Texas has eased licensing requirements for foreign-trained doctors to address a projected physician shortage, allowing them to practice after supervised work in underserved areas, aiming to increase healthcare access in rural and underserved communities.
The Indiana medical licensing board has reprimanded and fined obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Caitlin Bernard for violating privacy laws by giving a reporter information about a 10-year-old rape victim. However, representatives of the medical community nationwide, including the American Medical Association and HIPAA author Donna Shalala, believe Bernard did not violate any laws and that the decision will have a chilling effect on those involved with patient care. Bernard's employers, IU Health and Planned Parenthood, have come to her defense, and the board has 90 days to finalize its decision.
An OB-GYN who performed an abortion on a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim in Indiana has been fined and reprimanded by the Indiana medical board for violating patient privacy laws by discussing the case. The case became a political flashpoint, with Indiana Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita filing a complaint against the doctor. Physicians worry that the decision will have a chilling effect on patient advocacy that conflicts with state lawmakers' political agendas, and that it sets a dangerous precedent for medical licensing and advocacy in general.