For five decades, family physicians in Texas have gathered each year to learn, to participate in the academy leadership and to enjoy their comradery. This tradition revitalizes the academy and brings new breath to its mission of equipping family physicians to improve the health of patients and their families. What better place to revisit this tradition than the seat of Texas history, the city of San Antonio.

This year’s Annual Session and Scientific Assembly will be held at the Westin Riverwalk Hotel and the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center July 11-14, and the planning committee and staff are working to make sure it will be a fiesta to remember. From engaging CME events to festive celebrations, TAFP’s Annual Session has something for everyone.

Leading off will be Texas Commissioner of Health, Eduardo J. Sanchez, M.D., this year’s opening keynote speaker. Sanchez manages a staff of 5,000 and an annual budget of $1.5 billion as the head of the Texas Department of Health. The academy is honored to have Dr. Sanchez open the conference as he discusses the state of health care in Texas.

If CME is what you’re looking for, this is the conference for you. Attendees to this year’s conference will be able to receive up to 27 hours of accredited CME as they attend events featuring nationally-renown speakers presenting the latest information on topics of interest to primary care physicians. Some of these include “Resistance — Antibiotics and Infectious Diseases,” “Male Dysfunctional Disorders,” “New Advances for the Management of Spasticity,” “Travel Medicine,” “Nail Fungal Infections” and much more. You can attend workshops on cryosurgery, and head and neck manipulation, and more. TAFP always offers excellent education events. Come and see why.

If helping to chart the course for the future of family medicine is what interests you, don’t miss this opportunity to join inspired physicians from across the state who share in that desire. All TAFP committee and commission meetings are open to anyone except for meetings of the Executive and Nominating committees. Academy leadership welcomes new faces and fresh ideas. This meeting is especially important because next year, the Texas Legislature will reconvene, and the academy has to focus its voice to meet its mission. Physician leaders will debate academy policy on such issues as liability insurance rates, Medicare and Medicaid funding, scope of practice, prompt payment from insurers and much more. Check out the Legislative Update in this issue of TFP to learn more about the issues TAFP will tackle in the coming year.

As always, the Annual Session and Scientific Assembly will allow plenty of time for fun, fellowship and good food. The traditional kickoff for ASSA, the Opening Celebration, will set the scene with a Latin flare. This is the grand opening of the exhibit hall, where more than a hundred companies will display the latest and the greatest of products in the medical field. Come explore the exhibits while you enjoy some festive entertainment.

This year, the Foundation introduces the First Annual TAFP Foundation Chocolate Extravaganza.  Save some room for desert! Then there’s the Physician of the Year Reception, the Happy Hour Networking Reception, the Guest Get-together and the First Annual John Peter Smith Alumni Reunion. After all of those receptions, you’ll want to participate in the Annual Fun Run on Saturday morning.

And that evening is the night of the most anticipated event of the conference, the President’s Gala. At this fantastic fiesta, the new officers of TAFP will be inducted and everyone will enjoy an evening of elegant dining and festivity. After dinner and the installation ceremony, everyone will hit the dance floor. A live band will play Latino and contemporary music, and dance instructors will show the crowd how to dance the salsa.

This year, TAFP has dramatically reduced conference registration fees from $425 to less than $200. You can visit the TAFP Web site to learn more about the conference and to register.

Below you can read about the history and the excitement of San Antonio. Registration and hotel information can be found at http://www.tafp.org/programs/2002AS/default.htm, along with a schedule of commission, committee and section meetings. Don’t miss this chance to attend the premier family practice conference in the state of Texas.

Long a crossroads of history (and a meeting place of cultures), San Antonio is a rich blend of deeply rooted traditions and 21st century cosmopolitan flair, a place where America’s past and present merge to create a unique vibrancy. Now the nation’s ninth-largest city, San Antonio is a joyful melange of the flavors and sounds of Native Americans, Old Mexico, the Republic of Texas, Germans, the Wild West, African Americans, and the Deep South.

For visitors with an interest in gallant deeds of days gone by, San Antonio is history. Native Americans first lived along the San Antonio River, calling the area “Yanaguana,” which means “refreshing waters” or “clear waters.” A band of Spanish explorers and missionaries came upon the river in 1691, and because it was the feast day of St. Anthony, they named the river “San Antonio.” The actual founding of the city came in 1718 by Father Antonio Olivares when he established Mission San Antonio de Valero, which became permanently etched in the annals of history in 1836 as The Alamo, where 189 defenders held the old mission against some 4,000 Mexican troops for 13 days. The cry “Remember the Alamo” became the rallying point of the Texan revolution against Mexico. Located in the heart of downtown, today The Alamo is a shrine and museum.

Nearby, the San Antonio IMAX Theatre Rivercenter presents “Alamo ... The Price of Freedom” on a six-story screen, while the Texas Adventure presents the story of Texas independence in a state-of-the-art multi-media presentation.

Four other Spanish missions founded in the early 1700s form the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, a marvelous place to explore the city’s roots and Spain’s influence on the Southwestern part of the United States. The visitor center at Mission San Jose is an excellent starting point, and a new hike and bike trail, and improved way-finding system is underway to make these historic gems more accessible.  

A tour of downtown San Antonio will uncover literally centuries of history. Developed in the mid to late 18th century, La Villita (“the little village”) was one of San Antonio’s original settlements, which became a hub of Texas revolutionary activities in 1835 and 1836. Today, La Villita is a National Historic District and a haven for artists and craftsmen, selling blown glass, jewelry, stained glass and other handcrafts, as well as fashions from Mexico and Guatemala.

The Spanish Governor’s Palace, the seat of government when San Antonio was the capital of the Spanish Province of Texas, sits downtown near City Hall. Nearby is San Fernando Cathedral, which the area’s founders from the Canary Islands began constructing in 1731; and the Jose Antonio Navarro State Historical Park, home of a central figure in the formation of Texas.

Dating to 1840, Market Square (El Mercado), the largest Mexican marketplace outside of Mexico, is a festive combination of Tex-Mex cuisine, music and entertainment, and products ranging from pearls to piñatas. Meanwhile, the Steves Homestead, a mansion open to the public in the King William Historic District, reflects San Antonio’s German heritage in a gracious residential area settled in the late 1800s.

Northeast of downtown lies Fort Sam Houston, another “must see” for history buffs. A National Historic Landmark, the oldest building on the post — The Quadrangle — dates to 1876. Military greats like Pershing, Stilwell, Krueger and Eisenhower all served at Fort Sam Houston. San Antonio was also a training site for the Buffalo Soldiers, famed African American cavalry troops who helped bring peace to the Western frontier a century ago. Today, Fort Sam Houston is headquarters for the Fifth U.S. Army and the Health Services Command and home of the Fort Sam Houston Museum and the U.S. Army Medical Department Museum.

The University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures at San Antonio, located downtown in HemisFair Park, chronicles more than 25 ethnic groups that made the Lone Star State what it is today. Their stories are told through words, photos and fascinating displays, that include such eclectic items as a Native American teepee, an old-time barbershop, a frontier dentist’s office, a town square band gazebo, an African American sharecropper’s house — even a working post office.

For many visitors, San Antonio is the Paseo del Rio, an urban masterpiece. Better known as the “River Walk,” these cobblestone and flagstone paths border both sides of the San Antonio River, 20 feet below street level, as it winds its way through the middle of the business district.

The River Walk has multiple personalities — quiet and park-like in some stretches, while other areas are full of activity with European-style sidewalk cafes, specialty boutiques, art galleries, nightclubs and gleaming high-rise hotels.

Stretching for approximately two and a half miles from the Municipal Auditorium and Conference Center on the north end to the King William Historic District on the south, the River Walk designs were mainly the work of the late Robert H. Hugman, a landscape architect. Work is underway on a River Walk improvement project that eventually will link Brackenridge Park with Mission Espada.

Yanaguana Cruises, the river’s floating transportation system, provides a novel method of sightseeing and people watching in downtown San Antonio. Groups can also dine aboard open-air, candlelit cruisers as they wind their way along the scenic waterway. River taxis deliver visitors to Rivercenter Mall, a dazzling three-level, glass shopping, dining and entertainment complex, and to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

San Antonio is the picture-perfect setting for great family vacations. Families may want to start their exploration of the city at the San Antonio Children’s Museum, where kids are encouraged to explore a miniature version of the city with exhibits like “Citystreets,” “Hill Country Bubble Ranch,” “Mission Courtyard,” “Runway #9,” and much more. And the Magik Children’s Theatre provides family professional theatre in the heart of downtown.

The Downtown All-Around Playground at HemisFair Park and Milam Park (across from Market Square) provide excellent stops for kids to burn off excess energy. In addition, don’t forget the Tower of the Americas, which offers a spectacular view of San Antonio from 579 feet above the ground.

The Plaza Wax Museum houses more than 225 life-like characters in four themed sections — Hollywood, Horrors, History and Religion. Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! has more than 500 unique curiosities from around the world. Another popular stop is the Buckhorn Saloon & Museum on East Houston Street, which showcases a 118-year old bar, one-of-a-kind oddities and Western memorabilia, and offers visitors a journey back to the Old West through exhibits, an old-fashioned arcade, the Saloon, and a shooting gallery.

Brackenridge Park, a 343-acre refuge in the heart of the city, offers a full day of family fun. The San Antonio Zoo, with a collection of more than 3,500 animals representing 750 different species from around the globe — one of the largest collections in America — also is the only zoo in the country to exhibit endangered whooping cranes. Nearby, the Witte Museum and H-E-B Science Treehouse offer hands-on learning, with exhibits exploring history, science, natural science and anthropology. The Japanese Tea Garden, featuring ponds and gardens nestled in an abandoned quarry, and the Kiddie Park will round out a day of fun and education.

Not far from Brackenridge Park, you can follow your senses through the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, where acres of beautiful lush vegetation replicate three distinct landscapes of Texas. Wander through formal gardens and even a special garden for the blind, where emphasis is placed on the texture and scent of plants.

Around the city, families will find abundant opportunities for fun — Laser Quest, Malibu Grand Prix and Castle, Splashtown Water Park, and the Texas Transportation Museum.

San Antonio is Texas-sized fun at SeaWorld San Antonio, the world’s largest marine life park, and Six Flags Fiesta Texas, the town built just for fun. SeaWorld San Antonio combines fun with education and appreciation for some of the ocean’s most fascinating creatures through more than 25 shows, educational exhibits and rides. Explore “Lost Lagoon’s” five acres of aquatic fun or “Shamu’s Happy Harbor,” where kids can romp, splash and play in an area designed just for them. “The Steel Eel” at SeaWorld San Antonio is an exciting roller coaster, the only hypercoaster anywhere in the American Southwest.

Six Flags Fiesta Texas is a non-stop celebration of San Antonio and South Texas. It’s designed around four theme areas: The Mexican town of Los Festivales; the German village of Spassburg; the 1920s cowboy boomtown of Crackaxle Canyon; and the small Texas town of Rockville, during the golden age of rock ‘n’ roll, which includes Fiesta Bay Boardwalk, a ’50s-’60s seaside boardwalk complete with a 90-foot Ferris wheel. Great musical shows, exciting rides including massive wooden and steel roller coasters, food choices, architecture and craft demonstrations all carry out the themes.

San Antonio is Van Gogh, Matisse, Mozart and Treviño. In a historically rich and ethnically diverse city, one would expect to find a vivid tapestry of art, both visual and performing, and San Antonio is not an exception. San Antonio has two impressive art museums. The McNay Art Museum is set in a Mediterranean-style mansion and has wide-ranging collections, including post-impressionist and modern art, theater art, Medieval art, Native American art, and more. The San Antonio Museum of Art is housed in the castle-like former headquarters of the Lone Star Brewery. This museum is noted for its antiquities collections, and the 30,000 square-foot wing of the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Latin American Art — the largest repository of its kind in the United States.

San Antonio is beautiful blue skies and outdoor adventure. With more than 300 days of sunshine annually and an average temperature of 68.8 degrees Fahrenheit, visitors to San Antonio will find an abundance of outdoor sports and recreation to challenge them.

The first public golf course in Texas, Brackenridge Golf Course, was built in San Antonio in 1916, and the city has been busy hosting golfers since then. A flurry of golf course construction during the last decade has made the city even more attractive to visiting golfers with additional upscale, public courses opening every year.

San Antonio is home to the SBC Championship at The Dominion (A Senior PGA Tour Event), played at the Dominion Country Club; and the Texas Open at La Cantera — a PGA Tour Event, one of the oldest professional golf tournaments, which is played at La Cantera Golf Club in the fall.

What’s special about San Antonio? The Alamo, the River Walk, conjunto music, friendly people, Tex-Mex cuisine and Fiesta San Antonio. Yes, and more. The answer is as varied as the people who live in and visit San Antonio. Come experience San Antonio — her natural beauty, her history, her people, her music, her cuisine. You’ll leave with memories to last a lifetime.