Texas Medical Association

Podcast: Physicians Use Texas BookShare to Boost Child Literacy, Health. Whether reading to children in a local elementary school or using books to calm nerves in the exam room, hear how Texas physicians use one of TMA's signature outreach programs to improve health through literacy. "It's very important developmentally for children early on ... the better educated we are the better our health is." https://hubs.li/Q02X9DG60

How to Tackle Time-Consuming Inbox Overload. Electronic messaging has its perks, but the mountains of notifications often lead to less face-to-face patient time. Finding the time to clear one's inbox can lead to increased stress among physicians and decreased career satisfaction. But new solutions, including those harnessing artificial intelligence, are on the horizon. https://hubs.li/Q02X9jxv0

TMA Knowledge Center Improvements Expedite Member Solutions. System-wide improvements to TMA’s Knowledge Center recently went live, including an enhanced phone line equipped with interactive voice response functionality and a new digital chatbot. These updates were made to better serve members and to provide the most recent information and tools available to physicians across Texas. https://hubs.li/Q02X9s5T0

Physicians Can Receive Payment for Advance Care Planning. A traumatic pandemic has prompted many patients to undertake advance care planning to secure the quality treatment they deserve. Physicians can receive compensation for this delicate and vital process through Medicare with the right steps and documentation. https://hubs.li/Q02X5Sky0

November Texas Medicine Is Here. ]End-of-life care has always been challenging. This issue takes a look at long-overdue legislative improvements for physicians and patients, how to do advanced care planning with patients and get paid for it, and education on the state's death registry. Plus, read tips on how to manage inbox overload and prevent spread of travel-related illnesses with thorough travel questioning. https://hubs.li/Q02X2KL40

TMA Efforts Help Improve End-of-Life Care Bill. After years of confusion and fear around Texas' do-not-resuscitate regulations, medicine stepped to the table to join other stakeholders in creating needed solutions during the 2023 Texas legislative session. Now, the resultant House Bill 3162 provides guardrails for physicians and families. https://hubs.li/Q02X1zL10

How This Addiction Medicine Specialist Targets Primary Care Challenges. To fill a gap in addiction resources for primary care, one Waco physician and his team developed a free app with hundreds of clinical decision support materials. With the guide in its seventh year, its creator recently presented at TMA's Business of Medicine Conference. Read the Texas Medicine story. https://hubs.li/Q02WQwSt0

@texmed’s Texas BookShare program helps improve literacy in underserved areas by helping physicians give free books to kids. Hear from doctors in this TMA Health Beat podcast about how giving out books and reading to children lets the physicians give back to their communities. https://hubs.li/Q02WCY2z0

Help kids in your community participate in sports on wheels safety. If you’d like to host a free bicycle helmet giveaway event, contact TMA. We would love to help you keep your community safe.

TMA Grants Boost Vaccine Efforts. Many medical practices take immunizations to where patients are, such as community health fairs, school events, and homeless shelters. But doing that takes time and money. Grants offered by the Vaccines Defend What Matters (VDWM) initiative can help. Learn how practices across the state make a difference with vaccines. https://hubs.li/Q02Vzwdr0