TAFPPAC gears up for family medicine
in 2010 election cycle

posted 01.14.10

With the commencement of the 2010 primary and general election season and another legislative session on the horizon, it’s time to get involved in the political process. The Texas Academy of Family Physicians Political Action Committee is ready to help you join the fight.

With several seats opening up in the Texas Legislature, Texas family physicians have a unique opportunity to rally behind candidates supportive of our patients and our practices. This election cycle, at least three physicians are running for office.

Sen. Bob Deuell, M.D., R-Greenville, a family physician, is running for re-election in Senate District 2. In his tenure in the Senate, Deuell was instrumental in the passage of medical liability reform, he passed patient protection legislation to hold health plans accountable for their actions, and he has been an unwavering champion to stop scope of practice expansion efforts by non-physician providers. He is a past recipient of the TAFP Patient Advocacy Award. For more information on how to support Sen. Deuell, visit his campaign website at www.bobdeuell.org.

Martin Basaldua, M.D., a family physician in Kingwood, is running for the Republican nomination for House District 127. His campaign builds on 26 years of involvement in his community as a family physician, community leader, and elected official. Basaldua is a co-founder and former chief of staff of the Kingwood Medical Center. He was appointed by Gov. George W. Bush as vice-chair of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to the Joint Committee for Higher Education. He was also elected to the Board of the North Montgomery Community College District. For more information on Basaldua’s campaign, go to www.votedrb.com or call (832) 687-5810.

Finally, Charles Schwertner, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon from Georgetown, is running for the Republican nomination for House District 20. Schwertner is the president of the Williamson County Medical Society, and his wife is a local OB/GYN. Both are graduates of the University of Texas Medical Branch. His campaign finance chairman is TAFP past-president Stephen Benold, M.D., of Georgetown. Learn more about Schwertner and his campaign by visiting his website, www.DrSchwertner.com, or calling his campaign hotline at (512) 863-4563.

The first steps in advocating for your specialty are to join TAFPPAC and become a Key Contact to foster relationships with your elected representatives. Find out more about TAFPPAC and donate through the TAFPPAC website, and sign up to be a Key Contact. For more about how you can get involved in protecting your profession, contact TAFP CEO Tom Banning at (512) 329-8666 or tbanning@tafp.org.