Physicians go into medicine to serve others, but time constraints and a host of other factors can yield exam-room interactions that might feel rushed or impersonal.
The Texas Medical Association’s community outreach programs offer a rewarding alternative for physicians to connect with their patients in ways that can have a big impact even beyond the office.
John G. Knecht III, MD, had heard of one of those programs, Walk with a Doc (WWAD), through a Memorial Hermann Health System WWAD chapter – but didn’t know of TMA’s affiliation with it.
The global program encourages physicians to walk with their patients and other community members, pairing activity with social connection and time spent in nature to promote a healthier lifestyle in people of all ages. Start-up and renewal fees are free for TMA members, and physicians can partner with county medical societies or others to start a local walk.
“[Medical professionals] are more concerned sometimes with the payer mix and the population of patients that are underfunded or unfunded. I feel like [physicians] don’t quite know what resources they may even have [to improve their communities],” the Webster oncologist said.
WWAD is just one of TMA’s signature outreach programs aimed at improving the health of all Texans that are overseen by the Council on Health Promotion and funded by the TMA Foundation (TMAF), the philanthropic arm of TMA. Other easy-to-implement opportunities include:
- Hard Hats for Little Heads, which has given away more than 400,000 free helmets to Texas children to help reduce head injuries incurred from sports;
- Vaccines Defend What Matters, a public health advocacy campaign that provides education to reduce vaccine hesitancy and grants for outreach events; and
- Texas BookShare, which promotes literacy and healthy lifestyle habits through books “prescribed” by physicians to young patients during well checks. First-time hosts receive a trove of books, worth $1,500, for different age groups, available in English and Spanish.
“We all wanted to go into medicine to help people, and these programs allow us to share our medical expertise in a nonthreatening environment,” Li-Yu Mitchell, MD, said. “The most rewarding part about hosting is the gratitude that the participants express. These are free events, and they know the physicians who are hosting them are volunteering their time to be there.”
In her five years as a WWAD chapter leader in Tyler, Dr. Mitchell had what she calls her “regulars.” There was the participant who came to every walk, even on days after her chemotherapy treatments. Several chapter members “outgrew” walking, moving on to 5Ks, 10Ks, and half-marathons, but still attended weekly to hear the health talk each walk leader provides before going about their own workouts.
“It was rewarding seeing my participants get fitter and fitter throughout time,” the family medicine physician and past chair of TMA’s Council on Health Promotion said.
Dr. Mitchell, who was recently appointed to the TMAF Board of Trustees, has similar praise for other TMA programs physicians can harness for underserved communities.
“With Texas BookShare, the books we give away are often one of the only books a child has ever owned on his/her own,” she said. “With Vaccines Defend What Matters, physicians and alliance members have often partnered with local school districts and public health districts to provide much-needed back-to-school immunizations and life-saving flu shots.”
She counsels members who might want to host an event to go for it.
“Don’t be afraid of starting these events. Your community will appreciate it. It doesn’t matter if two people attend or 100 — you are still making an impact.”
Learn more about these programs at TMA’s “Health Beat” podcast (www.texmed.org/healthbeatpodcast).
Last Updated On
November 27, 2024
Originally Published On
November 15, 2024
Jessica Ridge
Reporter, Division of Communications and Marketing
(512) 370-1395