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Capitol
program brings students, residents to session TAFP
began a new program this legislative session to expose future family
physicians to the legislative process. TAFP director of legislative
Affairs, Tom Banning, invited student and resident members to go with
him to the Capitol and be a lobbyist for a day. Five
residents and three medical students took time out of their schedules to
come to Austin for the day. Based on the reaction of the participants,
Banning declared the program a success. A common theme in their comments
is how much they learned about the process and how it affects the
practice of medicine. John Redman, the student member of the TAFP
Commission on Legislative Affairs, said that he “did not realize the
impact that the Legislature has on medicine at all levels.” While
in Austin, the students and residents visited Texas Medical Association,
met legislators and other key players and got a lesson in how it all
works from Banning. As Cliff White from UT San Antonio put it, they
“caught a glimpse of the inner workings of a system that [they] have
only studied in a classroom.” Resident Lee W. Janson, M.D., Ph.D.,
from the UT Southwestern/Parkland Family Practice Residency program
commented that it reminded him “how government works at all levels and
the fact that the members really need to make their individual voices
heard to get the bills passed that will help them.” Banning will
follow this successful program with trips to various residency programs
and family practice student associations to talk about the importance of
legislative involvement. |
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The
AAFP’s Family Medicine Interest Group Network honored the University
of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio’s FMIG along with nine
other programs nationwide for demonstrated exemplary achievement in four
areas—infrastructure, student involvement/student retention, family
practice advocacy and community outreach/patient advocacy. All 10 groups
received this year’s FMIG Program of Excellence award. In addition, UT
San Antonio’s FMIG received a categorical award for excellence in
community outreach and patient advocacy. |
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Roy
Michael Ragsdale, M.D., of Irving suffered a heart attack and died on
April 26, 2001. Ragsdale served the academy in many ways over the years.
He was a leader in his local chapter, past president of the Family
Practice Department at St. Paul and a mentor to many students. At the
time of his death he was chair of the Commission on Public Health and
Clinical Affairs, a member of the Nominating Committee and the Alternate
Director to the TAFP Board of Directors from the Dallas Chapter. Dr.
Ragsdale is survived by his wife Barbara and four children; Michael,
Jeff, Christie and Julie. |
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Report
from ALF/NCSC: Everything’s
up to date in Kansas City Texas
was well represented at the Annual Leadership Forum and the National
Conference of Special Constituencies held together in Kansas City, Mo.,
April 26-28. The official representatives from TAFP were Linda Siy,
M.D., woman delegate; Melissa Gerdes, M.D., new physician delegate;
Rosalie Pena, M.D., international medical graduate delegate; and Miguel
A. Ramirez Colon, M.D., minority physician delegate. Also representing
Texas were Kaparaboyna Ashok Kumar, M.D., Leah Raye Mabry, M.D., and
Mary Helen Morrow, M.D. As the AAFP woman physician delegate, Mary H.
Morrow, M.D. was a co-convener of the conference. A
number of important issues were discussed in the constituency meetings.
Reproduction issues, gender equity for prescription coverage,
identification and prevention of depression were just some of the issues
discussed by the women’s constituency. They also encouraged AAFP to
offer more family-oriented activities at AAFP functions and discussed
the need for Internet access at NCSC. They decided not to request an
extension of the Congress of Delegate seats that will expire in 2003,
but encouraged AAFP to continue its support of the Women’s
Constituency at NCSC and the women’s caucus at the Congress of
Delegates. The
IMG addressed issues such as USMLE credentialing, bias in residency
selection, peer recognition and contribution through education, and
delegates to the AMA IMG Section. A bylaws amendment is pending that
could allow IMG delegate and alternate delegate seats at the Congress of
Delegates. If passed, Texas member, Kaparaboyna Ashok Kumar, M.D., of
Tyler will be one of the delegates. The
minority constituency discussed various issues of importance. Among them
were requesting that the academy support legislation to fund culturally
sensitive interpretive services and develop a database of
culturally-related health issues accessible to all members caring for
patients of diverse populations. Other issues discussed included
encouraging HCFA to pay for transportation for up to 12 health care
visits for Medicare beneficiaries and health promotion issues including
substance abuse care for prisoners and former prisoners which are
over-represented in the minority community. In
addition to constituency meetings, attendees participated in leadership
workshops with the ALF attendees. Attending the leadership forum were
Lloyd Van Winkle, M.D., TAFP president; Justin V. Bartos, M.D., TAFP
president-elect; James C. Martin, M.D., AAFP Board of Directors; C. Tim
Lambert, M.D., delegate; Roland Goertz, M.D., alternate delegate; Marcus
M. Purvis, M.D., TAFP past president; Del Barker Stigler, M.D.,
alternate delegate; Arnold Krause, M.D. and Dale Moquist, M.D. |
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Physicians
join race for men’s health President-elect,
Justin V. Bartos, M.D.; Parliamentarian, Erica Swegler, M.D.; and Greg
Fuller, M.D., all from Keller, volunteered at the Pfizer Tune-up for
Life Men’s Health Trailer on April 1 at the Texas Motor Speedway. The
trailer will be present at 38 NASCAR events throughout the United States
in 2001 to increase health awareness. At each stop, health and wellness
screenings are provided to men and women. The screenings target diseases
that have a high level of prevalence in men. Volunteer physicians are
available to provide consultation and guide patients to obtain follow-up
health care services. At
it’s only stop in Texas, the crew screened 686 people—523 males and
163 females. |
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