Texas Academy of Family Physicians

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Description

The Texas Academy of Family Physicians is the state's largest medical specialty organization, with more than 5,500 member physicians, residents and medical students throughout 33 local chapters. TAFP serves the family medicine community and provides a unified voice for family medicine as it continues to be one of the most patient-oriented public health groups in Texas. The American Academy of Family Physicians, TAFP's parent organization, maintains a membership of more than 94,000 members in 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam. Today the Texas Academy of Family Physicians maintains its headquarters in Austin, Texas. Click here for the TAFP mailing address and other Academy contact information. TAFP is governed by a board of directors, comprised of the TAFP Leadership and other TAFP members from various local chapters. The board establishes and reviews Academy policy and plans during the TAFP Interim Session and Annual Session meetings. Members also serve on TAFP committees, commissions, task forces and sections where they study, analyze and make informed policy recommendations to the board. Major purposes of the Academy include: Advocating for family physicians to lawmakers, organized medicine and the public; Providing high-quality continuing medical education to physicians in Texas; Keeping members informed of changes in health care; and Nurturing the next generation of family physicians. TAFP tracks and lobbies for legislation impacting family physicians and their patients. The Texas Academy of Family Physicians Political Action Committee (TAFPPAC), the political voice of family medicine in Texas, speaks on behalf Texas family physicians and their patients through grassroots involvement, personal relationships with elected officials and political campaign participation and contributions. TAFPPAC is a non-partisan political action committee that supports candidates who support issues important to family physicians and their patients. The Academy wishes to equip family physicians with beneficial tools for the continual improvement of the specialty. To do this, TAFP promotes the constant education of members to assist them with meeting the required 150 hours of approved continuing education every three years to retain membership. This requirement may be met through continuing education programs, the PrimeCME program, publication or presentation of original scientific papers, medical school or postgraduate teaching, residency training, etc. The requirement, unique at its time of origin, has through the years become a standard for an increasing number of other medical groups. TAFP offers four CME symposia throughout the year: the Annual Scientific Assembly, the C. Frank Webber Lectureship, the Doctors in Motion Winter Symposium and the Primary Care Summit. TAFP communicates to its members through its up-to-date Web site that contains information about CME activities, legislative issues, current medical news and other helpful resources. The Academy publishes a quarterly magazine, TEXAS FAMILY PHYSICIAN, and several other smaller publications throughout the year. Members receive QuickInfo, an electronic newsletter, and the Members' Update, direct communication from TAFP's President. The Texas Academy of Family Physicians Foundation, organized in 1960, supports educational and scientific initiatives of family medicine to improve the health of all Texans. Through the generous contributions of members, corporations and friends, the Foundation is able to raise and distribute funds for medical student scholarships to future family physicians, for research, for family medicine student interest group activities at medical schools in Texas and for family medicine resident activities. TAFP was founded on March 16, 1948, as the Texas Academy of General Practitioners, making it the fifth chartered state chapter of the AAGP. J.B. Copeland, M.D., served as the first TAGP president. Once the American Academy of General Practitioners changed its name to the American Academy of Family Physicians, Texas soon followed suit.

News Archive

FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENCY PROGRAM GRADUATES SEVEN; OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE RESIDENCY PROGRAM GRADUATES ONE, WELCOMES TWO NEW RESIDENTS US Fed News Service, Including US State News; 7/16/2009 ...Club in Tyler. Melissa Gerdes, MD, a 1999 graduate of the residency program and president-elect of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians, was the keynote speaker. The seven Family Medicine Residency Program graduates are: Mindy Campbell... ...more

Business, Health Care Leaders Call on Texas Employers to Cover Smoking Cessation Benefits for an Additional 100,000 People by 2010 U.S. Newswire; 6/25/2009 ...leaders and advocates on hand to endorse the initiative included H-E-B, Texas Association of Business, Texas Academy of Family Physicians, Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute, Texas Public Employees Association, Employee Retirement System... ...more

Business, Health Care Leaders Call on Texas Employers to Cover Smoking Cessation Benefits for an Additional 100,000 People by 2010. PR Newswire; 6/25/2009 ...leaders and advocates on hand to endorse the initiative included H-E-B, Texas Association of Business, Texas Academy of Family Physicians, Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute, Texas Public Employees Association, Employee Retirement System... ...more