laying out their priority issues for the 2013 legislative session. Preserving tort reform, avoiding further Medicaid pay- ment cuts, restoring graduate medical education funding, defending physician ownership of hospitals, and maintain- ing the ban on the corporate practice of medicine were all high on the priority list for many specialties.
Also mentioned by several specialty society leaders was scope of practice. Speaking on behalf of the Texas Neu- rological Society, Jerry J. Bettinger, MD, said chiropractors, nurse practitioners, and physical therapists all want to ven- ture into the realm of neurology. And, Keith Bourgeois, MD, of Hous-
ton, representing the Texas Ophthal- mological Association, said that optom- etrists “want to be the next primary care physicians.” Fort Worth pediatrician Gary Floyd, MD, chair of TMA’s Council on Legisla- tion, said it is important for TMA to col- laborate with the specialty societies. “We want to represent our entire [medical] family,” he said.
TMA honors state lawmakers Fifteen Texas legislators picked up TMA’s Friends of Medicine award at the TMA Advocacy Retreat in December for their energy, dedication, and steady leader- ship on behalf of Texas’ patients and physicians during the 2011 legislative session. Since 1995, TMA has honored law-
makers who have gone above and be- yond to champion important legislation on behalf of Texas patients. TEXPAC Board Chair Joe Todd, MD, and Candi- date Evaluation Committee Chair Jerry Hunsaker, MD, hosted the awards dinner. From the House, the winners are
State Reps. Dan Branch (R-Dallas), John Davis (R-Houston), Sarah Davis (R-West University Place), Todd Hunter (R-Cor- pus Christi), Susan King (R-Abilene), Elliot Naishtat (D-Austin), Charles Schwertner, MD (R-Georgetown), Mark Shelton, MD (R-Fort Worth), Vicki Tru- itt (R-Keller), and John Zerwas, MD (R- Richmond).
On the Senate side, the friends are State Sens. Bob Deuell, MD (R-Green- ville), Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock), Juan
12 TEXAS MEDICINE February 2012
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