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PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE

will close with a recent story. Last year,
during the 88th Texas Legislative Ses-
sion, we passed a law to strengthen in-
surance networks. For those of you that
don't think about insurance daily, basi-
cally, your network includes beneficiar-
ies and the doctors that care for them.
For physicians, this is where we want to
be, but we want the terms of our con-
tracts to support our practices. Above
all, we want those networks to provide
what our citizens and our community
expect: Access to high-quality care. Late
last year, the regulatory language
dropped regarding this new law. Regret-
tably, the proposed language was un-
fairly tilted more towards the health
plans and less towards physicians. Yes-
terday, I received a call from our TMA
physiologic monitoring, digital therapeutics and large language models. lobbying team. I am fortunate that the TMA lobbyists believe in me
We are seeing augmented intelligence (AI) come into our space and and trust me to testify on behalf of physicians. It is a job which I never
help us to do better what we can do. An important opportunity around take lightly. I know when I go to the Capitol or a regulatory body like
AI is the physician’s ability to guide how technology comes into our the Texas Department of Insurance, I know who and what I am repre-
exam room and our procedure rooms. We must share with the innova- senting. This Wednesday in Austin, I may be the only physician testi-
tors and regulators how technology can be rolled out responsibly to fying. Someone will testify on behalf of the health plans or some
enable the best care possible. business group and say: We can't guarantee that patients can have an
Another important opportunity, and one which is going to be a appointment within three weeks. We can't guarantee that patients will
focus of mine this year, is strengthening our relationship with our part- have the ability to see a specialist within a 30-minute commute of where
ner, the Texas Medical Association. I mentioned that we were the first they live. We can't guarantee that the entire spectrum of specialists will
component medical society of the TMA. With that comes consider- be available. And you know what? I'm going to go to that microphone
able responsibility and considerable opportunity. I'm so grateful to Dr. and say: I'm a physician, I care for patients, and I speak for my physician
Rick Snyder II (TMA President) and Michael Darrouzet (TMA Ex- community. The answer is ‘Yes, we can’ do all that this law requires. Be-
ecutive Vice President) for being here tonight and showing their com- cause it is the right thing to do. And it is what we, as physicians, have
mitment to us, and we will do the same back to them. We will always done. It is what we do in San Antonio and what we did during
strengthen our delegation to the TMA House of Delegates. We will COVID.
work to nurture young leaders to serve on TMA councils, committees It is what BCMS has done for 170 years. This organization has a re-
and caucuses. markable history of success and accomplishment. As your President, I
Perhaps the greatest opportunity we have relates to an important will do everything I can to maintain that legacy.
change in our state: The opening of new medical schools. We are for-
tunate here in San Antonio to have one at the University of the Incar- Ezequiel “Zeke” Silva III, MD, is the 2024 President of the
nate Word. There is also Austin, Sam Houston State, TCU, North Bexar County Medical Society. Dr. Silva is a radiologist with the
Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. We have more students and new South Texas Radiology Group, Adjunct Professor of Radiology
physicians being trained in our state than ever. As leaders, we have the at the UT Health, Long School of Medicine, and Vice-Chief of Staff at
opportunity to meaningfully bring these new doctors into BCMS and Methodist Hospital Texsan. He serves on the TMA Council on Legislation
enable their success. and is a TMA Delegate to the AMA. He chairs the AMA RVS Update
To further emphasize our important partnership with the TMA. I Committee (RUC).

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