.

E-Tobacco Protocol Integrates Intervention Into EHRs - 11/13/2023

Amid high rates of e-cigarette use in adolescents and young adults, and following TMA’s legislative wins on nicotine cessation and prevention, physicians now have a seamless way to help patients quit, using their electronic health records. Read more.

On the Mend: Maternal Care Wins Encourage Better Outcomes in Texas - 11/05/2023

Twelve months of postpartum coverage and other maternal wins encourage physicians for better outcomes.

CDC Grant Funds Drug Overdose Data Collection in Texas - 10/30/2023

A nearly $4 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could give Texas physicians new tools to handle national opioid and mental health crises, which have made it difficult to identify patients at risk for substance use disorders.

CPAN CME Bolsters Phone Consult Service - 10/17/2023

As children continue to experience trauma due to COVID-19, the Child Psychiatry Access Network (CPAN) can help physicians address the consequences. Along with its phone consult service – which physicians can access any time – CPAN offers virtual CME on various issues physicians are likely to encounter when treating young patients.

Physicians Prepared for Market, Regulatory Changes at Business of Medicine Conference - 10/10/2023

Over 600 attendees at last weekend’s inaugural Business of Medicine Conference enjoyed a cohesive agenda and focused CME to help physicians untangle issues in health care delivery, insurance, and technology. The timely education was coupled with fresh opportunities to connect with colleagues. "We learned a lot. And there were a ton of TMA benefits we didn't realize."

Nominate a Public Health Leader for the Nickey Lifetime Achievement Award - 09/26/2023

In recognition of outstanding contributions to medicine through a commitment to public health, the Texas Medical Association’s Council on Science and Public Health is calling for nominations for the next Laurance N. Nickey, MD, Lifetime Achievement Award.

Paying Plasma Centers Proliferate as Volunteer Blood Donors Dwindle - 09/05/2023

As demand for plasma for medicinal products continues to increase, some physicians caution that for-profit plasma centers may threaten an already fragile volunteer blood donation base.

Business of Medicine Conference Offers More – And More Practical – Educational Programming - 08/31/2023

With an eye toward equipping physicians to navigate the modern medical practice landscape, the Texas Medical Association’s inaugural Business of Medicine conference in October offers more than triple the amount of educational content compared with last year’s counterpart, Fall Conference.

TMA’s Banner Exhibits Take Medical History on the Road - 08/23/2023

The Texas Medical Association’s sesquicentennial in 2003 gave TMA and its physicians plenty of reason to celebrate. One hundred and fifty years of helping patients is a great accomplishment, and to commemorate it, the board-appointed History of Medicine Committee installed new exhibits in its Austin gallery, illustrating the history of medical education in Texas, the triumph of underrepresented groups in medicine, and the story of TMA itself.