Stories with related Professional Interests

The Great Masquerader - 04/25/2024

Since beginning her career at the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) in 2017 as the infectious disease medical officer, Jennifer Shuford, MD, has been closely monitoring syphilis.

TMA Moment In Time: Pandemic Response - 04/09/2024

The strength of organized medicine carried TMA and Texas physicians through an unprecedented public health crisis and beyond.

TMA Moment in Time: Hurricane Harvey Response - 04/09/2024

In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey dumped a record 60 inches of rain in four days on the Gulf Coast region. The Texas Medical Association quickly put together a response that helped physicians in need and saved lives among those affected by the storm.

An Unfailing Voice for Medicine: TMA Honors Kenneth Mattox, MD - 04/01/2024

TMA honors Houston trauma surgeon Kenneth Mattox, MD, for his dedication to public health.

Data-Driven Interventions: TMA Zeroes in on Quality Opioid Care - 04/01/2024

TMA zeroes in on physicians’ obstacles to quality opioid care.

New Poster Encourages Flu Vaccination Amid COVID-19 - 02/28/2024

“COVID-19 is here, but so is the flu.” That is the message of a new downloadable poster available from the Texas Medical Association’s Be Wise – Immunize program to help you stress the need for flu vaccination, this year more than ever.

Measles: Updated Information and Resources Available to Fight Rising Cases - 02/21/2024

As measles cases continue to rise in Texas and across the U.S., the Texas Medical Association and Texas Hospital Association have created a document to help physicians and other health care professionals combat the highly contagious respiratory illness. The document provides the latest recommendations for diagnosing and reporting measles, immunizations, infection prevention and control, and post-exposure prophylaxis and exclusion.

Talk to Patients About: Measles - 02/20/2024

Few Americans today remember when measles was deadly. But before the measles vaccine was introduced in 1963, the disease killed about 2.6 million globally each year. By 2016, vaccination programs cut that number to about 89,000.

Cannabidiol Takes a Big Step Toward Respectability - 01/25/2024

In September, the DEA issued an order listing all drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that contain cannabidiol but no more than 0.1 percent of the chief psychoactive agent in cannabis as Schedule V drugs — those with the least potential for abuse. So far, Epidiolex is the only medication that fits that description.

TMA FAQ Addresses Child and Maternal RSV Treatments - 01/19/2024

With respiratory syncytial virus season well under way, complicated by a temporary shortage of a new treatment, the Texas Medical Association has compiled a frequently-asked-questions document to help inform physicians on available preventive treatments for mothers and infants at risk of the illness.

Physicians’ DEA Registration Now Requires Training on Substance Use Disorder - 01/03/2024

Physicians who must register or renew their registration for a Drug Enforcement Administration license will face a new requirement as of June 27: To register, they will have attest to taking a one-time, eight-hour training on how to treat patients with opioid or other substance use disorders.

Education Board Approves Curriculum Standards on HPV Vaccines - 12/14/2023

The State Board of Education has approved health education standards that would require public schools to teach the importance of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines beginning in seventh grade.

Sickle Cell Disease Care Targeted in State, Federal Efforts - 12/06/2023

Physicians could see improvements in their ability to care for patients with sickle cell disease as moves by the state and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services aim to standardize and improve treatment for the disease and expand access to care.

Widening the Net: New RSV Preventions Can Reduce Seasonal Burden of Disease - 12/04/2023

These new preventive treatments for RSV can help reduce seasonal burden of disease.

Care Connections: TMA Foundation Grants Tackle Public Health Problems - 11/09/2023

TMA Foundation grants offer a lifeline to Texas physicians tackling public health problems.

With Your Help, TMA Foundation Improved Health Throughout Texas - 10/21/2023

“Good health is priceless. That’s why your charitable gifts to TMA Foundation are so valuable.” That’s the message from Susan M. Pike, MD, president of the Texas Medical Association Foundation (TMAF), in its 2018 Annual Report.

Your Gifts Will Help Keep Texans Healthy Throughout 2019 - 10/20/2023

Helping Texans increase their physical activity, protect themselves from serious diseases, and learn about how herbal and folk medical remedies are related to conventional prescribed medicines. What do these programs have in common? They are among the 2019 TMA initiatives made possible through Texas Medical Association Foundation grants. 

FDA Approves New RSV Vaccine, COVID-19 Booster - 10/19/2023

Physicians will have a new vaccine in their arsenal to help protect against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a timely development as cold, flu, and COVID-19 illnesses tend to converge and ramp up this time of year and become difficult to differentiate.

Build Immunization Awareness During August - 09/11/2023

If you weren’t already aware, August is National Immunization Awareness Month. As a physician, you’re aware of how important vaccines are for public health. But some of your patients might not know or understand the benefits of getting vaccinated. Whether you’re talking to parents of young children, senior citizens, or anyone in between, TMA’s Be Wise – Immunize has some tools you can use.

Update: Ten Measles Cases Reported in Texas - 09/11/2023

Ten cases of measles have been reported in Texas this year, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) said in a statement Wednesday. The 10th case is an adult who was visiting Guadalupe County from the Philippines, where there is an ongoing measles outbreak, the statement said. 

Using Social Media to Curb HPV on Campus - 09/11/2023

With funding help from the TMA Foundation, the association’s philanthropic arm, more than 100 students at Angelo State University in San Angelo and Tyler Junior College in Tyler received free HPV shots at their schools’ health fairs March 5 and 7.

Talk To Your Patients About: Mumps - 09/11/2023

The March issue of Texas Medicine highlights mumps, which spreads easily through sneezing and coughing, or just touching infected surfaces. A vaccine, first introduced in 1967, reduced U.S. cases by 99 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Talk to Your Patients About: Tetanus - 09/11/2023

The April issue of Texas Medicine highlights tetanus, which causes painful spasms that typically occur in jaw muscles but can wrack the entire body, and can be fatal.

Talk to Your Patients About: Meningococcal B - 09/11/2023

Texas Medicine recently highlighted Meningococcal B, a bacterial infection that can affect the blood, brain, and spinal cord with lasting effects like learning difficulties, hearing loss, or limb amputation. The Meningococcal B vaccine is relatively new, having won Food and Drug Administration approval in 2014.

Texas is No. 1 in “Hotspots” For Vaccine Exemptions - 09/11/2023

Houston, Fort Worth, Plano, and Austin are among the cities in the nation with the highest number of kindergartners who have not received vaccinations because of nonmedical reasons, according to the study published this week in the journal PLOS Medicine.