Welcome to the next phase of TAFP’s governance and engagement reform initiative. We are thrilled to launch a new members-only online community, the TAFP Exchange. We intend this platform to supplement the enriching conversations and relationship building that happens at our live meetings and to keep you connected to your colleagues throughout the year. We’ve often said that one of our greatest services is connecting members to each other. You have so much knowledge and experience to share and together, you can help TAFP do great things for the specialty and the health of Texans. Dive in and start making connections, join communities, share resources, and more.
The first step is to log in. As a member, you are in the system with the email address that you have on file with TAFP as your username. The first time you visit the site, you’ll need to use the “reset password” option to create a password. Go to: https://exchange.tafp.org/HigherLogic/Security/ResetPassword.aspx. You’ll get an email with a link to create a password and then you’ll be redirected to a page to read and accept the terms of use.
Once you are logged in, go to My Profile, upload a profile photo, and fill in whatever information you are comfortable sharing. Note that only TAFP members and staff will have access to this site and the default setting is to not allow access to your street address, phone numbers or email address to anyone except members you accept as contacts. You can change those privacy settings to make your profile more or less visible. The contact information comes directly from the TAFP database and can’t be changed on this site. Just email atrevizo@tafp.org with any updates. Building out your profile will help other members find you and connect.
The platform is intended to connect members with similar interests and experiences. You can find communities for those interested in maternity care, research, and rural medicine. There is also a group to replace the Section on Special Constituencies for those interested in diversity and health equity. You can join those communities online now and start interacting with colleagues. Watch for more communities soon to connect with colleagues in similar practice situations and your local chapter. There is also an all member group and separate groups for medical student and resident members. If you are appointed to a TAFP council or committee, those groups will be able to communicate and collaborate through the site. If you are interested in the subject areas of the new councils, but not serving in an official capacity, we’ll have communities for that, too. The sky’s the limit and we’re open to suggestions of other communities.
Worried about the volume of email? You have power to set the frequency of emails. You can get a message every time someone posts to one of the communities you belong to, a daily digest, or no email. If you subscribe to multiple groups, you can set it up to send you one email a day with posts from all the communities.
I hope you bookmark exchange.tafp.org and take advantage of this amazing member benefit. I look forward to seeing you online!