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Along with all the joys and tumult of a year that heralded the millennial celebration, the Olympics, elections, wildfires and a roller-coaster stock market, 2000 brought TAFP plenty to do and many successes. Under the leadership of Marcus M. Purvis, M.D., the academy stated its vision and mission, and then set about its goal of ensuring quality health care for all. TAFP continued to provide excellent continuing education opportunities, while the academy’s advocacy arm worked nonstop preparing for the upcoming legislative session. In September, the American Academy of Family Physicians gathered in Dallas, Texas, and TAFP put its best foot forward for the occasion. Staff began work months in advance to put together a hospitality suite that would showcase the diversity of Texas—its people, its industry, its culture and its land. Physicians from all parts stopped by to have their pictures made while sitting astride Handsome Hank, the Texas longhorn steer that proved to be the hit of the event. At the conclusion of the conference, TAFP announced the candidacy of James C. Martin, M.D., for AAFP President. |
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TAFP Education Seminars TAFP’s 26th annual Winter Symposium drew 95 Texans to Aspen, Colorado in February, while 121 people took part in Add a Day to TMA. Interim Session and the C. Frank Webber Lectureship were held in Austin, Texas, and had 103 attendees. Houston was again the home of TAFP’s Primary Care for the 90s, renamed Primary Care 2000, and the attendance was up to 231. In 2000, PrimeCME brought 252 CME activities counting 403 credit hours to 6,093 attendees in 27 locations. This model has proved so successful that the academy has formed a new division, the Academy of Continuing Education, to provide education to all specialties. In July, TAFP held its 51st Annual Session and Scientific Assembly in Austin. The event was a huge success, with 402 attendees and over a hundred exhibiting companies, including pharmaceutical manufacturers, home health providers, medical equipment suppliers, computer software and information system suppliers along with a host of others. Mark your calendar for next year’s conference in Houston, August 2-5. |
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A year ago last November, TAFP put continuing medical education on the doctor’s desk with the introduction of an accredited, online seminar series, InternetCME. Now physicians can logon to the World Wide Web from anywhere and choose from seven courses on HRT, HIV, migraine, asthma, allergic rhinitis, depression and erectile disfunction to satisfy CME requirements at their convenience. Visit www.tafp.org to participate or to get more information on the process. TAFP published its second monograph, Diagnosis and Management of Migraine: A Guide for Family Physicians, authored by Michael Crouch, M.D. and Ninan T. Mathew, M.D. Additional monograph topics in the works include COPD, depression and allergic rhinitis. |
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The initial R-Net study, entitled Prevalence of Night Sweats in a Primary Care Population, was conducted in the winter and late summer of 2000. A second study, Continuity of Care, Stages of Change and Diabetes was conducted in the fall of 2000. R-net membership increased during the year and the program is still accepting physicians who wish to participate in office-based research. Contact Anna Jenkins at 512-329-8666 for more information. TAFP Foundation held its 2nd Annual Live Auction during the opening ceremonies of last year’s Annual Session, raising $2,600 as attendees bid on items like hotel nights, autographed sports memorabilia, lottery tickets and a set of autographed sketches of former President and First Lady Bush. Dr. Lambert acted as auctioneer and everyone had a great time. Later during the session, Foundation President Sam A. Nixon awarded the title of Foundation Philanthropist of the Year to Leah Raye Mabry, M.D. The S. Perry Post, M.D., Medical Student Scholarship was given to Lezli Brazwell; and Stephanie Husky received the Norman Porres, M.D., and Felipe Porres, M.D., Medical Student Scholarship. Jeffrey Alexander Cannon and Carol Shannon Sartor won the William F. Ross, M.D. Medical Student Scholarship. |
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At the academy business meetings that took place during last year’s Annual Session, the membership decided to form a new commission to focus attention on the state of health care services and managed care. Ira Bell, III, M.D., MBA, agreed to head the new Commission on Managed Care and Health Services. Marcus M. Purvis, M.D., finished his term as president and was succeeded by Lloyd Van Winkle, M.D. Other officers for the coming year are:
AAFP delegates for 2001 are:
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In 2000, 392 preceptors took students from the Texas Statewide Preceptorship Program in both the clinical and pre-clinical settings, and 78 family practice residents participated in the Texas Rural Health Rotation in 2000. TAFP held a Student/Resident Leadership Conference in conjunction with Interim Session and 85 people attended. Three TAFP resident members were awarded the Mead Johnson Award from the AAFP—Sandra Guerra-Cantu, M.D., Jay L Gruhlkey, M.D., and Sarah Teurman, M.D. Only 20 residents are selected nation-wide for this honor. Guerra-Cantu, M.D., TAFP resident member on the Executive Committee, organized the first national Minority Medical Student Conference, which was held Sept. 15-16, 2000, in San Antonio, Texas. A total of 87 students and 117 residents attended TAFP education programs in 2000, and the TAFP Foundation provided funding for 19 students and residents to attend the National Conference of Family Practice Residents and Medical Students in Kansas City. |
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Texas has the second largest state membership in the nation—3,474 active and 5,373 total members. TAFP attained 98 percent Resident Enrollment for the 1999-2000 school year. As of November 30, TAFP had 141 more active members than last year at this time. Currently, the academy has 69.1 percent of eligible family physicians on the membership rolls. TAFPPAC honored Tim Lambert, M.D. of Garland with the 2000 TAFPPAC Award for his generous support and readiness to represent family practice 2000 marked one of TAFPPAC’s most successful years to date. TAFPPAC raised more than $21,000 from over 310 family physicians. Thanks to the support and commitment of TAFPPAC members, family practice has been able to support legislative candidates who will work to protect patients and physicians on several fronts including: prohibiting HMOs from implementing mandatory hospitalist programs, fighting attempts from allied health groups to expand their scope of practice, and fighting to ensure patients’ medical privacy. |
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Though the Texas Legislature was not in session in 2000, nearly 30 interim studies on health-related topics ranging from medical privacy and pharmacy issues to graduate medical education and physician workforce to rural and border health issues were assigned various standing or special legislative committees. TAFP played an active role monitoring and scrutinizing these interim studies, giving testimony where needed, to ensure that the concerns of physicians and patients were adequately addressed. TAFP would like to thank the following physicians for taking time from their busy schedules to present testimony on behalf of the TAFP to various legislative committees: Roland Goertz, M.D., Stephen Benold, M.D., Lewis Foxhall, M.D., Tim Coleridge, M.D., Joyce Roberts, M.D., Mitch Finnie, M.D., Justin Bartos, M.D., Jose Ugarte, M.D. Marcus Purvis, M.D. |
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Public Relations and Communications TAFP unveiled its all-new Web site in the fall of 2000, featuring health related news articles, practice management resources, areas for residents, students and member services as well as links to state and national health sites. Texas Family Physician continues to grow, keeping its focus on providing engaging topics and quality content that TAFP members need. The magazine and the membership directory generate revenue for the academy sufficient to cover production and distribution costs. TAFP honored two extraordinary physicians during Annual Session, awarding Leah Raye Mabry, M.D., as Physician of the Year and Don Wayne Boston, M.D., as Physician Emeritus. |
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Quite a few new faces joined the team this past year. They are Jeanne Easley, accountant; Dian Busse, PrimeCME coordinator; Anna Jenkins, CME/Research coordinator; Jonathan Nelson, editor; and Bret Pinyard, PrimeCME coordinator. Jo Ann Kindinger, TAFP Director of Education, was elected to the chapter advisor position on the AAFP Council on Continuing Medical Education. |
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