Welcome to the first edition of TCMS e-News!   Did you know that the TCMS staff have been recycling and saving trees for years? When printing drafts or large reports, we print on the clean side of used paper.
 
This month, TCMS is taking green one step further with the electronic distribution of TCMS e-News. We hope you will find TCMS e-News to be as convenient and useful as it is environmentally responsible.

All Member Social

Business over Breakfast

TexMed 2010

Retired Physicians' Organization

TCMS/AISD Athletic Physicals

Capital AHEC Preceptors Needed

A/TCHHS Awarded Tabacco Prevention Grant

Membership Applicants

Spanish Meducation

The TCMS Membership Committee invites you to an all member physician social on Friday, April 16 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm.
 
Enjoy a legendary evening at The County Line on the Lake, 5204 RR 2222 with appetizers, cash bar, and door prizes. Bring the kids, meet your colleagues, and
Get it All Over Ya' (Bar-B-Que that is)!

For more information or to RSVP, contact the Society at 206-1146 or tcms@tcms.com.
 

This event sponsored in part by these Friends of the Society: Medical Service Bureau; Texas Medical Association Insurance Trust; Texas Medical Liability Trust; Broadway Bank, Clinical Pathology Laboratories, The Brian Novy Company; Contego HIM; and Stanberry & Associates Realtors.

Jeppe Ross, SPHR and Sheri Williams, PHR from TMA and TMAIT Human Resources will discuss Creating a Winning Team on Thursday, April 8 at 7:30 am in the TCMS 2nd floor boardroom – 4300 N Lamar Blvd.

Topics covered: identifying the importance of recruiting, training, and retaining skilled staff; strategies to help build a team that fits your practice; and the importance of defining your culture.

To RSVP or for more information, contact the Society at 206-1146, tcms@tcms.com, or visit www.tcms.com.

This event sponsored in part by these Friends of the Society: Medical
Service Bureau; Texas Medical Association Insurance Trust; and Texas
Medical Liability Trust.

Texas' leading physicians will head to Fort Worth for TMA's 143rd annual conference at the Fort Worth Convention Center and Omni Hotel. Join the discussion as the House of Delegates, boards, councils, and committees discuss key
issues that affect Texas medicine. Friday's General Session speaker is Robert Buckman, MD, PhD, an expert on interpersonal communication. He will address physicians with his Monty Python meets cutting-edge communication theory, How to Become an Effective Communicator and Still Stay Stupid.

TMA Foundation's 17th Annual Benefit is Friday evening. Proceeds support TMAF and health and science initiatives. 

More than 100 free hours of continuing medical education and a great exhibit hall are also part of the conference.  

Check out the conference brochure and register online at www.texmed2010.org.  

The next meeting of the TCMS Retired Physicians' Organization (RPO) will be Tuesday, April 20 at Tarrytown Methodist Church, 2601 Exposition at 11:30 am. The Aeolus Quartet from the Uuniversity of Texas Butler School of Music
will perform.

All retired physicians or those who are contemplating retirement are invited
to attend.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Ann Jeansonne at 206-1249 or ajeansonne@tcms.com.

The TCMS Public Relations Committee is still in need of volunteers to help with the 2010 TCMS/AISD athletic physicals. The students who participate have financial restrictions and other barriers to health care, are well behaved, and quite thankful for the opportunity to receive an exam so that they can participate in sports or band activities. For some, this is the only opportunity to see a physician for a "well visit."

We are in need of all specialties to assist each night of the exams. If you haven't done so already, please consider lending your support to this worthy cause by volunteering your time during one or more of the available shifts. If you have already submitted your registration form, consider asking your colleagues to join you!

Click here for the volunteer registration form. 

For questions or additional information, contact Stephanie Triggs at 206-1124 or striggs@tcms.com.

The Capital Area Health Education Center (AHEC) is a non-profit organization specializing in health care workforce development.  Part of their mission is to help medical and nursing schools locate volunteer preceptors in Travis and its surrounding counties. 

Capital AHEC is currently looking for preceptors that can help train UTMB 3rd and 4th year medical school students, UT Austin Nurse Practitioner students and UNT Physician Assistant students in their office.

The community-based experience that preceptors offer to students enriches the learning experience by giving students hands on training that cannot be found in the classroom.  This is a great opportunity to recruit and retain health care professionals in our community.

The greatest need is for primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, but we also need physician specialists to volunteer.  The length of time a student will spend at your office depends on the course and the type of student. 

To find out more about becoming a preceptor and the courses that are in need of preceptors, contact Brian Sullivan at 512-472-8921, Ext. 302 or visit http://www.capitalahec.org/Preceptor.html. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services $7,473,150 in federal stimulus funds over two years to decrease tobacco use and decrease exposure to secondhand smoke. Formally called Communities Putting Prevention to Work, the program focuses on policy,
systems and environmental changes to reduce the burden of chronic disease.

"Tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death in the nation and in Austin/Travis County, said Dr. Phil Huang, Medical Director for A/TCHHS." In Austin/Travis County, tobacco use kills more than AIDS, crack, heroin, alcohol, car
accidents, fire, and murder-combined." A/TCHHS will prevent and reduce tobacco use by working with community partners in schools, worksites, health care settings, faith-based organizations, retail settings, and the media.

To learn more about the Communities Putting Prevention to Work grant visit their website at www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/cdc/chronicdisease.html.

The following physicians have applied for TCMS membership. Under the provisions of the Bylaws, names of applicants are presented to the membership for review. Written objections to the applicant’s membership must be directed to the TCMS Board of Ethics within 30 days of publication.

Click here to view Applicant PDF

The summer session of Spanish Meducation®, the practical medical Spanish program offered through the Travis County Medical Society since 1994, starts on May 10. The 10-week session (meeting once a week) promotes beginning, intermediate and advanced communication in general Spanish with concentration on health care situations.

Listening and speaking skills are developed, while grammar takes a back seat. All handouts are included in the tuition cost - no textbook is required.

Free booster make-up lessons are provided in case of absence from the level I class. TCMS members and their staff are invited to participate. Tuition is $250 for new students and $230 for continuing students. A $25 early registration discount is available to those who register by April 19.

For questions and forms, please contact program director Jill Snyder, PhD at jld@io.com or 835-7612.