Background reading. (Spree: Houston surgeon has license revoked and $800+K fine imposed by Texas State Board of Medical Examiners on the basis of 169 violations of proper patient care they found in an examination of Scheffey patient records. Largest fine in TSBME history. There have been over 60 lawsuits against physician, and he's been under investigation by the TSBME on and off for 20 years. That said, he was the highest paid physician in the Texas Worker Compensation program in 2002 ($3.3M), though he was later barred from the program for inadequate patient care.)
Three thoughts.
1.) The TSBME is under sunset review this session. The TMA is none too happy with it right now, and will be lobbying hard to lessen it's power. I think that we're going to see a lot more action that garners public support for the TSBME in the legislative session. If I were a physician with a documented history of inadequate patient care, a lot of lawsuits or some pissed off family members/colleagues, I'd be running scared this session.
2.) I also imagine that the TMA and its constituency are thinking hard now about tort reform. I'd much rather be sued than have my license revoked. Obviously, the insurance industry is looking at this a little differently. I've talked to some physicians since Prop 12 (tort reform) passed, and they mentioned that they didn't realize that one of the effects would be that pissed off patients' only recourse would be to go to the TSBME with their complaints.
3.) Someone needs to figure out why the Texas Workers Compensation Commission kept on sending patients to this guy, why he was credentialled, and how on earth he managed to get any malpractice insurance. He's been sued over 60 times and investigated by the TSBME and the hospital still kept him on the medical staff? The National Practitioner Data Bank has been around for years now, and hospitals as a matter of record should consult the data bank before granting privileges to providers. All sorts of red flags should have gone off over this guy. I'd be gearing up for a massive negligent credentialing lawsuit if I were a hospital where he has been granted privileges.
