History

Texas Society for Gastroenterology and Endoscopy is a statewide professional association for physicians. The TSGE was founded in 1976 and it thrives today with almost 800 members. TSGE’s primary roles are:  1) physician medical education and 2) advocacy on behalf of patients.

The TSGE annual meeting provides continuing medical education for both physicians, APPs and nurses each September. The high quality of this meeting rivals that of national GI meetings.

The Society supports GI Fellows by hosting a practice management symposium for them, as well as travel stipends to the Annual Meeting.

The TSGE has worked diligently for years to protect and enhance patient care via the Texas Legislature. Some successes include:

  • Passed SB1467 in 2001 (colon cancer screening mandate).
  • Prevented the bill from later being gutted (2003).
  • Supported liability caps that led to tort reform in Texas (2003).
  • Defended outpatient facilities and rights of physician ownership (2005 - present).
  • Planning NOW for the 2011 legislative session to protect the interests of physicians and patients.

purposes:

  • To further knowledge of gastroenterology and gastrointestinal disease;
  • To further teaching of gastroenterology and gastrointestinal endoscopic methods of examination and to establish the proper use of these methods;
  • To establish and improve standards of care and skill in the board field of gastroenterology and gastrointestinal endoscopy.

The TSGE has worked diligently for years to protect and enhance patient care via the Texas Legislature. Some recent successes during legislative sessions include:

  • Defeated legislation aiming to expand the scope of practice by allowing APRNs to practice independently, including diagnosing and prescribing after 2,080 hours under a physician.
  • Passed legislation mandating utilization reviews be conducted by a physician that is of the same or a similar specialty as the provider under review.
  • Assisted in crafting legislation to reduce surprise medical billing by requiring baseball-style arbitration for most surprise medical bills and removing the patient from the billing dispute and resolution process. 
  • Secured record funding for Graduate Medical Education, which will ensure there are enough residency positions for each Texas medical school graduate.
  • Supported legislation raising the minimum age to purchase cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and tobacco products to 21 years of age.  
  • Worked to pass a law that allows for the renewal of a preauthorization for a medical or healthcare service if it expires before the patient receives the service or procedure.