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First Tuesdays - April Recap
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April’s First Tuesdays at the Capitol event was a special one: this third of four advocacy days throughout the 89th Legislative Session prioritized medical students and young physicians, and many Bexar County medical students showed up to fill out our delegation and share their stories as physicians-in-training with legislators and staff! We were overjoyed to be joined by medical students Meenal Cascella, Michaela Kelly, Isabel Kilday, Kevin Nguyen, Ethan McGonagle, Emma Tao, Patrick Thompson, and John Austin. Other attendees included John M. Shepherd, MD, BCMS President; Jenny Shepherd, TMAA President; Ezequiel “Zeke” Silva, MD, BCMS Immediate Past President; Jayesh Shah, MD, TMA President-Elect; Gerardo Ortega, MD; Sarah Hernandez, MD; Amita Kumar, MD; Michael Gardner, MD; Antonia Helbling, MD; Sue Bernstein (Alliance); Cassidy Bernstein; Catherine Ortega; and members of the BCMS staff.
The delegation met with legislators and staff from each of the State House and State Senate offices representing Bexar County to discuss TMA's 2025 legislative priorities. New since last month’s event, the “Life of the Mother Act,” introduced as SB 31 and HB 44, seeks to provide clarity on exceptions to the Texas abortion ban, in order to allow physicians to safely treat patients when their lives are at stake due to crises during pregnancy. This bipartisan legislation aims to protect the patient-physician relationship from criminalization, and TMA is glad to support this vital clarification. We also spoke with legislators about the ramifications of the 2025 Texas measles outbreak, and the importance of routine childhood vaccinations, such as the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, in protecting against infectious diseases such as measles, which is extremely contagious and has killed two children in Texas since the outbreak began. Our delegation also continued to speak about good and bad legislation concerning the issues most important to the practice of medicine, such as the scope of practice, prior authorization reform, graduate medical education, and Medicaid rate increases for physicians in Health Professional Shortage Areas. As always, we are incredibly grateful to TMA’s hardworking Division of Public Affairs for working every day to safeguard and advance the interests of physicians and patients.
If you haven’t made it to First Tuesdays yet this year, there’s still time to get involved! You can register at https://www.texmed.org/firsttuesdays/ to attend the event on May 6. More information is available at the TMA Web page linked above, but if you have any specific questions, please feel free to reach out to Jacob Hernandez, BCMS Advocacy & Public Health Specialist, at jacob.hernandez@bcms.org.
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Circle of Friends
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Important Physician News and Deadlines
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Vaccine Uptake Improves Amid Measles Momentum
With measles spreading to another corner of the state and showing little signs of slowing, adjusted vaccine recommendations apply to residents and visitors in 10 affected counties. TMA Foundation grants are available to support vaccine clinics. See more.
US Exceeds 700 Measles Cases as Officials Struggle to Contain Outbreaks
The U.S. reached a grim milestone last Friday surpassing 700 confirmed measles cases in 2025, according to to figures posted by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC reported 79 hospitalizations, including 45 patients who were under 5. Most measles cases, 97%, occurred in unvaccinated patients or those whose vaccinations status was unknown. The agency has reported cases in two dozen states, with more than 560 cases reported in Texas alone. Continue reading.
Whooping Cough Cases are Soaring as Vaccination Rates Decline
Cases of pertussis have skyrocketed by more than 1,500% nationwide since hitting a recent low in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Deaths tied to the disease are also up, hitting 10 last year, compared to about two to four in previous years. National rates for four major vaccines have fallen significantly since, according to a ProPublica analysis of the most recent federal kindergarten vaccination data. Learn more.
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Upcoming Community Events
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Viva Science SA
May 3│Details
This free and family-friendly event, hosted by UT Health SA, features a distinguished speaker, interactive science booths, and activities for all ages.
TexMed 2025
May 8-10│Register
TMA's annual conference will be held in San Antonio this year. Attend to network with physician leaders, explore CME tracks, and enjoy keynote presentations.
TMA Foundation 32nd Annual Gala
May 9│Details
Bid on silent and live auctions featuring items and experiences to celebrate the outdoors. Purchases support TMAF-funded initiatives to improve health for Texans.
ASES Foundation's 2025 National Shoulder & Elbow Week
May 16│Tickets
Join friends and colleagues who share a passion for advancing shoulder and elbow care for an evening of camaraderie, food, and entertainment.
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Circle of Friends Gold Sponsor
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Circle of Friends Silver Sponsor
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