TEXAS TIDBITS

Winter 2022-2023

The Texas Society of Medical Assistants is proud to continue our quarterly Texas Tidbits.

Just a glimpse of what inspires Texans to take care of Texans

Presidents Letter

Lisa Connelley, CMA (AAMA)

To the Membership of TSMA and Medical Assistants across the state of Texas,

I am overwhelmed with gratitude to have the honor of being your next President of the Texas Society of Medical Assistants (TSMA).  This has been a long journey for me to get to this point, it means so much to me that my passion for this organization resonates with others like you. 

I want to give a little background about myself. I graduated from Houston Community College in August of 2008, I took my test that October of 2008, and got my results in January 2009. So, I have been a CMA for 14 years. I joined the AAMA as a student in 2008, then became a member in 2009. I really love this organization. I have served on many different committees, such as the Audit, Credential, Education, and Conference committees. I have served on the following board position, Vice-speaker, Speaker, Vice-President now President. I have also had the honor of serving on the following AAMA Committee's-65th AAMA Conference Committee - Co-Chair, Editorial Advisory Board for 4 years, and recently I joined the AAMA Membership Committee.

I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (BSIS), and it took me 15 years to get this degree. I work at Lonestar Star college where I am the Skills Instructor for the Medical Assistant Program. I have worked there for 8 years. I also work as a Hearing Screener for newborn babies, at Methodist Hospital for six years. 

I did not do this alone I would like to thank the following persons who have been my inspiration, my sounding board, my mentor, and my friends. Sherry Bogar, you were my inspiration to even think about getting on the TSMA board. Sherry, you encouraged me to speak up before I even got on the board.  Elena Espinoza, Tomaria Thomas, and Angela Hensley, you ladies were my sounding board, my venting board, and best of all my friends whom I could not have done some of the things without you. Many a late night talking with you.  Donna Gibbins, you were one of my mentors when I first got on the board, who taught me a lot about what was expected of me, especially how to talk to people. Dina Harrett and Rose Gonzalez thanks for being there when I asked you to do something you would do it. Cyndee Lundgren, my MA instructor at Houston Community College always encourage me to get involved with this organization even when I was a student. Then when I got my certificate she was there saying get involved if you want to see change. She is very passionate about this organization. 

I want to thank my husband Jim for his love and support throughout this journey. He was there when I decided two years ago to run for Vice-President and eventually become President. He is my partner in everything we do, so I thank him most of all.

I hope to encourage all members to get involved with this organization because without the members this state society is just a lonely place it takes more than one person to keep this organization going to its fullest potential. 

Thank you

Lisa M. Connelley CMA (AAMA)

2022-2024 TSMA President

TSMA received Excel Awards in the following categories.  

Publishing

Texas Tidbits – Donna Gibbins, CMA, and Dina Harrett, CMA editors.  

Marketing – 

Medical Assistants in Pink – Lisa Connelley, CMA, Donna Gibbins, CMA, and Dina Harrett, CMA, campaign directors.  

TSMA was represented by some of our best Members. Please take a few moments to read what your delegates learned and had to say about their experience at the AAMA Conference in Myrtle Beach, SC. (Click on the links below) The Texas Delegation represented you very well.

First Delegate Report

Second Delegate Report

Third Delegate Report

Fourth Delegate Report

Alternate Delegate Report

Do you feel like TIME is a game? You are always struggling to catch up with everything. Most people don't feel like they have enough time and use the lack of time as an excuse not to do the things they should do. We all have 24 hours in a day to do what we want whether it's volunteering for a good cause, helping plan an event or even exercising-we just need to figure out where to put it all

Read more by clicking below

TSMA Offers You Several CEU Opportunities

The TSMA Annual Education Conference and General Assembly will be hosted on Friday, May 19, 2023, through Sunday, May 21, 2023, in Houston, TX. Location to be determined.

The TSMA Executive Board, Education Chair, and Conference Committee are collaborating on a great list of education topics. We are currently in discussion with an organization to possibly provide an IV Certification class on Friday, May 19, 2023 (the cost for registration will be an additional fee)

Look for more details to come in the following weeks.

Other TSMA Meetings Planned for 2023

• Southwest Regional Leadership Conference/Retreat - July 21-23, 2023 (Location/venue to be determined)
• AAMA National Conference & House of Delegates September 22-25, 2023 in Orlando, FL - Hilton Disney Springs (details on the AAMA Website) GET YOUR HOTEL RESERVATIONS EARLY!!!!
• TSMA MAR Week Celebration Meeting - October 21, 2023 (Location/venue to be determined)

Be a Superhero to the next generation!

You are already a superhero at work and at HOME, but now is the time for you to use these superpowers to help empower the medical assisting profession. Join TSMA as a volunteer leader to help protect and serve other medical assistants. Let's all pull our superpowers together to help propel the Medical Assisting Profession into the future.

TSMA has FOUR OPEN EXECUTIVE BOARD POSITIONS, along with the positions of Third & Alternate delegates to the AAMA Conference in Orlando, FL in September 2023.

We have several open committee chair positions and members and they can be applied for at any time. All forms are posted on the Website for submission. If you need information please contact Sherry at immmediatepastpresident@mytsma.org. The deadline for submissions is NOON on May 18, 2023

BOARD Positions

* Vice President. * Treasurer * Secretary * Vice Speaker. * Third Delegate. * Alternate

COMMITTEE Chair and Members

Awards, Audit, Certification, Conference, Membership, Scholarship

If you have a BY-LAW Proposal to be voted on at the General Assembly on May 19, 2023, you must submit it to Sherry Bogar, CMA at IMMEDIATEPAST PRESIDENT@MYTSMA.ORG no later than MONDAY APRIL 3, 2023 AT 11:59PM. Submissions must include the original verbiage, the suggested verbiage, and the rationale in order for it to be considered by the By-Laws Committee

In case you didn't know....

AAMA Updates

Recertification Broken Down

Did you know that AAMA partners with two great organization's to offer medical assistants CEUS-

FASD and Smiles for Life.

What about your CPR? AAMA now provides your up to four (4) CEU credits for your CPR card during each renewal period.

CMA(AAMA)s must obtain 60 CEUs in a 5 year period to recertify by CEU's.

A little perspective on this would be

• 1 CEU a month for your entire certification period
• 3 every 3 months

it also normally equals attendance to each TSMA Bi-Annual Meeting (where you get 4-6 CEU's each meeting) or attendance at the TSMA Annual Education Conference Yearly for 5 years.

AAMA Helps Medical Assistants Expand their Knowledge and ability to climb their Career Lattice

AAMA has amazing CEU opportunities on the ELC Center - including some FREE CEU's. Check it out as it is always being updated.

AAMA ELC Center

DON'T FORGET that the CEB and BOT have launched these programs/certificates/badges to help expand your knowledge.

ABC-Practice Management

Three core courses in Practice Management including Leadership, Management, and Employee Engagement; Practice Structure Quality Management and Improvement

ABC-Allied Health Education

Three Core courses with a total of nine modules to help you develop your understanding of

• The Principles of Adult Learning
• Effective Classroom Instruction
• Assessment, Evaluation, and Other Aspects of Allied Health Education

Population Health Badge-9 modules -

 Health coaching, patient navigation and many more to modules to take to earn a digital badge in Population Health. Open to all medical assistants and allied healthcare professionals

MAR WEEK by AAMA

AAMA is looking for 2023 MAR Week participants. They are looking for testimonials from medical assistants, providers, and patients to help promote Medical Assistants during Medical Assistant Recognition Week in October.

If you are interested or know a patient or provider that would be willing to share their stories, please let our AAMA Marketing Department know by emailing them at MARCOM@aama-ntl.org

ABCs of being a AAMA National Volunteer

Did you know that TSMA's very own Donna Gibbins has contributed to the last three MAR Week Themes and designs logo and campaign items. This is just one example of what you can do as a National Volunteer on a committee. Our very own President, Lisa Connelley is currently serving on the Membership Committee reviewing AAMA Membership benefits and suggesting ways to improve the AAMA for our members. She has spent the last four years serving as a member of the Editorial Advisory committee and making suggestions and helping edit articles for the CMA Today Magazine.

These are just some of the examples of the things you can do as a AAMA National Volunteer. If you are interested in being a AAMA Volunteer - please email Monica Case, AAMA Vice President at mcase@aama-ntl.org