September 21, 2022
Two physicians and a medical student have joined the Texas Medical Association Foundation (TMAF) Board of Trustees. Each began serving on the board leading the philanthropic arm of the Texas Medical Association (TMA) at last week’s TMA Fall Conference meetings.
The foundation board members support TMAF’s budget, fundraising, and goal-setting efforts, and ensure the foundation’s policy, procedures, and philosophy are followed.
The TMA Foundation funds statewide and local initiatives that focus on disease prevention, healthier lifestyles, and increasing people’s access to health care. The foundation supports TMA’s Vaccines Defend What Matters, a program to increase awareness about vaccines’ safety and effectiveness and to provide vaccinations; the Hard Hats for Little Heads bicycle helmet giveaway program to encourage young people to wear helmets while exercising; and Walk With a Doc Texas, part of an international grassroots movement to promote walking as a healthy physical activity (while also promoting health literacy). The foundation also backs medical school scholarships for new medical students, awards for outstanding science teachers, and helps support other initiatives.
New TMAF board trustees:
Dallas
Richard W. “Rick” Snyder II, MD, TMA’s president-elect, joins the TMAF board in advance of assuming TMA’s presidency in 2023. The Dallas cardiologist previously chaired the TMA Board of Trustees; served in the association’s House of Delegates and Council on Legislation; and is active in TEXPAC, TMA’s political action committee. He is a member of the Dallas County Medical Society.
Since 1996, the cardiologist has practiced at Medical City Dallas, where he has chaired the Department of Medicine, served as medical staff president, and served on its Board of Trustees. Additionally, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Southwestern Medical Foundation. Dr. Snyder also is president of HeartPlace, the oldest and largest independent cardiovascular group in Texas. He also chairs the Board of Directors of ASPEN Physicians Network, a network 20 large independent specialty groups serving North Texas.
Dallas
Prachi Thapar, DO, is the TMAF board’s new TMA Resident and Fellow Section representative, who will serve for one year. The resident physician in training at UT Southwestern Medical Center also is the alternate Resident and Fellow Section representative on the TMA Committee on Health Information Technology. She is a member of the Dallas County Medical Society.
San Antonio
Yusuf Mufti is the new TMA Medical Student Section representative on the board. He is a student at UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine. He will serve two years in this role, until May 2024.
TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more than 56,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 110 component county medical societies around the state. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans. The TMA Foundation raises funds to support the population health, science, and quality-of-care priority initiatives of TMA and the Family of Medicine.
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TMA contacts:
Brent Annear (512)
370-1381; brent.annear@texmed.org
Swathi
Narayanan (512) 370-1382; swathi.narayanan@texmed.org
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