Advocating for children doesn't stop with the end of the legislative session. TPS remains active during the interim by implementing legislation, commenting on proposed rules and providing interim testimony.
TPS Interim Actions
85th Session Interim Charges
Each interim, the Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the House assign interim charges for Senate and House Committees to study. See below for assigned topics, many of which relate to the health and wellbeing of Texas children:
- Senate Hurricane Harvey Interim Charges
- House Hurricane Harvey Interim Charges
- Senate Interim Charges, Part 1 and Part 2
- House Interim Charges
Texas Immunization Policy Education Project
Immunization advocacy is core staple of the Texas Pediatric Society. In order to have meaningful conversations about the merits of immunization and public health policy at the Texas Capitol, Texas pediatricians feel a base level of factual knowledge is necessary among decision makers. To this end, we've partnered with The Immunization Partnership and Methodist Healthcare Ministries to do a 3-part educational series on immunizations for legislators and their staff.
- “The Basics: Immunization Recommendations and Law” - February 27, 2018
- Participants learned about the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule, how and why the schedule is created, and the intersection between recommendations, law, and public health.
- Allison Winnike, JD is President & CEO of the Immunization Partnership. She also serves as Adjunct Professor for the University of Houston Law Center’s Health Law & Policy Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, and is a Fellow for the Texas A&M University Bush School of Government & Public Service Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs.
- Immunization Recommendations and Law PowerPoint Presentation
- Vaccine Myths Debunked Fact Sheet
- "Movie and a Meal: NOVA Special - Calling the Shots” - April 3, 2018
- The Nova Special, "Calling the Shots", was screened for attendees with an expert panel of pediatricians following to answer questions and provide specific Texas examples of what was discussed in the documentary.
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Susan Wootton, MD, FAAP completed her pediatric residency at the University of Virginia. She served as an Epidemic Intelligence Officer with the CDC for 2 years after which time she completed her pediatric infectious disease fellowship at Texas Children's Hospital and post-doctoral fellowship in Vaccinology at the University of British Columbia's Vaccine Evaluation Center in Vancouver, B.C. Since joining the McGovern Medical School, Dr. Wootton has been involved in all levels of teaching, clinical care and has received multiple research awards. Her research focuses primarily on vaccine-preventable infections and vaccine delivery. She currently serves as Board Member of the Texas Pediatric Society (TPS) and Co-Chair for the TPS Infectious Disease Committee, as well as Board Member for The Immunization Partnership.
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Ari Brown, MD, FAAP is a pediatrician, author, child health advocate, and a mom. A Harvard-trained pediatrician, she has been in private practice for over 20 years and is the Founder and CEO of 411 Pediatrics and After Hours Care in Austin, TX. But her passion to educate families about children’s health goes beyond the office. She is the author of the bestselling “411” parenting book series including Baby 411: Clear Answers and Smart Advice for your Baby’s First Year, Expecting 411, and Toddler 411. She is a trusted voice for children’s health, serving as a medical advisor for Parents Magazine and a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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"Community Immunity: What it is and what does it mean to your district?"
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Examples of vaccine preventable diseases, like measles, making a comeback are becoming all too frequent. Through a model simulation using Texas immunizations rates, participants learned about the impact of community immunity and how without it outbreaks can take their toll on specific Texas legislative districts.
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Mark S. Roberts, MD, MPP is Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and is professor of Medicine, Industrial Engineering and Clinical and Translational Science. He directs of the Public Health Dynamics Laboratory, a mathematical modeling group in the Graduate School of Public Health. He has applied the methods of decision sciences, simulation and modeling to health care decisions, cost-effectiveness analysis and the delivery of care for the past 30 years, published over 170 peer-reviewed papers, and been funded on over 40 federally funded grants.
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Modeling Measles Vaccination in Texas PowerPoint Presentation
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