Company Profile
Texas Medical Association
Company Overview
The Texas Medical Association was organized by 35 physicians in 1853 to serve the people of Texas in matters of medical care, prevention and cure of disease, and the improvement of public health. Today, with more than 43,000 physician and medical student members, TMA's vision is still to "improve the health of all Texans." TMA supports Texas physicians by providing distinctive solutions to the challenges they encounter in the care of patients.
Company History
A HISTORY OF THE TEXAS MEDICAL ASSOCATION 1853 to present day…
In response to a published invitation sent by ten Austin doctors, thirty-five physicians from eighteen counties assembled in Austin on January 17, 1853 to organize the Texas Medical Association. The group wanted to advance the status and standards of medical practice in Texas. When forty-five members met again on November 14, 1853, they changed the society’s name to the Medical Association of Texas. The Fifth Texas Legislature chartered the group on November 28, 1853. The Medical Association of Texas was inactive for the next sixteen years, but physicians in Texas organized several municipal and county societies. In the spring of 1869, the Washington County Medical Association urged the revival of the state society. In June 1869 the Harris County Medical association hosted a reorganizational meeting of the renamed Texas State Medical Association. In 1901 the group renamed itself the State Medical Association of Texas; in 1951 the original name, Texas Medical Association was reclaimed. The constitution of 1853 allowed every gentleman of the Medical Profession to become a member, but irregularly trained doctors were specifically excluded. An amendment of 1893 permitted membership to female physicians, but not to black doctors. In 1955 the racial ban was lifted, and osteopathic physicians were admitted in 1972.
Throughout the nineteenth century the association grew slowly. In 1880 the 269 members comprised only 10 percent of Texas physician. After the reorganizational policies of the American Medical association were instituted in 1903, membership grew dramatically, reaching 2,415 within a year. By 1954, 6,974 doctors 98 percent of all Texas physicians were members. This number tripled by 1984, when the TMA became the third largest medical association in the United States. In December 1999, there were 36,398 members. The basic unit of organization is the local medical society, which enrolls members from one or more counties. In 1999 there were 118 of these societies, each separately chartered by the state. This arrangement follows the guidelines established by the AMA in 1903. The TMA is governed by a board of trustees and a house of delegates elected by the local societies. The house had 462 members in 1999. The House of Delegates met once a year until 1971, when it began meeting semiannually because of the growing volume of business. The various functions of the TMA are handled by thirty-two councils and committees, many of which meet during the association’s annual spring meeting. A salaried
executive vice president and a full-time staff of 136 employees work in the TMA headquarters in Austin,
which was occupied in 1991. Since its founding, the TMA has encouraged post-graduate education through the scientific programs of its annual meetings and through special symposia. Established in 1922, the TMA library contains 60,000 books and journals, an extensive audiovisual and videocassette collection, and computers that provide access to numerous information and database services.
The TMA published annual Transactions between 1869 and 1904. In 1905 it began publishing a monthly scientific journal originally named Texas State Journal of Medicine and renamed Texas Medicine in 1966. The journal became primarily a medical news magazine in 1991. The TMA also publishes a monthly newsletter, action, and provides other services to physician including practice management workshop, group insurance, and a special trust for professional liability insurance. The TMA has always been a strong advocate for professional autonomy and for the integrity of the medical profession. Throughout its history, the organization has campaigned for effective medical practice legislation and the suppression of medical charlatanism. The TMA has supported important public health laws, including the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1907, the State Board of health Bill in 1909, the Vital Statistic bills of 1916 and 1927, and the Indigent health Care Bill of 1985. In recent decades, the TMA has monitored government health care proposal, especially those involving health care insurance, and new health care delivery systems, such as health maintenance organizations. Its political activities are supported by TEXPAC, the largest bipartisan political action committee in Texas and the fifth largest committee of its kind in the nation. During 1991 and 1992, The TMA supported the 1990-91 AIDS bill that appropriated more funds for AIDS education Texas, the Omnibus Health Care Rescue Act that address problems of rural health in the state, and legislation that required motorcyclist to wear helmets and automobile drivers and passengers to wear seat belts.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Pat Ireland Nixon. A history of the Texas Medical Association, 1853-1953 (Austin: university of Texas Press, 1953). Florita Indira Sheppard, the Texas Medical Association: History, Organization and Influence (M.P.A. Report, University of Texas at Austin, 1980).
Benefits
The Texas Medical Association is located in downtown Austin. The following are some of the benefits and services offered to eligible staff:
*Medical and Dental Insurance
*Flexible Spending Accounts - Dependent Care and Health Care
*Group Life Insurance
*Long Term Disability Insurance
*Retirement Plan
*Vacation, Sick and Personal Leave
*Paid Holidays
*Direct Deposit
*Professional Development
*Free Parking
*Onsite Fitness Center
Texas Medical Association/Texas Medical Association Insurance Trust is an equal opportunity employer.