Press releases
July 1, 2010
TMLT responds to Girards Firm web site
Austin, TX — Recently, the Girards Law Firm filed a Travis County lawsuit alleging witness tampering by TMLT. The Court dismissed those claims. Here is the order dismissing his claims. James Girards, of the Girards Law Firm, was sanctioned twice in that case for discovery abuse. After the second sanction, Girards anonymously posted the same witness tampering claims on tmItexposed.org. This web site appropriated copyrighted graphics and text from TMLT's web site in violation of TMLT's posted copyright statement. TMLT worked with Domains by Proxy to protect the Trust's copyright and unmask the site holder of tmItexposed.org.
Once Girards was unmasked as the actor behind this web site, the Girards Law Firm filed a Dallas County lawsuit seeking a temporary restraining order that TMLT could not sue the firm over Girards' conduct. The Dallas Court denied that request as well.
TMLT supports all citizens' constitutional rights to free speech and trial by jury. Along with those rights, however, come responsibilities. Girards misused copyrighted materials without authority and tried to hide the Girards Law Firm's involvement in the web site. TMLT protected its copyright. TMLT has not worked to shut down the Girards web site; TMLT simply learned the identity of the party appropriating TMLT's copyrighted materials. Moreover, if the web site raises such important free speech issues, why was Girards unwilling to put his name on it?
Background
Texas Medical Liability Trust (TMLT) is a physician-owned, health care liability claim trust offering medical liability insurance products to Texas physicians. Created in 1979 by Texas Medical Association, TMLT currently protects more than 14,500 doctors in all specialties practicing in all areas of the state. TMLT is also endorsed by Bexar County Medical Society, Dallas County Medical Society, Harris County Medical Society, Lubbock-Crosby-Garza County Medical Society, Tarrant County Medical Society, Texas Academy of Family Physicians, Texas Medical Association, Texas Orthopaedic Association, Travis County Medical Society, and is a Gold Corporate Affiliate of the Texas Medical Group Management Association (TMGMA).
June 4, 2010
TMLT announces survey winners
The 2010 Texas physician survey is now closed and winners of the 5 Apple iPads have been notified.
The winners are:
- Dr. David Cech
- Dr Mordecai Klein
- Dr. Lorraine Stehn
- Dr. Sheldon Gross
- Dr. Carlton K. Clarke, II
Thank you for participating in our online physician survey. We appreciate your comments and suggestions and will use this information to improve our services to Texas physicians.
Congratulations to our iPad winners!
About TMLT
Texas Medical Liability Trust is a physician-owned, health care liability claim trust offering medical liability insurance products to Texas physicians. Created in 1979 by Texas Medical Association, TMLT currently protects more than 14,500 doctors in all specialties practicing in all areas of the state.
May 20, 2010
Contact: William Malamon, communications and advertising supervisor
512-425-5998, william-malamon@tmlt.org
Collin-Fannin County Medical Society endorses Texas Medical Liability Trust
AUSTIN, TX — The Collin-Fannin County Medical Society's Executive Board approved the endorsement of Texas Medical Liability Trust (TMLT) on March 11, 2010.
Started 120 years ago, the Collin-Fannin CMS serves 563 physician members. TMLT currently provides medical liability coverage for 62% of those members.
Don Chow, senior vice president of sales and marketing at TMLT said, "We are pleased and gratified to have the recognition and support of Collin-Fannin CMS, and we look forward to continuing our close working relationship."
"This endorsement will mutually benefit TMLT and the physicians of Collin and Fannin counties," said George W. Childress, MD, president of Collin-Fannin CMS. "We look forward to a partnership with TMLT."
Background
Texas Medical Liability Trust (TMLT) is a physician-owned, health care liability claim trust offering medical liability insurance products to Texas physicians. Created in 1979 by Texas Medical Association, TMLT currently protects more than 14,500 doctors in all specialties practicing in all areas of the state. TMLT is also endorsed by Bexar County Medical Society, Dallas County Medical Society, Harris County Medical Society, Lubbock-Crosby-Garza County Medical Society, Tarrant County Medical Society, Texas Academy of Family Physicians, Texas Medical Association, Texas Orthopaedic Association, Travis County Medical Society, and is a Gold Corporate Affiliate of the Texas Medical Group Management Association (TMGMA).
February 1, 2010
Contact: William Malamon, communications and advertising representative
(512) 425-5898 or william-malamon@tmlt.org
TMLT to award four $10,000 medical student scholarships
AUSTIN, TX — Four students at Texas medical schools will receive a $10,000 scholarship thanks to the 2010 TMLT Memorial Scholarship program. Launched in 2005, the program awards $40,000 in scholarships annually to Texas medical students who are interested in finding creative and effective ways to enhance patient safety.
Scholarship recipients will be chosen in a competitive process that weighs students' financial need along with their ability to evaluate the patient safety concerns in a closed claim study and communicate their recommendations in an essay. Entries will be judged by the TMLT Board of Governors, which is composed of nine Texas physicians.
Deadline to apply for the scholarship is Tuesday, June 1, 2010. Winners will be announced in September 2010.
To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must:
- be entering their second, third, or fourth year of study at a Texas medical school in the fall of 2010;
- be in good academic standing;
- be able to demonstrate financial need;
- be able to communicate a commitment to patient safety and medical risk management through an essay; and
- be a current student member of (or have a student application pending with) the Texas Medical Association.
To apply, students should submit the following:
- a completed application (incomplete applications will not be considered);
- an official medical school transcript; and
- a short essay (no more than 500 words) describing the risk management considerations for a closed claim study provided with the application.
Background
Texas Medical Liability Trust is a physician-owned, health care liability claim trust offering medical liability insurance products to Texas physicians. Created in 1979 by Texas Medical Association, TMLT currently protects more than 14,500 doctors in all specialties practicing in all areas of the state.
December 10, 2009
Contact: Lesley Viner
512-425-5908, lesley-viner@tmlt.org
TMLT awarded Accreditation with Commendation from ACCME
AUSTIN, TX — Texas Medical Liability Trust (TMLT) has been surveyed by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and awarded Accreditation with Commendation for 6 years as a provider of continuing medical education (CME) for physicians. TMLT is the first professional medical liability carrier in Texas to achieve commendation status, and one of only 10% of all providers surveyed under the new criteria to be recognized in this way.
Six-year Accreditation with Commendation is awarded to providers that demonstrate compliance in all 22 of the ACCME's updated accreditation criteria. According to the ACCME, TMLT is a "learning organization and a change agent" for physicians participating in CME activities.
ACCME accreditation seeks to assure both physicians and the public that CME activities provided by TMLT meet the high standards of the Essential Areas, Elements, and Policies for Accreditation as specified by the ACCME. The ACCME rigorously evaluates the overall CME programs of institutions according to standards adopted by all seven sponsoring organizations of the ACCME. These are: the American Board of Medical Specialties; the American Hospital Association; the American Medical Association; the Association for Hospital Medical Education; the Association of American Medical Colleges; the Council of Medical Specialty Societies; and the Federation of State Medical Boards of the U.S., Inc.
About TMLT
TMLT is the state's largest medical liability insurance provider, serving nearly 15,000 Texas Medical Association (TMA) member physicians. TMLT is a health care liability claim trust created and endorsed by TMA and owned by its physician policyholders. The Trust is headquartered in Austin, Texas.
October 15, 2009
The 2010 TMLT Governing Board Election
It is time to vote for your 2010 Governing Board. This year, we are offering you a convenient, electronic voting option in addition to the standard printed, mailed ballots. Of course, you may vote only once! If we have a valid email address on file for you, you will receive an email with voting instructions and may cast your ballot electronically, if you prefer.
Regardless of which voting method you choose, you will be required to provide two forms of identity verification in order to cast your ballot. If you cast your vote electronically, you must do so before midnight, November 24, 2009. If you choose to mail a paper ballot, it must be postmarked on or before November 24, 2009 and received no later than December 3, 2009 in order to be valid.
We encourage you to participate in the election of your physician Governing Board members.
The 2009 TMLT Governing Board
- Dave W. Kittrell, MD, Chairman — Obstetrics/Gynecology, San Antonio
- Robert I. Parks, Jr., MD, Vice Chairman — Anesthesiology, Dallas
- Stuart D. McDonald, MD, Secretary-Treasurer — Pulmonary & Critical Care, Fort Worth
- Alan C. Baum, MD — Ophthalmology, Houston
- Donald R. Butts, MD — Colorectal Surgery, Houston
- Cristie Columbus, MD — Infectious Diseases, Dallas
- Arthur F. Evans, MD — Neurosurgery, Lindale
- David G. Joseph, MD — Family Practice, Austin
- Jimmy L. Strong, MD — Pediatrics, Abilene
Vote now!
September 4, 2009
Contact: William Malamon
512-425-5898, william-malamon@tmlt.org
TMLT awards four $10,000 scholarships
Austin, TX — Texas Medical Liability Trust (TMLT) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2009 TMLT Memorial Scholarships.
- Joseph H. Childs is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston.
- Wilbur Dattilo is a third-year medical student at Baylor College of Medicine.
- Cliff Hampton is a third-year medical student at Baylor College of Medicine.
- Ravi Kumar is a fourth-year medical student at Texas A&M University System Health Science Center College of Medicine.
Launched in 2005, the program awards $40,000 in scholarships annually to Texas medical students who are interested in finding creative and effective ways to enhance patient safety. Scholarship recipients are chosen based on each student's financial need and written essay.
For the essay portion, applicants for the 2009 scholarship were asked to write risk management considerations for a closed claim study provided by TMLT. Read the case study and the winning essays.
In 2009, TMLT received 112 applications from students at eight Texas medical schools. The TMLT Board of Governors evaluated the applications and chose the recipients. Winning essays are published on the TMLT web site and in TMLT's newsletter, the Reporter.
About TMLT
TMLT is the state's largest medical liability insurance provider, serving nearly 15,000 Texas Medical Association (TMA) member physicians. TMLT is a health care liability claim trust created and endorsed by TMA and owned by its physician policyholders. The Trust is headquartered in Austin, Texas.
August 25, 2009
Contact: Dana Leidig
Vice President Communications & Advertising
512-425-5934, dana-leidig@tmlt.org
TMLT announces 24% dividend and 1% rate reduction effective January 2010
AUSTIN, TEXAS . . . The Governing Board of Texas Medical Liability Trust (TMLT) has announced a 24% policyholder dividend for renewing TMLT policyholders and a 1% rate reduction for TMLT policyholders effective January 1, 2010.
This is the fifth time TMLT has declared a policyholder dividend. The 24% dividend is the largest to date and will amount to approximately $36 million dollars in 2010 premium savings for TMLT physicians.
TMLT has reduced rates for Texas physicians for seven consecutive years since the passage of House Bill 4 by the Texas legislature and Governor Rick Perry in 2003. For the first five years, rates were reduced across the board for all policyholders: 12% in 2004; 5% in 2005; 5% in 2006; 7.5% in 2007; and 6.5% in 2008. For 2009, all physicians received a rate decrease but the reduction varied by specialty and territory with an average statewide decrease of 4.7%. In 2010, all TMLT-insured physicians will receive a 1% rate reduction.
According to Bob R. Fields, TMLT's president and CEO, medical liability reform has fostered an environment in Texas where physicians can spend their time taking care of their patients rather than fighting lawsuits. Since the passage of medical liability reform, TMLT insured physicians will have saved $519.6 million, once this latest round of rate cuts and dividends is implemented.
Physicians interested in applying for TMLT coverage or who would like more information about how this rate decrease and dividend will benefit them can call the sales department at 800-580-8658. Current policyholders will receive detailed information before their policy renews or they may direct questions to their underwriter.
About TMLT
TMLT is the state's largest medical liability insurance provider, serving nearly 15,000 Texas Medical Association (TMA) member physicians. TMLT is a health care liability claim trust created and endorsed by TMA and owned by its physician policyholders. The Trust is headquartered in Austin, Texas.
March 13, 2009
Contact: William Malamon 512-425-5898 william-malamon@tmlt.org
TMLT to award four $10,000 scholarships in August 2009
Four Texas medical students will receive a $10,000 scholarship thanks to the 2009 TMLT Memorial Scholarship program. Launched in 2005, the program awards $40,000 in scholarships annually to Texas medical students who are interested in finding creative and effective ways to enhance patient safety.
Scholarship recipients will be chosen in a competitive process that weighs each student's financial need along with their ability to evaluate the patient safety concerns in a closed claim study and communicate their recommendations in an essay. Entries will be judged by the TMLT Board of Governors, which is composed of 9 Texas physicians.
Deadline to apply for the scholarship is Monday, June 15, 2009. Winners will be announced in August.
To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must:
- be entering their second, third, or fourth year of study at a Texas medical school in the fall of 2009;
- be in good academic standing;
- be able to demonstrate financial need;
- be able to communicate a commitment to patient safety and medical risk management through an essay; and
- be a current student member of (or have a student application pending with) the Texas Medical Association.
To apply, students should submit the following:
- a completed application (incomplete applications will not be considered);
- an official medical school transcript; and
- a short essay (no more than 500 words) describing the risk management considerations for a closed claim study provided with the application.
The TMLT Memorial Scholarship program began in 2005, and since that time $150,000 has been given to 30 Texas medical students.
About TMLTTexas Medical Liability Trust is a physician-owned, health care liability claim trust offering medical liability insurance products to Texas physicians. Created in 1979 by Texas Medical Association, TMLT currently protects more than 14,000 doctors in all specialties practicing in all areas of the state.
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