The Weekly Dose           Bexar County Medical Society

Week of May 26,  2013 

Vol. 2, No. 37

Reduce technology costs now

 

By John K. Wisniewski

BCMS CEO/Executive Director

  

Last week, my family asked me to check into "the hopper." They like the ads. 

 

I called my current cable vendor, and they offered to reduce my bill.

 

Yesterday, we met with a representative from BCMS's wireless technology vendor.  Some employees need new phones. They offered to reduce my bill.

 

Two calls.  $5,000 a year. 

 

This would be a good week for you to call some vendors.

 

 

  

 

Correctional medical opportunities

 

Carcel Med, a physician-owned LLC, is accepting resumes for part-time and temp positions in federal, state and local correctional facilities located in Texas.

 

Correctional experience preferred, open to all applicants, no specialty restrictions.

Must be licensed in Texas.

 

Email Dr. Raymond V. Osbourn by clicking here.

 

PLAN NOW TO ATTEND

  

Click image above to register

  

  

  

 

TRENDING TOPICS

 

83rd Session Update

Sine Die is Monday, May 27

Bills of special importance to BCMS signed into law

TexMed 2013: Thank you to BCMS delegation to TMA

 

By Mary E. Nava, MBA

BCMS Chief Governmental and Community Relations Officer

  

Monday, May 27 is the last day of the 83rd Legislative Session. It's hard to believe that 140 days of the regular session are just about done. There are rumors floating around about a possible special session on redistricting and perhaps other important items. In the coming weeks, I'll provide updates on the status of medicine's bills that have been passed and their outcome pending the governor's action to either sign these bills into law or veto them.

  

Some highlights from the previous week: 

  

SB 166 by Sen. Robert Deuell, MD (R-Greenville), and Rep. Lyle Larson (R-San Antonio) has been signed into law by the governor.  This is the first of five TMA bills reducing red tape for physicians' practices. Many thanks and congratulations to Bernard "Buddy" Swift Jr., MD, for leading the effort to develop this legislation, which allows physicians to check-in patients using the electronic strip on the back of their Texas driver's license. This law goes into effect on Sept. 1. 

 

  

 

 

 

 

SB 945 by Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound) and Rep. Sarah Davis (R-West University Place) also has been signed into law by the governor. This law becomes effective on Jan. 1, 2014. It requires physicians and nonphysicians to wear a photo ID badge clearly stating to patients their name, department of the hospital they are associated with, title, and status as a student, intern, trainee or resident. 

 

  

 

 

 

 

HB 1803 by Rep. Bill Callegari (R-Katy) passed to enrollment and is headed to the governor's desk. HB 1803 would start the renewal of the DPS controlled substances registration with the online medical license renewal at the Texas Medical Board.

 

  

 

 

 

 

Stay tuned to this column for more updates on the status of bills as the 83rd Legislative Session adjourns Sine Die on May 27.

   

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

TexMed 2013  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the midst of the legislative session, the BCMS Delegation to TMA also was busy with preparations for TexMed 2013 and working to elect BCMS past president Jesse Moss Jr., MD, for a position on the TMA Board of Trustees. Unfortunately, Dr. Moss did not win a seat on the TMA Board. In his comments to the TMA House of Delegates, Dr. Moss stated, "I want to thank the Bexar County Medical Society for supporting me, and I want everyone to know, I'll be back." 

 

   

 

 

 

Many thanks to all members of the delegation to TMA for their time and participation:  Rajaram Bala, MD; Dianna Burns-Banks, MD; Josie Cigarroa, MD; Edward Dick, MD; Suresh Dutta, MD; John Edwards, MD; Estrella deForster, MD; K.P. Ganeshappa, MD; Harold Gaskill, MD; Stephen Gelfond, MD; Donald Gordon, MD, PhD; William Gordon, MD; Gerald Greenfield, MD; Sheldon Gross, MD; Martin Guerrero, MD; David Henkes, MD; David Hnatow, MD; John Holcomb, MD; James Humphreys, MD - Delegation Chair; Leah Jacobson, MD; Margaret Kelley, MD; Alexander Kenton, MD; Vijay Koli, MD; Ashok Kumar, MD; Robert Luedecke, MD; Jesse Moss Jr., MD; John Nava, MD; Gabriel Ortiz, MD; Somayaji Ramamurthy, MD; Roberto San Martin, MD; Jayesh Shah, MD; David Shulman, MD; J. Marvin Smith III, MD; Bernard "Buddy" Swift Jr., MD; Marc Taylor, MD; Roberto Trevino Jr., MD; Miguel Vasquez, MD, and Jacob Oppenheimer, medical student. 

 

  

 

 

Many thanks also to Susan Wynne, MD, soloist, and Michael Stern, MD, pianist for their beautiful rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" during the opening session of theTMA House of Delegates on May 17. Attendees enjoyed hearing (what has been hailed as a first-time performance) two verses of the national anthem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For local discussion on the 83rd Legislative Session and other advocacy topics, consider joining the BCMS Legislative and Socioeconomics Committee by contacting Mary Nava at mary.nava@bcms.org.  

 

 

 

 

PHOTO ABOVE: James Humphreys, MD, chair of the BCMS Delegation to TMA, leads a discussion with delegation members prior to the House of Delegate elections May 18 during TexMed 2013 in San Antonio.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IN THE SPOTLIGHT 
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 About The Weekly Dose 

  The Weekly Dose is a service of the Bexar County Medical Society.

Some of the suggestions conveyed may not be applicable to your practice today,
 but the goal is to offer information over time that returns value in excess

of the cost of your membership.

If you would like to recommend future topics to share with your colleagues,

please submit them to the BCMS executive director at john.wisniewski@bcms.org.

All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited.

Copyright © 2013
 Bexar County Medical Society, San Antonio, Texas.

 

 

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