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BCMS DELEGATION BCMS DELEGATION
TO TMA NEWS TO TMA NEWS

BCMS Delegation to TMA Wraps Up House Resolution 206 – Develop Guidelines for Proper Oversight of and Resolution 421 – Augmented Intelligence (AI) in Health Care

of Delegates Business in Virtual Meeting Collaboration with Midlevel Practitioners by Physicians (Tabled Res (Tabled Res 201 2020). That the TMA Council on Socioeconomics,
422 2020). The resolution asks that (1) TMA educate physicians and
TMA Committee on Health Information Technology and TMA
During TexMed 2021 disseminate to them information on basic tenets of proper physician Council on Medical Education collaboratively develop augmented in-
oversight and supervision of midlevel practitioners and encourage telligence (AI) policy. Adopted as amended.
By Mary E. Nava, MBA, BCMS Chief Government Affairs Officer physicians to bring to the attention of the Texas Medical Board physi-
cians who are not providing supervision as required per the delegation Mary E. Nava, MBA is the Chief Government Affairs Of-
of duties, and (2) the Texas Delegation to the AMA take this resolution ficer and delegation liaison at BCMS.
Congratulations to Jayesh Shah, MD, who was reelected to another cioeconomics Reference Committee; J. Marvin Smith, III, MD; Rajeev
to the AMA House of Delegates, urging it to develop national guide-
term on the TMA Board of Trustees during the virtual annual meeting Suri, MD; Nora Linda Vasquez, MD; Veronica Vasquez, MD; Aruna
lines for proper oversight and collaboration of midlevel practitioners
of the TMA House of Delegates held May 14-15 in conjunction with Venkatesh, MD; Nikki Verma, Medical Student Section; and Alexis
by a physician. Not adopted. For local discussion or to learn how you can become involved with
TexMed 2021. Dr. Shah was also reelected as a delegate member of the Wiesenthal, MD.
the BCMS Delegation to TMA, submit your request by email to
Texas Delegation to the AMA. He joins the following physicians, also The members of the BCMS Delegation to TMA also submitted five
Resolution 420 – Step-Edit Therapy Contributes to Denial of mary.nava@bcms.org.
representing BCMS on the Texas AMA Delegation, who were re- resolutions for consideration during the House of Delegates reference
Care and has not Demonstrated Improved Patient Outcomes or Over-
elected to their posts: Drs. David Henkes, delegate – who also contin- committee hearings. The resolutions follow, along with action taken by
all Cost Savings (Tabled Res 412 2020). That the Texas Medical As-
ues to serve as chair of the Texas Delegation to the AMA; Jennifer the House of Delegates. To read the full summary of actions taken by
sociation (TMA) urge our legislators to review and make transparent
Rushton, MD, alternate delegate; and Ezequiel “Zeke” Silva, III, MD, the TMA House of Delegates, go to texmed.org/hod.
the “fail-first” policy of step-edit therapy and study how it affects pa-
alternate delegate. Delegate and alternate delegate members in the
tient outcomes and that TMA ask the AMA to review the ethical im-
Texas Delegation to the AMA represent TMA at AMA meetings. Resolution 106 – Creation of Ad Hoc Committee to Study and
plication of step-edit therapy and make further recommendations on
Additionally, Swetha Maddipudi, a medical student entering her Make Recommendations Concerning Noncompete Agreements in
its use. Adopted.
fourth year at the UT Health Long School of Medicine, was elected Physician Employment Contracts. The resolution asks that (1) the

to serve a one-year term on the TMA Board of Trustees, representing Texas Medical Association study noncompete agreements in physician
the TMA Medical Student Section. Representing BCMS in the TMA employment contracts and evaluate the impact of noncompete agree-
International Medical Graduate (IMG) Section will be Rajeev Suri, ments on physicians and patients in Texas with report made to the
MD, who was elected to the IMG Section Executive Council as a TMA no later than TexMed 2022; and (2) that the Texas Medical As-
TMA delegate. sociation assess whether means other than noncompete agreements
A special thanks to the following delegate members of the BCMS might suffice to protect physician employers’ legitimate interests with
Delegation to TMA, who participated in virtual reference committee report made to the TMA no later than TexMed 2022. Adopted as
hearings and house of delegates business meetings throughout the amended in lieu of Resolution 114 2021.
weekend meeting: Jesse Moss, Jr., MD, and Leah Jacobson, MD, chair
and co-chair, respectively, of the BCMS Delegation to TMA. Dr. Ja- Resolution 107 – Utilization Review, Medical Necessity Deter-
cobson also served on the TMA Credentials Committee. Other mem- mination, Prior Authorization Decisions (Tabled Res 410 2020). The
bers of the BCMS Delegation to TMA include: Apeksha N. Agarwal, resolution asks that (1) the Texas Medical Association urge physicians
MD, Resident and Fellow Section – served on the Medical Education to bring their concerns regarding decisions made by physicians work-
and Health Care Quality Reference Committee; Brian Boies, MD; Di- ing for insurance companies to the attention of the Texas Medical
anna Burns-Banks, MD; Chelsea Clinton, MD; Steven Gelfond, MD; Board and Texas Department of Insurance, as these decisions affect
Prabhdeep Grewal, MD; Pam Hall, MD; David Henkes, MD; David patient outcome, and that TMA create a clearinghouse of all com-
Hnatow, MD; James Humphreys, MD; Margaret Kelley, MD; Meagan plaints against insurance companies and insurance doctors and aggre-
Khan, Medical Student Section: David Lam, MD; William Cannon gate this data; and (2) the Texas Delegation to the American Medical
Lewis, MD; Shazli Noorali Malik, MD; Sekinat McCormick, MD; Association take this resolution to the AMA House of Delegates, urge
Lubna Naeem, MD; John Nava, MD – Chair of the Socioeconomics the AMA House of Delegates to adopt similar policy and urge the
Reference Committee; Gerardo Ortega, MD; Adam Ratner, MD; Jen- AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs to devise ethical opin-
nifer Rushton, MD – served on the Science and Public Health Refer- ions similar to the TMA Board of Councilors’ opinions on medical
ence Committee; Brent Sanderlin, DO; Jayesh Shah, MD; John necessity determination and utilization review. Referred for study with
Shepherd, MD; Ezequiel “Zeke” Silva, III, MD – served on the So- report back.

12 SAN ANTONIO MEDICINE • August 2021 Visit us at www.bcms.org 13