TMA Alliance Community Service

TMA, TMAA, and the TMA Foundation (TMAF) work together to improve the health of Texans through numerous programs. TMA provides the scientific and clinical research and information while TMAF provides the funding. The Alliance brings these invaluable programs to their community.

TMA-Sponsored Programs

Be Wise - ImmunizeSM

Be Wise - Immunize aims to increase physician and patient awareness of the importance, safety, and effectiveness of vaccinations throughout all stages of life. Through local vaccination events, the Be Wise program works to increase accessibility to low-cost and free vaccinations for children and adults. Alliance members, with funding and support materials from the TMA Foundation and TMA, have helped deliver more than 360,000 immunizations to thousands of Texans since the program's inception in 2004. If you would like to plan a vaccination event in your area, or for more information on how to order free Be Wise materials, contact the outreach coordinator, Tammy Wishard, at (800) 880-1300, ext. 1470, or email Tammy.

Hard Hats for Little Heads

Hard Hats for Little Heads was created for Texas physicians, medical students, and Alliance members to help prevent head injuries and encourage safe exercise in their communities. Through this program, more than 325,000 children have received bicycle helmets. Contact TMA's outreach coordinator Tammy Wishard at (800) 880-1300 ext. 1470, or email Tammy.

Walk With a Doc Texas

Walk With a Doc is a non-profit organization that encourages healthy physical activity in people of all ages, and seeks to reverse the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle in order to improve the health and well-being of the country. TMA is now part of this national grassroots movement. Walk With a Doc Texas has a proven track record of helping people commit to a healthy lifestyle through monthly, physician-led walks throughout Texas. 

TMAF Grant Support

Each year TMAF accepts applications from county medical societies and Alliance or medical student chapters for community health improvement programs. Alliance chapters may apply for up to $7,500 in matching funds to support their health improvement initiative focused on any of TMA’s priorities: tobacco use; obesity/metabolic syndrome; mental health and substance use disorders; violence, victimization, and unintentional injuries; vaccine-preventable diseases (immunizations); unplanned pregnancy; and environmental health (or hazards). Find out more and download the application on the TMAF website.

TMAA Programs & Initiatives

Opioid Education and Prevention Program

In spring 2019, TMAA hosted an Opioid Education Symposium featuring speakers with firsthand experience with addiction and substance abuse: Carlos F. Tirado, MD, clinical associate professor at UT Austin Dell Medical School and President of the Texas Society of Addiction Medicine; Mark Kinzly, co-founder of the Texas Overdose Naloxone Initiative (TONI) and member of the Board of Directors at the National Harm Reduction Coalition; and Susan Hoemke, mother, public speaker, and the author of Healing Scarred Hearts.

As part of the symposium, each attendee received an opioid education and prevention toolkit to begin the process of educating their family, neighbors, and community about addiction. TMAA's goal is to educate the Family of Medicine on how to recognize and treat addiction, then help them extend that education to their community. TMAA toolkits contain educational brochures and DVD (co-branded with AMAA) and drug deactivation kits (Dispose RX and Deterra) to distribute within the community.

If you would like to implement the program within your community, contact Pam Udall.

Opioid abuse resources:
Texas Medical Association
National Institute for Health Care Management
Morenarcanplease

Texas BookShare

Currently being piloted in several counties, the Texas BookShare program partners with nonprofit The Leaders Readers Network to obtain donations of health-related books for children. The county alliance then partners with a local clinic to have doctors "prescribe" the books to their child patients, helping to educate them on the importance of healthy eating, exercise, and more. If you'd like to know how to start your own BookShare program in your county, contact Pam Udall.