Have you thought about giving back to TCEP by serving on the state Board of Directors? The time is now to nominate yourself or someone you think would be a great nominee. The Texas College of Emergency Physicians depends upon its fourteen member Board of Directors for its vision and action. Eleven Regular Board Members serve staggered three-year terms. In addition, 3 members serve one-year terms for a Young Physician, Resident and Medical Student positions. There are three open Regular Board positions on the 2019 ballot as well as the Young Physician, Resident and Medical Student.

I represent TCEP on the Texas Alliance for Patient Access board of directors. TAPA is an organization that has one sole mission: Protect tort reform at all levels. The upcoming legislative session will likely be the largest attack on tort protection in many years. Additionally, the recent election resulted in a slight shift in the composition of the legislature, and the environment is now slightly less favorable for the protection of tort reform...

Every state in the union has some form of mandatory reporting for suspected child abuse. In spite of this uniformity, each state has some unique requirements that should be known by health care professionals to keep them out of the cross hairs of criminal liability. Most of us count on our malpractice insurance to cover our civil liabilities during our clinical encounters...

The Texas College of Emergency Physicians  is pleased to announce TCEP CONNECT 2019, to be held March 22 - 25, 2019 in Austin, TX at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center. CONNECT 2019 will kick off with golf on Friday, March 22 and continue March 23 and 24 with cutting edge education, a keynote address by renowned speaker and former ACEP President Dr. Greg Henry, a dynamic exhibit hall, residency fair, the second annual OlEMpics and much more, and conclude on Monday, March 25 with organized – and more important than ever - visits to the Texas Capital. Check out the website for regular updates! https://tcepconnect.org/

EMRA is bringing more opportunities to you!

Do you need support to attend Connect 2019? It's time to again apply for EMRA support of your regional meetings. The deadline is December 15.

EMRA is accepting applications for our Spring Awards (deadline January 15).

The "White Coat Invasion" has been the key to physicians' successes in the Texas Legislature since the inception of First Tuesdays at the Capitol in 2003. Our senators and representatives listen when their hometown doctors appear in their offices. Our influence is so much greater when emergency physicians arrive en masse in the House and Senate galleries. It's time again to bring out Texas medicine's strongest weapon.