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IN THE NEWSVol. 67 %u2022 No. 5 %u2022 May 2025%u2022President%u2019s Page -- The HCMS Physicians%u2019 Hospital Survey is here %u2013 Complete yours TODAY-- page 2%u2022Employment & Staffing Services: We%u2019ve got what you need -- page 3%u2022Plenty of HCMS/TMA resources for physician staff too -- page 3%u2022HCMS Women Physicians Section - Upcoming event -- page 4%u2022Be prepared for the next disaster -- page 4%u2022Record licensure numbers show steady workforce progress -- page 5%u2022Valuable Tools and Resources -- page 5%u2022Are you billing for Advanced Practice Providers (APP) services correctly? -- page 6%u2022Don%u2019t miss out on important news -- page 6%u2022Have a STEM adventure at The Health Museum! -- page 6%u2022HCMS Women Physicians show support at The Arts of Healing Women in Medicine Fashion Show -- page 7%u2022Key Performance Indicators %u2013 the key to success -- page 7%u2022Safe Harbor counseling sessions are not reportable -- page 7%u2022Calendar -- page 8%u2022Branch photos -- page 8%u2022HCMS webpage spotlight: Communicating with patients who are deaf or hearing impaired -- page 8%u2022Classifieds -- page 9Physicians flock to Austin to protect patients Dr. Dwane Broussard, HCMS president (left), walks with physicians from across Texas to the State Capitol to testify against SB3055 on May 1. Photos provided by TMA. In a last-minute effort to secure independent practice for nurse practitioners, State Sen. Mayes Middleton (R - Galveston) obtained special approval to file a late bill%u2014Senate Bill 3055%u2014in the Texas Senate. The bill received a hearing on May 1, prompting the Texas Medical Association (TMA) and county medical societies to call on physicians to travel to the Capitol and testify in opposition to legislation they believe would fundamentally disrupt healthcare delivery in Texas. More than 50 physicians from across the state testified at the 7-hour hearing, some waiting until 8:30 p.m. for their chance to speak. Although nurse practitioner representatives argued the bill would not expand their scope of practice, the legislation explicitly grants full independent practice authority%u2014including prescriptive authority%u2014and directs the Texas Board of Nursing to draft new rules governing medical practice by nurses. Physician advocates testified before the Senate State Affairs Committee that, while nurse practitioners are a vital part of the healthcare team, their training does not adequately prepare them to provide unsupervised primary care. They emphasized the importance of physician-led, team-based care to ensure patient safety and quality outcomes. TMA and HCMS remain actively engaged in opposing SB 3055 as it moves through the Legislature. Please watch your inbox for action alerts requesting that you contact your local legislators.