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BCMS LEGISLATIVE
NEWS

86TH SESSION

FIRST TUESDAYS

NOW COMPLETE

Many thanks to all the bCMS members, Alliance
members and medical students who attended the
May First Tuesdays visit to the Capitol on May 7.
Attendees included: Physicians – John Green, Md,
who was serving as doctor of the day at the Capi-
tol; leah Jacobson, Md; Alex Kenton, Md; Sanjiv
Kumar, Md; lubna Naeem, Md; John Nava, Md;
John Shepherd, Md and Ezequiel “Zeke” Silva,
Md. Alliance members in attendance, were: Carol
Growney, Jennifer lewis and Jenny Shepherd.
In addition, the following medical students from
UT Health and UIW School of Medicine (UIW-
SOM) attended and joined the physicians and Al-
liance members on visits with the bexar County
legislators and their staffs. From UT Health –
Jacob Canfield; Trevor dickey; Karan Goenka;
lessly Hernandez; Sid Pradeep; luke verlinsky;
Ryan Wealther and from UIWSOM – Marc Ghosn.
At the time of this writing, there are just 17 days
left in the 140-day legislative session. Many of
medicine’s bills are still moving through the process
and a number of topics were covered during the
First Tuesdays visits, including: Medicaid, state
budget; mental health; scope of practice; surprise
billing; health plan directories; prior authorizations;
utilization reviews; maternal health; end of life and
Tobacco 21.

For local discussion on these and other leg-
islative advocacy topics, consider joining the
BCMS Legislative and Socioeconomics Com-
mittee by contacting Mary Nava, chief govern-
ment affairs officer at mary.nava@bms.org.

Top: bCMS physician members, Alliance members and medical students visit with Rep. lyle larson,
district 122 (right) in the halls of the Capitol during the May 7 First Tuesdays.
Middle: bCMS physicians and medical students pause for a photo with Rep. barbara Gervin-Hawkins,
district 120 (back row) on May 7 during the final First Tuesdays visit to the Capitol.
bottom: Rep. Ray lopez, district 125 speaks with bCMS physicians and medical students about medicine
issues during the May 7 First Tuesdays visit to the Capitol.
10 San Antonio Medicine • June 2019