TMAA Newsline (Jan 31) - TMAAlliance.org

TMAA Newsline

Many Voices, One Heart

President's Message

We are proud to announce:
Clark Andrew arrived on Tuesday, January 30, 2007 at 11:09 PM, weighing in at 7 lbs. 13 oz. and 20 inches in length. The excited parents of Clark are Josh and Lisa Vegors.
Very Happy and Proud Grandparents,
Sue and Bob Vegors

Can you believe that January is essentially over? Where does the time go? Now is the time to mark your new calendars with some very significant dates.

Many Voices, One Heart
The TMAA’s 79th Annual Meeting
April 27-28, 2007
Airport Marriott, Nashville

All TMAA members are invited and encouraged to come. All county alliance presidents are expected to come as they are members of the TMAA Board of Directors. We promise to make this a fun and educational 28 hours while we celebrate how we have made a difference in TN and make plans for the year to come. The article below will give you dates and important information about the new legislative session to share with your alliance. Sue Vegors, President.

Are you ready to PITCH?

By Barbara Trautman, VP of Legislative Affairs

TMA is planning weekly visits to the legislature again this year to promote and educate about medical liability reform, MLR, which is still our top priority. This year we are calling the visits PITCH – Physicians Involved at Tennessee’s Capitol Hill. We are encouraging, not only physicians, but Alliance members, office managers, and interested members of the medical community to come to Nashville to show their support for MLR and other issues of great importance to organized medicine. We still don’t know for certain when Judiciary committees in the House will meet, but, we have the first three Tuesdays in February planned to come to Nashville. We’ll wait to put anything out on future dates until we know for certain. These dates are confirmed: February 20 - Region 4 (Nashville)
February 27 - Region 8 (Carter, Greene, Hawkins, Lakeway, Sullivan, Washington-Unicoi-Johnson)
March 6 - Region 6 (Chattanooga, Bradley, McMinn)

If you live in one of these regions, please contact your medical society to get the travel details. We want a huge showing on behalf of TMA and the physicians of TN. In addition, TMA is asking its MLR coalition members to help with a petition drive. TMA Alliance is a coalition member and we need your help. The following article says it all. Please get involved.

Statewide MLR Petition Effort Needs Coalition Action

Petition Calls for Tennessee General Assembly to Pass MLR Legislation in 2007

As the 105th Tennessee General Assembly begins, the Medical Liability Reform Coalition needs all individuals to support the campaign to pass much needed medical liability reform during the 2007 legislative session. The coalition’s primary activity is a statewide petition drive. Our goal is to present as many signed petitions as possible to make our legislators understand that Tennessee is ready for medical liability reform NOW.You may access the petition online. It only takes a minute to complete the petition and submit it back electronically to the Tennessee Medical Assoc. (TMA)

The coalition is asking members to:

Fill out the electronic version and urge your office staff and patients to sign the petition.
Download a copy of the petition and make copies available in your office.
Distribute copies of the petition at board meetings and support groups.
Forward the web link to your colleagues and supporters, asking them to complete the electronic form, as well.
Please help us mobilize this grassroots network and support MLR NOW!

Fax or mail signed petitions to:

Tennessee Medical Association
P O Box 120909
2301 21st Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37212
615-385-2100 (phone)
615-383-5918 (fax)
http://www.medwire.org/

Doctors' Day

Doctors’ Day will be here before we know it. Why don’t you take a moment to review our products on our website? Remember SMA(Southern Medical Association) is the official provider of Doctors’ Day items and a portion of the proceeds will go directly to the SMA Research & Education Endowment Fund.

Order SMA Supplies

They have new products available such as Mylar balloons to help you decorate, lapel pins and of course our favorite Doctors’ Day greeting cards, stickers, posters and our highly coveted Doctors’ Day mugs! Last year, they ran out of many items so why not go ahead and place your order now to insure your products arrive on time! Just go to the website listed above and place your order!

If you have any questions, please feel free to call 800-423-4992 ext. 181

County Alliance Events

February 12-14 - AMA Legislative Advocacy and AMAA Leadership Development Conference II

You can register online.