FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 4, 2008

Contact:  Laura Brockway, communications and advertising manager
(512) 425-5936, laura-brockway@tmlt.org

TMLT to award $40,000 in medical student scholarships

Austin, TX  — One student at each Texas medical school will receive a $5,000 scholarship thanks to the 2008 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.

All application materials are available here. Deadline to apply for the scholarship is Monday, June 9, 2008. Winners will be announced in September.

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must:

• be entering their third or fourth year of study at a Texas medical school in the fall of 2008;
• 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.

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 14,000 doctors in all specialties practicing in all areas of the state.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 5, 2007

Contact:
Dana Leidig
Vice President, Communications and Advertising
512-425-5934, dana-leidig@tmlt.org

AUSTIN, TEXAS… The Governing Board of Texas Medical Liability Trust (TMLT) has approved an unprecedented third straight rate reduction/dividend for TMLT policyholders. The Board has approved a 6.5% rate reduction for all medical specialties and classes effective January 1, 2008. In addition, all current TMLT policyholders renewing their policies in 2008 will receive a dividend equal to 22% of their expiring premium. The total dividend declared is approximately $35 million. The dividend will be applied at policy renewal.

TMLT has reduced rates five consecutive years since the passage of House Bill 4 and Proposition 12 in 2003: 12% in 2004; 5% in 2005; 5% in 2006; 7.5% in 2007; and 6.5% in 2008. The net effect of these cumulative rate reductions amounts to a 31% reduction from 2003 rates and approximately $200 million of premium savings.

The dividend for 2008 represents the third consecutive year TMLT has declared a policyholder dividend. By the end of 2008, renewing TMLT policyholders will have received dividends amounting to approximately $75 million. Since the passage of Prop 12 and medical liability reform of 2003, TMLT policyholders will have realized cumulative savings of approximately $275 million from rate reductions and dividends.

Effective tort reform has reduced claims intake and associated legal expenses. Improved Trust earnings have strengthened TMLT’s financial position making these rate reductions and dividends possible. There is no guarantee that an ever changing business climate will ensure future rate reductions or dividends; however, TMLT continues to work diligently to protect 2003 tort reforms in an effort to keep premiums as low as possible. Rate changes and dividend considerations are determined annually by the TMLT Governing Board, executive management, and financial consultants to the Trust.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 8, 2007

Contact:
Laura Brockway
Manager, Communications and Advertising
(512) 425-5936 or laura-brockway@tmlt.org

Dana Leidig
Vice President, Communications and Advertising
512-425-5934, dana-leidig@tmlt.org

TMLT awards seven scholarships

Austin, TX — Texas Medical Liability Trust (TMLT) is proud to announce the winners of the 2007 TMLT Memorial Scholarships.

• John Chiara is a fourth-year medical student at Texas Tech University Health Science Center School of Medicine. (Mr. Chiara also won the scholarship from Texas Tech in 2006.) Read Mr. Chiara’s essay.

• Paul Chin is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. Read Mr. Chin’s essay.

• Julie Cummings is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Read Ms. Cummings essay.

• Stanford T. Israelsen is a fourth-year medical student at Baylor College of Medicine. Read Mr. Israelsen’s essay.

• Jason R. Pearce is a fourth-year medical student at University of Texas Medical School at Houston. Read Mr. Pearce’s essay.

• Eric South is a third-year medical student at the University of North Texas Health Science Center’s Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. Read Mr. South’s essay.

• John Wilkinson is a fourth-year medical student at Texas A&M University System Health Science Center College of Medicine. Read Mr. Wilkinson’s essay.

The $5,000 scholarships were awarded to one student at each Texas medical school that participated in the competition. Scholarship recipients were chosen based on each student’s financial need and written essay. Winning essays will be published on the TMLT web site (www.tmlt.org) and in TMLT’s newsletter, the Reporter.

The TMLT Memorial Scholarships recognize Texas medical students who are interested in finding creative ways to enhance patient safety and who can communicate their ideas in a short essay.

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 14,000 physicians in all specialties practicing in all areas of the state.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 16, 2007

CONTACT:
Laura Brockway
Texas Medical Liability Trust
(512) 425-5936
laura-brockway@tmlt.org
www.tmlt.org

Texas Medical Liability Trust (TMLT) donates $1130 to the new Dell Children’s Medical Center

Austin, Texas – On August 15, 2007, Texas Medical Liability Trust (TMLT) donated $1130 to Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas. The contribution came from TMLT’s annual employee raffle, which was held in July 2007.

The new Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas opened its doors in June 2007 to replace the Children’s Hospital of Austin.

“A large-scale children’s medical center has long been needed in Central Texas,” said Gail Nichols, vice president of human resources, TMLT. “We are proud to support it.”

“We are so grateful to TMLT for their support,” said Missy Wood, executive director, Dell Children’s Medical Center Foundation of Central Texas. “Their generosity will impact the lives of many Central Texas children.”

About Texas Medical Liability Trust
Texas Medical Liability Trust is a physician-owned, health care liability claim trust headquartered in Austin, Texas. TMLT offers medical liability insurance products and services to Texas physicians. Created in 1979 by the Texas Medical Association, TMLT currently protects more than 14,000 doctors in all specialties practicing in all areas of the state.

About Dell Children’s Medical Center
Dell Children’s Center Medical Center is more than triple the size of the Children’s Hospital of Austin. It will offer pediatric inpatient rehabilitation, a mobility gym, fully wireless technology, play and activity rooms, a healing garden and family-friendly patient rooms.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 26, 2007

Contact:
Dana Leidig, Vice President Communications and Advertising
512-425-5934, dana-leidig@tmlt.org

TMLT NAMES NEW PRESIDENT & CEO

Austin, Texas... The Governing Board of Texas Medical Liability Trust (TMLT) has announced their selection of Bob R. Fields as the new president and chief executive officer of the Trust. Mr. Fields has served as acting president and CEO since August 2006. Prior to that, he was executive vice president of claim operations at TMLT.

"I am honored to serve our policyholders in this capacity," said Fields. "TMLT is a physician-owned organization with a long history of leading the medical liability industry in our state. I plan to continue this legacy of providing innovative products and services, strong defense, and advocacy. With over 30 competing carriers, we have some challenges ahead. I am confident the TMLT Governing Board, management team, and excellent staff can meet those challenges successfully."

Mr. Fields has more than 34 years experience in the insurance industry. After working for The Hartford for nearly 13 years, he came to TMLT as a territorial supervisor in 1986. Mr. Fields was named director of the claim department in 1988 and later promoted to executive vice president in 1994. He has an enviable track record in the area of medical malpractice claim management. He is a past member of the PIAA claim section committee and has served as chairman of the state’s JUA claim review committee.

He is a past member of the TMA/TTLA medical malpractice legislative negotiating team, a current member of the Texas Alliance for Patient Access legislative committee, and was a frequent public speaker concerning the need for medical liability reform prior to the passage of House Bill 4 and Proposition 12.

Mr. Fields received a bachelor's degree in business education from Southeast Missouri State University and an MBA, with honors, in 1980. He also served in the U.S. Naval Reserve for more than 23 years before retiring as Captain.

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 14,200 doctors in all specialties practicing in all areas of the state.