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TMA

TMA Membership Gives As an 18-year member of the Texas Medical Asso-
You and Your Colleagues ciation and Bexar County Medical Society, I’ve
a United Voice learned physician involvement in organized medicine
is essential to our success—and the future of medicine.
By Michael Battista, MD
By working together, we can provide a unified voice
“Join the ranks of organized medicine, choose how en- for our patients and advocate on behalf of our physi-
gaged you want to be and how much time you can com- cian colleagues. When I speak with legislators, they al-
mit. You don’t have to be on every council and committee, ways ask what TMA thinks about an issue. This is why
but you have to start with membership.” a united voice is so important. Effective advocacy
starts with organized medicine.
– Michael Battista, MD
When I join an organization, I try to be very active.
TMA MEMBERSHIP I’m a member of the TMA Council on Socioeconom-
ics, and the TMA Foundation Leadership Society. I
Want to learn more about the also serve as a consultant to TMA’s Committee on
benefits of TMA membership? Maternal and Perinatal Health. I’m district chair of
Clemente Sanchez, TMA’s mem- TEXPAC, TMA’s political action committee, a dele-
bership development manager, gate to the Bexar County Delegation to TMA, and a
can help. Clemente, based in member of the BCMS Legislative Committee. I make
San Antonio, is available to visit the time to honor these commitments, but I under-
your practice or answer any stand not everyone can immerse themselves to the
questions you may have about same degree. My message to my busy colleagues is this:
TMA or BCMS. He can be Join the ranks of organized medicine, choose how en-
reached at 512-809-9811 or gaged you want to be and how much time you can
clemente.sanchez@texmed.org. commit. You don’t have to be on every council and
committee, but you have to start with membership.
Join your local county medical society, specialty soci-
ety, TMA and national groups. These memberships
will allow you to connect with colleagues who are ac-
tively engaged and working on issues that matter to
you. They will get your message carried forward.

I work with MEDNAX, a provider of maternal-
fetal, newborn, pediatric subspecialty, and anesthesia
physician services. MEDNAX, and its affiliated prac-
tice, PEDIATRIX, are both TMA 100-percent mem-
bership groups, and there’s definite value in full
membership. Full group participation allows every
member to be represented. A sub-set of our physician
group participates in both BCMS and in TMA, and
this ensures we all have a voice.

Now is the time for us to focus on working together.
I encourage you to get involved today. For more in-
formation on the work TMA does on your behalf, or
to join, visit the TMA website.

44 San Antonio Medicine • October 2015