med.org/fall. The conference is a free benefit for members.
Contact the TMA Knowledge Center at (800) 880-7955 or knowledge@tex
med.org with questions.
Be Wise — Immunize is a service mark of the Texas Medical Association.
and every professional group is main- taining its qualifications and upholding standards of practice.”
TMA opposes placing any health care
TMA members testify on DSHS, UIL sunset review
Two TMA member physicians testified June 25 before the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services on the Sunset Advisory Commission’s Staff Re- port on the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). And Houston neurologist Kim Monday, MD, provided preliminary comments on the sunset review of the University Interscholastic League (UIL). To read the testimonies, visit www
.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=31041. TMA Trustee Gary Floyd, MD, testi-
fied that TMA agrees with the Sunset Ad- visory Commission’s recommendation to reduce the size and footprint of DSHS.
“To achieve this, we agree shrinking the regulatory tasks of DSHS is needed,” he said. Dr. Floyd expressed concern over the
commission’s proposal to eliminate li- censure of medical physicists, radiologic technologists, perfusionists, and respira- tory therapists from DSHS operations. “Each of these health care providers has a specialized and unique role in pa- tient care and is a valuable member of the health care team,” he said, adding that “an appropriate state licensure pro- cess [should] be in place to ensure each
profession within the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, stating the department “does not have appropriate leadership, resources, or background in health care policy or public health mat- ters.” In the testimony, Dr. Floyd suggest- ed the Texas Medical Board as an alter- native, should it be impossible to keep the licensure and regulatory functions of these health professionals in their cur- rent location. And William S. “Chip” Riggins Jr.,
MD, executive director of the William- son County and Cities Health District, testified on DSHS’ management of the state’s public health system. Overall, TMA agrees with the Sunset Advisory Commission that Texas has a fragmented public health system. Dr. Riggins called for a “deliberate,
more comprehensive focus on Texas’ public health infrastructure,” adding that “lack of statutory clarity leaves DSHS with little ability to influence standards and basic level of services provided by local health departments.” In her testimony on UIL’s sunset re-
view, Dr. Monday agreed with sunset staff recommendations regarding ste- roid testing. “TMA supports science and evidence-based testing and recommends a full review of current testing programs, such as the steroid testing initiative. The review should assess cost-benefit and scientific value as well as the depth of illegal steroid use in Texas athletes,” she said.
Dr. Monday also addressed TMA’s concerns over the Sunset Commission’s lack of attention to the required pre-par- ticipation exam for Texas athletes and recommended UIL dedicate additional resources to collect- ing aggregate data on injuries among athletes.
Gary Floyd, MD Kim Monday, MD 10 TEXAS MEDICINE September 2014
William S. “Chip” Riggins Jr., MD
Business management help for your practice from TMA
TMA’s Financial Trend Tracker, http://
bit.ly/VU7vLd, is a free online tool to help association members and their staff track monthly and yearly net collection ratios, accounts receivable percentages, and new and established patient visits. The tool presents a practice’s key perfor- mance indicators via easy-to-read graphs and charts. The Financial Trend Tracker allows
users to:
• Identify potential problems, • Use the information to make deci- sions that benefit the practice, and
• Set goals. Before logging on to the Financial
Trend Tracker, gather your month-end practice management reports. Visit the site, and enter the data requested into the My Practice Data entry form. The program will generate information on accounts receivable, collection ratios, and productivity, allowing you to moni- tor your data monthly and to make an- nual comparisons. Users can only view data associated with their practice. Looking for more on medical practice financial management? TMA’s latest publication also focuses on the business side of medicine. Busi- ness Basics for Physicians guides physi- cians in setting the vision, direction, and policies that help ensure practice viabil- ity and helps them gain a basic under- standing of financial management and other business topics. To purchase the book, visit the TMA website,
http://bit.ly/1nlMzqP.
TMA weighs in on public health, Medicaid funding
In June, TMA submitted comments regarding the 2016–17 legislative ap- propriations request from the Texas Health and Human Services Commis- sion (HHSC) and the Texas Department
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