Friday, January 19, 2018

TMA Council and Committee Charges

Council on Constitution and Bylaws. The council shall be a fact-finding and advisory body on matters pertaining to the Constitution and Bylaws. The council shall be responsible for long-range organizational planning. Recommendations may be made at the council’s initiative. Appropriate matters may be referred to the council by the House of Delegates, Board of Trustees, the president, other councils and committees, and individual county societies.

Council on Health Care Quality. The council shall (1) proactively provide a physician role in the establishment of policy surrounding the clinical and attributive aspects of quality improvement, patient safety, and performance measurement; (2) provide education and resources via establishment of localized Quality and Patient Safety Centers of Excellence, more CME  offerings, and expanded TMA quality and patient safety websites; (3) prepare physicians for the upcoming quality/value-based reimbursement challenges by addressing physicians’ clinical responsibility and how the new changes will affect their practice of medicine; (4) educate physicians regarding opportunities to use federal and state incentives to improve their patient outcomes; (5) advocate to the state and federal government regarding impediment(s) that small practices face in implementing quality improvement, patient safety, and performance measurement, and provide recommendations wherever possible; and (6) provide a forum for all the stakeholders in Texas that encourages quality improvement and improved patient safety via evidence-based, transparent, and standardized performance measurement and methodologies.

Council on Health Promotion. The council shall plan and oversee programs and activities that enable TMA, TMA Alliance, and TMA Foundation to improve the health of all Texans. The council shall be composed of nine TMA member physicians, three alliance members, and three members representing the TMA Foundation.

Council on Health Service Organizations. The council shall study, make recommendations, and initiate activities related to the organization and services of all facilities utilized in the continuum of health care services including emergency service units, ambulatory surgery centers, hospitals, and skilled nursing, long-term care and assisted living, hospice, home care, and other treatment facilities. The council shall recommend policy and conduct appropriate activities in the areas of medical staff governance and physician relations with the administration and governing boards of health care institutions, accreditation and licensure of facilities, and provision of care across the continuum. The council also shall represent the association in its relationships with organizations and agencies concerned with the problems of aging and shall promote education in geriatrics.

Council on Legislation. The council shall concern itself with legislative matters on both the state and national level. The council shall report to the House of Delegates and/or the Board of Trustees, and shall act as the association’s representative in carrying out legislative policy as established by those bodies. When legislative questions arise between sessions of the House of Delegates and/or the Board of Trustees, the Council on Legislation shall have the authority to establish interim legislative positions for the association. The council shall receive all reports and recommendations dealing with legislation from boards, councils, and committees and shall have the responsibility of implementing those recommendations subsequently adopted as association policy.

Council on Medical Education. The council shall (1) coordinate the association’s medical education activities; (2) study and make recommendations on the content of and opportunities for physician education programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels; (3) evaluate and accredit continuing medical education programs; (4) develop programs that provide for adequate numbers of appropriately trained physicians and allied health personnel in the state; (5) encourage careers in medicine and allied health fields, and monitor trends in allied health professional categories



and determine their appropriateness; (6) evaluate licensure provisions; (7) utilize appropriate association resources to enhance and promote quality medical education in the state; and (8) maintain liaison and promote understanding between the association and Texas medical students, interns, and residents.

Council on Practice Management Services. The council shall oversee all association practice management services provided directly to physicians and their staff.

Council on Science and Public Health. The purposes of this council shall be to (1) advance the scientific basis of medical practice; (2) anticipate high-priority public health and medical science issues and develop policy on these issues; (3) advance the Association as a leader in medical science and public health advocacy; (4) provide physicians with evidence-based public health and scientific information and; (5) communicate Association policy and expertise on public health and medical science.

Council on Socioeconomics. The council shall study, make recommendations on, and engage in appropriate activities related to the socioeconomic aspects of medical care; specifically, those concerned with (1) delivery systems, regulations, and controls imposed by government and other third parties; (2) health planning; (3) insurance; (4) reimbursement mechanisms; (5) quality review; and (6) data management. The council shall maintain liaison with private and governmental agencies involved in medical socioeconomic matters.

Committee on Cancer. The purposes of this committee shall be to (1) supervise any activities of the Texas Medical Association related to cancer; (2) inaugurate and promote educational movements among physicians and the public for the control of cancer; and (3) advise on cooperative activities with other groups and agencies having an interest in the field.

Committee on Child and Adolescent Health. The purposes of this committee shall be to (1) focus on issues relating to children and adolescents including those with disabilities; (2) serve as the association’s source of advice concerning children and adolescent health problems; (3) provide liaison and cooperative activities with other professional and lay groups working in this field; (4) promote policies that encourage the development of healthy youth; and (5) define problems and make recommendations concerning the quantity, quality, and utilization of health care services for these groups.

Committee on Continuing Education. The committee shall (1) monitor and study trends and issues in continuing medical education and recommend TMA policy as needed; (2) promote high- quality continuing medical education programs for physicians throughout the state; (3) review and evaluate the continuing medical education needs of Texas physicians; (4) monitor the planning, development, evaluation, and designation of credit hours for all association activities carrying Category 1 credit of the Physician’s Recognition Award of the American Medical Association; (5) maintain the association’s continuing medical education program standards as required by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education; and (6) administer the association’s voluntary accreditation and joint sponsorship programs.

Committee on Emergency Medical Services and Trauma. The purposes of the committee shall be to (1) work with all parties in the formulation, initiation, and maintenance of community plans for emergency medical services leading to statewide coverage; (2) provide liaison between the Texas medical community and government agencies concerned with emergency medical care;
(3) educate and inform Texas physicians on the developments in emergency medical services at national and state levels; (4) identify and review state health programs relating to emergency medical services, injury prevention, and trauma care; (5) participate in, and provide physician



input to, these state health programs; (6) maintain liaison with government agencies devoted to preparation and execution of plans in the event of any occurrence of catastrophic proportions, and educate Texas physicians about plans for medical care in disaster situations; (7) study, evaluate, and make recommendations regarding trauma and related problems, including accidents and physical abuse resulting in trauma; and (8) study, evaluate, and make recommendations regarding the development and funding of a statewide trauma system.

Committee on Infectious Diseases. The purposes of this committee shall be to (1) conduct activities that will educate the profession and the public on the prevalence, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious diseases, including but not limited to sexually transmitted diseases, HIV, tuberculosis, and other emergent infectious agents; (2) monitor and report on the effectiveness of local, state, and national disease control programs; (3) cooperate with the Texas Department of State Health Services and other medical and lay organizations involved in control programs; and (4) monitor and develop appropriate legislation with regard to infectious diseases.

Interspecialty Society Committee. The committee shall be composed of delegates and alternate delegates to the House of Delegates from the specialty societies. The committee shall provide its member societies and other specialty societies an entity to which legislative, social, economic, and professional concerns may be presented and transmitted to the House of Delegates or other appropriate bodies of the association through reports to the Board of Trustees. The committee shall serve as a consultant to specialty societies. The committee shall serve as a source of informed comment on issues referred to it by association bodies, and shall facilitate communications between the association and specialty societies.

Committee on Medical Home and Primary Care. The purposes of this committee shall be to (1) promote the medical home and integration of primary care, community care, and public health;
(2) facilitate communication between physicians of all specialties on issues related to primary care; (3) monitor developments in the regulation of primary care and the medical home and serve as a liaison with local and state government bodies which affect physician practices; (4) monitor and study patient outreach techniques and new options for communication with patients; (5) and serve as a resource for advice and expert information relating to various aspects of primary care delivery and emerging medical and health homes.

Committee on Membership. The committee shall have 15 members: One member shall be appointed from each of the eight component county societies with the largest number of members; three members shall be appointed to represent other county societies. The TMA president shall appoint a member from the Young Physician Section, International Medical Graduate Section, Resident and Fellow Section, and Medical Student Section.

The committee shall provide guidance in the development of annual and long-term membership recruitment and retention programs. The committee shall coordinate with and be supportive of the membership activities of county medical societies and the American Medical Association.



Patient-Physician Advocacy Committee. The committee shall assess quality of medical care in the State of Texas and recommend regulatory, legislative, and legal approaches to assure that the highest standard of quality medical care is available for all Texans. The committee shall serve as a source of advice on quality assurance, utilization review, and other quality issues; develop and recommend policy; establish and maintain liaison with groups with similar interests; and serve in an advocacy role for physicians and patients on issues related to quality assurance, utilization review, and other forms of review.

Committee on Physician Distribution and Health Care Access. The committee shall (1) monitor the pipelines that prepare physicians for the state’s workforce and analyze trends for physician demographics and practice characteristics; (2) identify the forces affecting the distribution of physicians and other critical health care professionals, and impediments in accessing medical care; (3) monitor the incentive and support programs for physicians seeking practice opportunities in medically underserved areas; (4) monitor the distribution and employment trends for non- physician practitioners and other high-priority health professionals; and (5) serve as a resource for information on physician workforce trends.

Committee on Physician Health and Wellness. It shall be the duty of this committee to promote healthy lifestyles in Texas physicians and to identify, strongly urge evaluation and treatment of, and review rehabilitation provided to physicians with potentially impairing conditions and impairments. The committee shall be required to report its activities to the Board of Councilors. The committee shall maintain liaison with the Texas Medical Board and the Texas Physician Health Program. The committee also shall be responsible for making recommendations to the Council on Legislation in instances where there are needed changes in the laws relative to physician wellness and potentially impairing conditions. The committee shall provide responsible advocacy and support, provide education on physician health and wellness topics, and promote prevention of potentially impairing conditions.

Committee on Reproductive, Women’s, and Perinatal Health. The purposes of this committee shall be to: (1) address issues related to reproductive, women’s, and perinatal health; (2) review laws, regulations, and activities that have an impact on reproductive, women’s, and perinatal health in the state; (3) serve as the association’s source of advice concerning reproductive health, women’s health, and perinatal health issues; (4) collaborate with other professional organizations and governmental agencies working in these areas; and (5) study issues prioritized by the committee and make recommendations related to activities, policy, and education.


Committee on Rural Health. This committee shall work toward the improvement of rural health in general. In addition, it shall review and comment on laws, regulations, and other governmental activities that have an impact on the practice of medicine in rural areas; develop concepts and proposals that will specifically address the needs of rural areas; monitor and evaluate the problems of small and rural hospitals; educate physicians and the public on the status of physicians, support facilities, and support personnel in rural areas of Texas; and maintain liaison with groups having similar interests.