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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Dr. Josie R. Williams of Bryan recently completed |
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her distinguished tenure as the 143rd president of the Texas |
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Medical Association; and |
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WHEREAS, The largest state medical society in the United |
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States, TMA counts nearly 44,000 physicians and medical students as |
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members; its objective since 1853 has been to improve the health of |
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all Texans, and Dr. Williams demonstrated exceptional skill and |
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dedication in working toward this goal; after serving as |
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president-elect in 2007, she took office in 2008 and soon |
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thereafter directed the TMA Councils on Scientific Affairs and |
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Socioeconomics to conduct a case study on quality improvement and |
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patient safety initiatives in the Lone Star State; the report |
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profiled a dozen different programs being conducted in a variety of |
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practice settings; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition, Dr. Williams advocated forcefully for |
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expanding medical research, for instituting independent reviews of |
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insurance policy rescission, and for improving health care by |
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increasing the amount of quality time doctors spend with their |
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patients; under her direction, TMA launched a grassroots outreach |
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campaign, Patients' Right to Know, promoting greater transparency |
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and accountability in health insurance coverage; and |
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WHEREAS, This dynamic leader has served on numerous TMA |
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committees over the past 17 years, and joined the organization's |
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board of trustees in 2001; she has been a state delegate to the |
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American Medical Association since 1994 and has served as medical |
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director of the Texas Health Quality Alliance, as a member of the |
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National Patient Safety Foundation Board of Governors, and as a |
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trustee of the American Medical Association's Physician Consortium |
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for Performance Improvement; and |
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WHEREAS, Deeply committed to the medical field, Dr. Williams |
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began her career as a registered nurse in the United States Air |
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Force; she began serving as a surgical ward nurse at Ellsworth Air |
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Force Base in South Dakota in 1962 and went on to become chief nurse |
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at Bergstrom Air Force Base in Austin, where she received a medal of |
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commendation; she earned her medical degree in 1975 from The |
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University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Medical |
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School and also holds a master's degree in medical management and is |
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a certified physician executive; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Williams serves on the faculty of The Texas A&M |
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University System Health Science Center College of Medicine as an |
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assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, and she |
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directs the school's Rural and Community Health Institute and the |
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Institute for Healthcare Evaluation; the former director of the |
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Quality and Patient Safety program at the health science center, |
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she enjoys national recognition as an expert in measuring quality |
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of care; and |
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WHEREAS, Josie Williams has guided the Texas Medical |
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Association with remarkable vision and a tireless commitment to her |
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profession and to the well-being of her fellow citizens, and it is |
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indeed a pleasure to recognize her for her outstanding leadership; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor Josie R. Williams for her contributions as |
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president of the Texas Medical Association and extend to her best |
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wishes for continued success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Dr. Williams as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |
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Truitt |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 2535 was adopted by the House on May |
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31, 2009, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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