A Look Back

 

TAFP had a great year in 2002. The academy provided education to more than 12,000 physicians through our various education programs. This year ACCME reaccredited TAFP for another four years, so the future for education looks great.

 

On another front, many TAFP members gave testimony last year before legislative panels charged to study pressing health care issues in preparation for this year's legislative session, and the academy had a successful election cycle.

 

Here at TAFP headquarters, success has required some new staff members and a search for a new building. But before we launch into another exciting year, here are the highlights from 2002.

T AFP Education Program

 

TAFP’s education program had a banner year serving a total of 12,347 family physicians and other primary care doctors with 598 hours of CME in 343 activities.

 

Seminars – TAFP received another four-year accreditation from the Accreditation Council on Continuing Medical Education  for its education program. Accreditation allows TAFP to provide Category I CME to physicians and other health care providers as well as prescribed hours for most TAFP CME activities.

 

This year TAFP’s five CME symposia reached more than 1,200 family physicians. These programs included TAFP’s 28th Annual Winter Symposium held in Vail, Colorado, which hosted 94 physicians; Primary Care Update at TMA, which drew 205 attendees; and Primary Care Summit in Houston with an attendance of 237. The C. Frank Webber Lectureship and Interim Session was held in Austin with 223 in attendance and 459 attendees came to San Antonio for the 53rd Annual Session.

 

PrimeCME® – TAFP has developed its PrimeCME program to deliver CME when and where you need it. In a record-breaking year, PrimeCME offered 325 activities totaling 560 CME hours to 6,000 attendees in 56 cities.

 

Joint Sponsorship – TAFP began a new line of CME business. As an accredited provider, TAFP can work with other organizations to offer CME to their target audiences. TAFP’s role is to audit and assure that the other organization plans and produces the CME activity in accordance with the policies and guidelines of the ACCME. TAFP has facilitated over 90 hours of CME reaching more than 1,500 primary care physicians and other health care professionals.

 

InterNetCME and Monographs – InterNetCME, TAFP’s program that offers free CME, 24 hours a day through your computer, got a new look in 2002. This new platform allows you to experience online CME activities using the latest in audio/video streaming technologies. There are nine courses available, including an ethics course. Over 800 people registered for InterNetCME in 2002.

 

TAFP has three monographs available online, and a new one is about to be published. Read about allergic rhinitis, asthma and migraine and earn two hours of CME per monograph.

 

For a complete rundown of CME offered by TAFP, view our Web site, www.tafp.org, for dates and locations.

 

Membership

 

TAFP continues to grow. As of Nov. 1, 2002, Texas has 3,613 active members and 5,295 total members. TAFP attained 99 percent resident enrollment for the 2001-02 school year. TAFP had 171 more active members than last year at this time. The academy has 75 percent of eligible family physicians on the membership rolls.

 

Students/Residents – TAFP’s 12th Conference for Students and Residents was a success. Ninety students and residents registered and 71 attended. TAFP leaders spoke to those present on leadership, public speaking, parliamentary procedure, legislative advocacy and the financial realities of being a family physician. Also contributing to the conference were two special guests, the resident and student members of the AAFP Board of Directors, English González, M.D., M.P.H. and Jaime Hartung. They participated in a panel, along with Andrew Mills, M.D., of the Waco Family Practice Residency Program and Leanna Mosher from Texas A&M, focusing on involvement.

 

Research – The TAFP Research Network (R-net) was renamed SPARRC, which stands for Statewide Primary Care Ambulatory Research and Resource Consortium. The first study under this name was the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, a survey that gathered general information on who our patients are and why they make appointments. Complete results will be available soon.

  

Administration

 

During the past year the academy’s administrative system has focused on human resources management and the TAFP accounting system. The academy has effectively and efficiently hired new employees as needed, handled employee separation details and revamped all other aspects of human resources management. The academy hired a new accounting staff member and has enhanced our accounting system. Administrative functions are running productively and with consistent review, they should continue to run smoothly in the future.

 

Leadership and Commissions

 

At this year’s Annual Session, the TAFP Board of Directors identified many issues the academy needs to focus on, including scope of practice, student interest in family medicine and tort reform to address sky rocketing medical liability insurance rates. Kaparaboyna Ashok Kumar, M.D., became the first member to sit on the TAFP Board of Directors as a representative of the special constituencies. Justin Bartos, M.D., presented the Presidential Award of Merit to Sen. Jane Nelson of Flower Mound, recognizing her outstanding contribution to health care in Texas.

 

Dr. Bartos completed his year as president. Robert Hogue, M.D., of Brownwood succeeded him at the July meeting. Officers for the coming year are David Schneider, M.D., president-elect; Samuel Coleridge, D.O., vice-president; Erica Swegler, M.D., treasurer; and Linda Siy, M.D., parliamentarian.

  
 

Foundation

 

The TAFP Foundation held a Chocolate Extravaganza and Silent Auction in conjunction with Annual Session. Attendees sampled their chocolate delights and bid on various donated items, ranging from a handmade wooden canoe to a baseball autographed by Nolan Ryan. About 170 people attended the event, raising $2,550 in ticket sales alone. Grants from AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline helped offset expenses. The Silent Auction brought in $3,900. The evening’s events made a total profit of around $8,000 after expenses.

 

The TAFP Foundation announced the establishment of two new scholarships: The Leah Raye Mabry, M.D., Scholarship to be used for the leadership training of new female physicians and the Sam Nixon, M.D., Leadership Award, a $25,000 scholarship to be managed by the executive committee to honor Dr. Nixon for his many years of faithful service.

 

This year’s TAFP Foundation Philanthropist of the Year Award went to Dr. Hugh Wilson of Eastland. His name will be forwarded to the AAFP as a candidate for the national philanthropist award.

 

Other awards given by the foundation include two Harold T. Pruessner Medical Student Scholarships given to Christopher Prihoda of UT Medical School – Houston and Andrew J. Morris of Baylor College of Medicine. The first Valley Chapter Medical Student Scholarship was awarded to Patsy Santistevan of UT Health Science Center – San Antonio. The 2002 Porres Medical Student Scholarship went to Corey Ball of Texas Tech University Health Science Center in Lubbock.

Legislative Advocacy

 

2002 was an extremely busy and successful year for TAFP’s legislative division. The speaker of the house and lieutenant governor assigned more than 75 interim studies to various standing or special committees. These interim studies are designed to provide more in-depth discussions of emerging issues and make recommendations to the 78th Legislature on how to address them.

 

Budgetary and health care related issues will dominate the 78th legislative session. This is evidenced by the sheer number of interim studies, which included a study on medical liability insurance, prompt payment and Medicaid and CHIP funding, to name a few. Hearings were held across the state and family physicians testified to ensure that their concerns as well as those of their patients were addressed.

 

Highlights from the interim studies include a recommendation to cap non-economic damages at $250,000 for medical malpractice cases, applying a sliding scale for attorney’s contingency fees and fixing prompt payment problems once and for all.

 

TAFP legislative staff was also busy on the regulatory front, protecting against the constant threat of scope of practice expansion by non-physicians and ensuring workers’ compensation fees were fair and reasonable.

 

TAFPPAC had a banner year this election cycle, endorsing winning candidates in 71 of 75 Texas House races and 20 of 21 Texas Senate races. Additionally, TAFPPAC endorsed four of five Supreme Court candidates.

 

TAFPPAC had a record-breaking year in fundraising and will continue to support those candidates, regardless of party, who support family practice. A major reason for the fundraising success is the monthly billing program, which allows you to spread your donation over time, rather than in one big amount. Visit www.tafppac.org to learn more.

 

TAFPPAC honored Douglas Curran, M.D., of Athens with the TAFPPAC Award for his dedication to the political advancement of family practice.

  
 

Public Relations/Communications

 

TAFP unveiled its redesigned Web site in September. The new site is easier to navigate and provides more detailed information on our educational programs and member services.

 

TAFP honored two exemplary family physicians: David Wright, M.D., of Austin was named Texas Family Physician of the Year and James Matthews, M.D., of Lubbock received the Physician Emeritus Award. Outgoing Health and Human Services Commissioner Don Gilbert was awarded TAFP Patient Advocacy Award.

 

TAFP Staff

 

The TAFP staff experienced growth and change over the year. Following is the staff listed with their positions:

 

Jim White, Executive Director

John Ashbaugh, Director of Administration

Tom Banning, Director of Legislative and Public Affairs

William Jackson, Information Technology Manager

Anna Jenkins, Meetings Manager

Jo Ann Kindinger, Director of Education

Rachel Kohls, PrimeCME Coordinator

Amy Lockney, PrimeCME Assistant

Kathy McCarthy, Director of Member Services

Jessica Miley, Education Assistant

Selina Mirza, CME Conference Manager

Robert Montoya, Financial Manager

Nathan Moore, Marketing Associate

Jonathan Nelson, Staff Editor and Communications Specialist

Paige Newman, Membership Assistant

Esmond Nwokeji, Education Assistant

Mary Petachenko, Receptionist

Rebecca Selman, CME Business Development

Paul Swegler, Foundation Director of Development

Kelly Welch, PrimeCME Coordinator