Hospital companies in Texas, many of which collect millions in state and federal funds, operate with minimal public disclosure of deficiencies. The state keeps information on complaints and inspections largely private because influential health care corporations want it that way, and Texas legislators have obliged. As a result, it is…
The Texas Medical Board (TMB) is charged with licensing physicians and enforcing the Texas Medical Practices Act. During the 2007 session and interim, TMB has been under intense legislative scrutiny for administrative, enforcement, and licensure issues. Last session, lawmakers increased the agency’s appropriation by $3.4 million — to $18.4 million…
Medical malpractice reform enacted five years ago succeeded in cutting the number of lawsuits against doctors and increasing the number of physicians working in Texas. But state medical board investigators say it also left them with an unbearable workload. While the Texas Medical Board’s staffing increased 28 percent from 112…
There are 50 items on the nursing jurisprudence examination (NJE). You must correctly answer 75% of the questions to pass the NJE. You will have two (2) hours to complete the NJE. Displayed in the upper right hand corner of the computer screen will be a digital clock and the…
Rule Changes Adopted The board adopted the following rule changes that were published in the Texas Register: Chapter 163, Licensure, amendments to §163.5, Licensure Documentation. Chapter 165, Medical Records, amendments to §165.1, Medical Records; §165.5, Transfer and Disposal of Medical Records. Chapter 166, Physician Registration, amendments to§166.2, Continuing Medical Education;…
Since its last board meeting, the Texas Medical Board took disciplinary action against 59 licensed physicians. The actions included 13 violations based on quality of care; two actions based on unprofessional conduct; three actions based on violations of probation or prior orders; three actions based on other states’ actions; six…
A Florida man, who is suing two Broward County doctors for malpractice in a rare case allowing a punitive damages claim. The man claims his plastic surgeon later lied about his detached role in the botched surgery, created two sets of medical records to hide the truth and still billed…
A panel of the Texas Medical Board temporarily restricted the license of a doctor based in Conroe, after determining that the doctor’s unrestricted practice of medicine presents a continuing threat to the public welfare. The action was based on the panel’s findings that the doctor was responsible for violations in…
The U.S. government must pay $8.6 million in damages because a military doctor at Scott Air Force Base failed to diagnose a case of flesh-eating bacteria according to a federal magistrate judge’s ruling. The former wife of an Air Force captain, testified that she sought treatment at the base hospital…
More than a decade ago, Massachusetts became the first state to mandate its medical board to post physician profiles online. Patients could find a physician’s hospital affiliations, hospital and medical board disciplinary actions, medical malpractice payments and other data. The Massachusetts board’s idea to display physician data on an easily…