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- A strong and fair Texas Medical Board (TMB) protects the patients of Texas.
- A strong and fair TMB upholds high ethical and professional standards for physicians.
- A strong and fair TMB helps to preserve the significant health care tort reforms enacted in 2003.
- A strong and fair TMB maintains the professional image of all Texas physicians.
BACKGROUND
Over the past decade, the TMB has frequently lacked the resources to do its job appropriately. As a result, obtaining a license took far too long, and egregious cases of physician misconduct went unaddressed. At the same time, some physicians complained that they were the victims of unfair prosecution for minor violations.
TMB leaders recognized these problems. They worked with responsible legislators, the Texas Medical Association, and others to make necessary changes. Additional changes are needed … and coming.
THE TORT REFORM CONNECTION
In 2003, TMA lobbied for passage of Senate Bill 104 as an important piece of health care liability reforms. That law strengthened the board’s enforcement capabilities and directed TMB to focus on quality of care cases and allegations of sexual misconduct, and improved the initial process of review by funding expert physician panels.
A strong and fair TMB will ensure that citizens will justifiably have continued confidence in their treating physicians. It is a lynchpin to maintaining public support of a regulatory, rather than lawsuit-driven, framework for physician oversight and for ensuring a competent, highly qualified physician work force.
NECESSARY CHANGES
TMA conducted a comprehensive review of TMB disciplinary activities, and shared our findings and recommendations with the Legislature and TMB leaders. As a result, TMB stopped publicizing in its newsletter the names of physicians who committed minor administrative violations. TMA continues to push TMB to give more detailed information, in plain language to physicians accused of violating the Medical Practice Act.
TMA has consistently lobbied for increases in the agency’s appropriation so it could better manage a huge backlog of license applications. TMB has since cut average processing time for a new license to less than 51 days. The agency has also initiated an online application to further speed up the licensure process.
MORE TO COME
In the 2009 Texas Legislature, TMA is fighting hard for additional improvements. These include:
- Curtailing the practice of accepting anonymous complaints against physicians.
- Requiring TMB and other licensing boards to abide by State Office of Administrative Hearings decisions in disciplinary matters.
- Increasing the time a physician has to reply to a Board inquiry.
- Appropriating adequate funding to the TMB for licensure processing and enforcement without an increase in licensure fees.
Problems? Concerns? Suggestions? Go to the TMA Web site’s Feedback Form on the TMB
Last Published: 3/22/2009 Print this page
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