Gov. Rick Perry has named Kristin Benton of Austin chair of the Texas Board of Nursing, and appointed four members to the board for terms to expire Jan. 31, 2017. The board ensures licensed nurses in Texas meet the necessary requirements to practice, and oversees accreditation of schools of nursing.
Benton is an associate professor of [...]
The Board has created an Ad Hoc Committee on Physician Advertising. The members on the committee are Dr. Patrick Crocker will be chair. The members of the committee are Drs. McMichael, McNeese, Williford, Arambula, and Zeilter, as well as public members Turner, Southard, and Webb. This committee will first meet at the April Board meeting. [...]
The Board has a rule that strongly suggests that it a bad idea to treat family members. If elect to do so, you must do so as if you were treating a regular patient. This includes, full H&P, tests, medical records, everything you would do for a guy off the street.
However, there is a strict [...]
The Executive Director of the Texas Medical Board, Mari Robinson, reported that the Board is working with the Texas Physician Health Program (PHP) to administratively work with physicians who want to retire their medical license and avoid paying the $1200 fee to the PHP. The reason this has become an issue is that under some [...]
The Texas Physician Health Program (PHP) is continuing to grow. The Medical Director, Dr. Lloyd Garland reported to the Texas Medical Board that it has offered 364 monitoring agreements to date the nearly year the PHP has been operational. Of those contracts, 322 have been accepted. Additionally, there are 26 Physician Assistants enrolled in the [...]
The Executive Director of the Texas Medical Board, Mari Robinson, reported the Texas Medical Board is currently has 1341 open investigations. For fiscal year 2011, which started September 1, 2010, the Board has opened 617 investigations. Currently, she reports the Board is opening approximately 250 cases per month. This fiscal year, the Board has completed 992 investigations.
Ms. [...]
The Texas Medical Board announced Thursday that Linda Gage-White, M.D., will become Medical Director of the agency in mid-January.
Gage-White, an ear, nose and throat specialist, served on the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners from 2002 to 2010 as president, vice-president and as a member of the Licensure Committee and the Board’s Malpractice Committee.
“We’re [...]
Gov. Rick Perry has appointed Jeffrey Baker of League City to the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists for a term to expire Oct. 31, 2015. The board regulates the practice of psychology in the state of Texas.
Baker is a board certified clinical psychologist, and a professor and chief psychologist for the University of [...]
Very interesting article on the effects of malpractice reform in Texas. The story states the number of medical practice suits have fallen 60% and pay-outs cut by a third
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/us/19tttort.html?pagewanted=1&_r=4&sq=tort reform&st=cse&scp=1
Currently, there is no law that prohibits this practice. With the legislature coming to town, there may be a push by the Texas Medical Association to ban this practice, but I do not see the legislature doing so this session. There are too many other issues to tackle and it is anti-free market.
However, the Texas [...]