Mega Doctor News
These practices suffered extensive water damage that in most cases required remodeling, repairs, relocation to temporary facilities, and replacement of equipment.
In two rounds of application reviews, the Disaster Relief Fund has awarded a total of $424,590 to 37 practices throughout federally designated disaster areas, including Beaumont, Columbus, Houston, Orange, Aransas Pass, and Victoria. The practices employ 116 physicians and 967 nonphysician staff.
The TMA Disaster Relief Program has collected almost $1 million in donations to help physicians whose practices sustained physical, Harvey-related damage not covered by insurance or other sources of assistance.
Funds have come from generous physicians and other donors throughout Texas and the United States as well as The Physicians Foundation; the American Medical Association; the medical societies of California, Massachusetts, Louisiana, Rhode Island, and Harris County; and New York’s Henry Schein Cares Foundation. You can still make a tax-deductible donation online.
Assistance is available for practices in FEMA-declared counties that sustained uninsured, underinsured, or nonreimbursable property damage and that do not have adequate funding to cover the damage. This includes relocating or rehabilitating their medical office, replacing equipment, rebuilding patient records, and paying temporary operating expenses, including rent for temporary offices and other working capital requirements.
To be eligible, applicants:
- Must be licensed physicians practicing in Texas,
- May apply only once per disaster, and
- May amend previously submitted applications if additional information becomes available.
Apply for disaster relief assistance online while funds are available. Applications and proof of insurance claim (if applicable) must be remitted and are limited to one application per practice.
A special committee of the TMA Physicians Benevolent Fund, chaired by Immediate TMA Past President Don R. Read, MD, of Dallas, is reviewing the applications monthly to determine assistance amounts based on need.
Contact TMA by email with your questions regarding the program or if you need help completing the application.
