Texas Medical Board Disciplines 45 Physicians

The Texas Medical Board announced it’s taking action against dozens of doctors across the state who’ve failed patients in one way or another.

The agency releases a roundup every quarter, and the latest one lists 45 physicians , including three who had their licenses revoked.

The offenses include: pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, not releasing medical records in a timely manner, pleading guilty to driving while intoxicated and using another name to work more than 80 hours per week.

“The board is very thorough and can be very unforgiving,” said Dr. Jesse Moss, Jr., a surgeon and former chairman of the Texas Medical Association Board of Councilors, which works closely with TMB and the Texas board exam . He’s also a past president of the Bexar County Medical Society.

The Board found Dr. Kolawole Odulaja, who practices geriatrics in San Antonio, “prescribed controlled substances nontherapeutically to a patient.” The agency entered into an agreement with him, “publicly reprimanding Dr. Odulaja and requiring him to have his practice monitored by another physician for 16 consecutive monitoring cycles.” He must also take a medical exam, complete 48 hours of coursework and pay an administrative penalty of $5,000.

A message left at his office was not returned Thursday. The office of his legal counsel, Bruce Anderson, said Odulaja had no comment.


Read More: https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/texas-medical-board-disciplines-45-physicians

Full Texas Medical Exam License

The Texas Medical Board issues a full unrestricted medical license to qualified physicians to practice medicine in Texas and cleared the Texas Medical Exam.  Applicants who do not qualify for a full medical license may qualify for a limited license or permit.  The Licensure Department of the Texas Medical Board is committed to furthering the mission of the Board by ensuring quality healthcare for the citizens of Texas by upholding the standards set in statute and Board Rule, and by efficiently processing licensure applications.

Before You Apply

Individuals considering applying for a full medical license should check the website for more information about eligibility, the application process, and the required documentation and fees before submitting their applications.  Please note that Texas has a two-step application process – screening and licensing.  During screening, the applicant’s documents are collected and the applicant will be updated as to which documents have been received and are missing through the Licensure Inquiry System of Texas (LIST) .  Only after all the documents have been received is the application considered complete and the licensing step may begin.  During licensing, a licensure analyst will review and verify all the information contained in the application and the supporting documentation.  More information will be requested by a licensure analyst if the previously submitted documentation is not complete and/or contains errors.

Read More: http://www.tmb.state.tx.us/page/full-medical-license

Texas medical board rejects rule restricting ‘distance’ counseling

After receiving overwhelming opposition from counselors, a Texas regulatory board scrapped a proposed rule Wednesday that would have required an in-person session before a physician could provide “distance” services, such as a video call. It will be applicable to all the physicians who passed the Texas board exam to get their license.

In addition, the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors said it didn’t see problems indicating the rule was needed, said Steven Christopherson, chairman of the board’s rules committee.

“We haven’t really seen a pattern of complaints,” he told the board. “Show us a pattern of complaints, we’ll show you a rule.”

The rules committee took up the rule earlier in the day and agreed it wasn’t needed. “There’s very little support for this rule,” Christopherson said at that meeting. The Texas Medical Board pointed out that not allowing the use of technology for counseling clients in rural areas where health professionals are sparse could cause fewer people to seek help.

The rule was proposed for safety reasons, so physicians could get a better handle on who they are treating, he told the Statesman. It was similar to a rule proposed three years ago and withdrawn in the face of strong opposition.

Using technology to provide medical and counseling services at a distance, often with the provider in an office and the patient at home, is accelerating nationally, with many private insurers covering the care. But physician and mental health providers of what is called telemedicine, or telehealth, said Texas boards are moving against the tide.


Read More: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/texas-board-rejects-rule-restricting-distance-coun/nqcLX/

Texas Medical Board & Exam

The mission of the Texas Medical Board is to protect the public’s health, safety, and welfare by establishing and maintaining standards of excellence used in regulating the practice of medicine and ensuring quality health care for the citizens of Texas through license, discipline, and education.

Texas Board Exam provides health care professionals (especially physicians) an online test of the core material (like the In-Training Examination or In Training Exam) provided by the Texas Medical Board on the Texas Medical Jurisprudence Examination required for medical licensure. This exam will strengthen medico-legal knowledge .

Board certified physicians focus their practice in a particular specialty of medicine. A board certified physician takes the same route to achieve a medical degree as a doctor who's not board certified. The difference happens after the physician has received her medical degree and license. The board certified physician continues her education and volunteers to take the certifying board’s examination. Board certified status serves as a great marketing tool for the physician operating his small business.

Read More:  http://www.pearsonvue.com/tx/medicalboard/

The Texas Medical Board Meeting 2014

At its Aug. 29, 2014 meeting, the Texas Medical Board  disciplined 41 licensed physicians and issued three cease and desist orders.

The disciplinary actions included seven orders related to quality of care violations, three orders related to unprofessional conduct, three revocations, seven voluntary surrenders, four suspensions, one order related to peer review actions, two orders related to other states’ actions, two orders related to nontherapeutic prescribing, three orders related to inappropriate prescribing, four orders related to violation of prior board order, one order related to violation of Board rules, one order related to Texas Physician Health Program violations, and three orders related to inadequate medical records. The Board also took disciplinary action against two pain management clinics and a surgical assistant.

The Board issued 244 physician licenses at the August meeting after the Texas board exam , bringing the total number of physician licenses issued in FY14 to 3,994 (for the EM physicians who passed the In-service Exam or Inservice Examination) .

The Texas Medical Board is the state agency mandated to regulate the practice of medicine by M.D.'s and D.O.'s in Texas. It is located in Austin, Texas, and consists of 12 physician members and seven public members appointed for a six-year term by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The full Board is required to meet at least four times a year, but customarily convenes five times a year. Typical Board business includes interviewing licensure candidates, considering disciplinary matters and adopting substantive and procedural rules. Additionally, Board committees address a variety of important issues.


Reference: http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/ranch/news/texas-medical-board-disciplines-physicians-at-august-meeting/article_40d481bb-714c-506b-93ff-8f4b4e0a1b6a.html

Texas Medical Board Adopts Rules Required by SB 406 to Ease Supervision of PAs and APRNs

The 83rd Texas Legislature passed legislation to simplify the process by which physicians supervise and delegate to Physician Assistants (PAs) and Advance Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs). This article summarizes the rules recently adopted by the Texas Medical Board (TMB) to implement SB 406 (83R). The major changes effectuated by these rules are the removal of site-based restrictions and the addition of prescriptive authority agreements, whereby physicians can more effectively engage PAs and APRNs in collaborative practice. These are very important points for the physicians taking the Texas board exam.

New Terms and Phrases.  The final rules scrap the definition for Medically Underserved Area and instead define a practice serving a medically underserved population. Other defined terms and phrases shift the focus of the rules governing delegation:  hospital, medication order, physician group practice, prescriptive authority agreement, device, and facility-based practice site, to highlight a few. The final rules do not change the definition for a standing delegation order, except to point out that a standing delegation order and a prescriptive authority agreement are separate and distinct as defined by the rule.

Expanded Delegation of Prescribing and Ordering Drugs and Devices.  Under SB 406, physicians may now delegate the prescribing or ordering of Schedule II controlled substances in a hospital facility-based practice, consistent with hospital policy, if the patient has been admitted to the hospital for 24 hours or longer or if the patient is receiving services in the emergency department. Physicians may also delegate the prescribing of Schedule II drugs as part of a plan of care for a terminal patient receiving hospice treatment from a qualified hospice provider. Otherwise, the final rule retains the current limits on a physician’s authority to delegate the prescribing or ordering of a drug or device.




Reference:
http://www.wallerlaw.com/News-Events/Bulletins/118502/Texas-Medical-Board-Adopts-Rules-Required-by-SB-406-to-Ease-Supervision-of-PAs-and-APRNs

Governor Perry Appoints Eight to Texas Medical Board

Gov. Rick Perry has appointed eight members to the Texas Medical Board. The Texas Medical Board is the state agency mandated to regulate the practice of medicine in Texas through Texas Board Exam and consists of 12 physician members and seven public members appointed for a six-year term by the governor.

A prominent Indian American heart surgeon has been appointed to this board. Dr. Devinder Bhatia of Houston has been appointed to the Texas Medical Board for a six-year term along with seven others.

Dr. Bhatia is a board certified thoracic surgeon and president of Southeast Texas Cardiovascular P.A. He is a former clinical assistant professor in the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery. He is a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Society for Vascular Surgery, and Southern Thoracic Surgical Association. He is also a member of the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society, Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey International Surgical Society, and Houston Northwest Medical Center Executive Committee. Bhatia received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas and a medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and completed his cardiothoracic and peripheral vascular surgery fellowships at Carolinas Medical Center. He is appointed for a term to expire on April 13, 2019.


Reference:
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/ranch/news/gov-perry-appoints-eight-to-texas-medical-board/article_5668f36b-1602-5ab5-bac4-d5a2ff63f315.html

Texas Medical Board Disciplines 53 physicians

At its Feb. 7-8, 2013 meeting, the Texas Medical Board disciplined 53 licensed physicians and issued one cease and desist order. The disciplinary actions included one automatic suspension, eight voluntary surrenders/revocations and nineteen orders related to quality-of-care violations.

The Texas Medical Board issued 81 physician licenses at the Feb. board meeting after the Texas Board Exam, bringing the total number of physician licenses issued to date in FY 13 to 1,228. Thirty-two percent of physician licensure applications were completed in 10 days or less.

Disciplinary Actions to a Few Doctors:

Benavides, Richard Alex, M.D., Lic. No. F9189, Dallas

On Feb. 8, 2013, the board and Richard Alex Benavides, M.D., entered into an Agreed Order requiring Dr. Benavides to complete within one year 24 hours of CME including 16 hours in medical record-keeping and eight hours in risk management and pay an administrative penalty of $1,000 within 60 days. The board found Dr. Benavides failed to meet the standard of care and was disciplined by his peers for failure to maintain adequate and timely medical records.

Brooks, George Alfred, M.D., Lic. No. G4862, Humble

On Feb. 8, 2013, the Texas medical board and George Alfred Brooks, M.D., entered into an Agreed Order publicly reprimanding Dr. Brooks and requiring Dr. Brooks to cease treating chronic pain patients, surrender his DEA and DPS controlled substance certificates, within one year complete 24 hours of CME including eight hours in medical record-keeping, eight hours in identifying drug-seeking behavior and eight hours in risk management and pay an administrative penalty of $10,000 within 90 days. The board found Dr. Brooks failed to meet the standard of care and non-therapeutically prescribed controlled substances to multiple patients.

Reade the Full Article Here: http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/dayton/news/texas-medical-board-disciplines-physicians/article_c1dfafa4-061d-5818-919c-cd2ed0c24d11.html

Mandatory Service Requirement in Texas Medical Board

Effective 9/1/12, physician licensure applicants for Texas BoardExam who are not citizens, permanent residents or conditional permanent residents of the United States will be required to practice full time, for three years, in a medically underserved area (MUA), a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) in Texas, or at a Texas institution that maintains a graduate medical education program. This is authorized by Section §155.0045 of the Medical Practice Act, Texas Occupation Code.
Applicants who either practiced medicine in Texas prior to 9/1/12, for at least one year, under a postgraduate training permit, temporary license, or limited license; or who submitted an initial application for full licensure from Texas Medical Board prior to 9/1/12, will be exempt from this requirement.
Full time practice is defined as a minimum of 20 hours a week for 40 weeks duration in a given year. 

• Are you a US citizen, permanent resident, or conditional permanent resident?
  See Acceptable Documents to Show Proof of Citizenship/Resident Status.
• Did you practice under a PIT, FTL, or limited license for one year?
  Submit the Exemption Form.
• Did you submit an application for full licensure prior to 9/1/12?
  Submit the Exemption Form.
• If you will have to fulfill the mandatory service requirement,
  submit the Affidavit of Agreement for Mandatory Service.

In Medicaid Fraud Investigations, a Controversial Tool

When it comes to finding cost savings in the state’s unwieldy Medicaid program, the Health and Human Services Commission’s Office of Inspector General (of Texas Medical Board) gets high marks. 

The division of the Texas Medical Board, charged with investigating fraud among health providers paid to treat poor children and the disabled, has dramatically increased both its caseload and the potential monetary returns associated with it over the last fiscal year, a spike that has won rave reviews from budget-weary state lawmakers and has cast Texas’ innovative enforcement team into the national spotlight.

“The message to those providers out there who see the Medicaid program as an ATM, who use it to make monthly withdrawals to buy jets and $8 million houses, is that there’s a different inspector general’s office now,” said Jack Stick, HHSC’s deputy inspector general. “We have an amazingly dedicated staff that’s working until 10, 11, 12 at night, every night, because they’re excited about catching these guys.”

Read the full story here: http://www.texastribune.org/texas-health-resources/medicaid/medicaid-fraud-investigations-controversial-tool/

Texas Medical Board Approves Rules for Controversial Treatment

The Texas Medical Board consists of 12 physician members and seven public members appointed for six-year term by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The full Board convenes five times a year. Typical Texas Medical Board business includes interviewing licensure candidates, considering disciplinary matters and adopting substantive and procedural rules. Additionally, Board committees address a variety of important issues.
Last week, the Texas Medical Board signed off on what's said to be the first state-level policy imposing oversight on experimental treatments using adult stem cells. The scientific community has mixed views on whether this is a good way to raise standards. Some experts say the rule will allow unscrupulous doctors to avoid U.S. Food and Drug Administration reviews. But others say it's a good-faith effort to bring oversight to controversial treatments that clinics around the world offer for diseases including arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
Researchers say the evidence of success of stem cell injections is anecdotal, and they advocate waiting for clinical trial results before allowing physicians to charge patients — typically tens of thousands of dollars — for the procedures.
The new guidelines allow for stem cell procedures as long as they are done for research and receive approval from an institutional review board, which can be private and for-profit. The rules also require that patients sign informed consent forms.

Some Notes on Texas Medical Board Exam for Jurisprudence License

All physicians licensed to practice medicine in Texas must pass an examination on Texas Medical Jurisprudence by Texas Medical Board. This examination, currently given to over 2,000 applicants each year, consists of 50 multiple-choice questions prepared by the Texas Medical Board (TMB). The questions are selected from legal topics listed in “Summary of Texas Statutes Relating to Physicians,” a pamphlet published by the Texas Medical Board. The examination covers primarily statutory rather than case law, but a few questions cover well-established legal doctrines derived from court decisions.

The Study Guide published by Texas Medical Board provides a summary of most Texas medical law covered on the Texas Medical Jurisprudence Examination. Each section of the Study Guide contains an introductory explanation of the significance of the area of law described. When reading summaries of law (which is tedious as well as technical), it is easy amidst the trees to lose sight of the forest. The introductions serve as reminders about the purposes of the laws.

Want to pass the JP test?

The what? That’s right the JP test ? Also known as the Texas Jurisprudence exam. The JP exam is mandatory for physicians who would like to practice is the State of Texas. In fact the Texas Medical Board website provides the full details of the requirements to practice in Texas along with the requirements of the jurisprudence examination. A sure-fire way to pass the Texas Jurisprudence Test seems to be the online course that is now being offered. With over a 1000 doctors using this course

Tips and Techniques for Passing the Texas JP Exam

TexasJurisprudencePrep.com has been assisting hundreds of doctors in passing the Texas Medical Jurisprudence Examination . This online JP prep course succeeds on many levels. First of all, since it is an online course it is constantly updated to reflect that latest changes in the JP exam. On top of that there is a continuous feedback loop between the doctors taking the JP test and the faculty at TexasJurisprudencePrep.com.

Based on the feedback from doctors taking the Jurisprudence Exam , the key success factor for passing the exam, is taking the JP quizzes , as this prepares you for the actual test taking experience. The questions are multiple choice . It goes with out saying that adequate preparation of course materials is required prior to taking the JP quizzes.

Common Questions Regarding the TX JP Examination

1. Why do I need to take the Texas Jurisprudence test ?

A: For a Physicans who want to practice in the state of Texas, you will require a Texas Medical License . The TX Jurisprudence examination is a requirement for the Texas medical license, which is essentially to protect the citizens of Texas by establishing that newly licensed physicians have demonstrated competent knowledge of law and Board rule related to the practice of medicine.

2. When can I take the JP exam?
A: The Jurisprudence exam can be taken once the Physician has filed their application for licensure which is essentially a form and fees. You will then receive a scheduling permit from the board staff.
3. Where can I take the Texas Medical Board exam ?
There are testing locations throughout the United States.

Texas Physician Jurisprudence Exam Preparation

Preparing for the Texas Jurisprudence Exam need not be a painful experience. With an online sample quiz you can prepare easily. In addition for a more thorough preparation you can purchase an Online Texas Jurisprudence preparation course . This not only cuts down on your preparation time but also allows you to confidently sit for your JP exam . When you are ready to sit for the exam visit the Texas Medical Board website and arrange your date.

Texas Medical Jurisprudence Examination

Learn more about the Texas Medical Jurisprudence Examination today. Some basic information is as follows:

What are the requirements for the Jurisprudence exam - JP Exam?

All applicants are required to pass the Texas Medical Jurisprudence Examination in three attempts with a score of 75 or better. The Medical Exam can be scheduled once you have filed an application for licensure i.e. forms and fees, and have received a scheduling permit from board staff.