Texas Register

TITLE 22 EXAMINING BOARDS
PART 9TEXAS MEDICAL BOARD
CHAPTER 178COMPLAINTS
RULE §178.4Complaint Initiation
ISSUE 04/03/2020
ACTION Emergency
Rule Withdrawn: 04/22/2020
Preamble Texas Admin Code Rule

(a)A complainant may initiate a complaint by submitting the information concerning the complaint to the board. This information should include at a minimum:

  (1)The name and contact information of the complainant;

  (2)The name of the licensee against who the complaint is filed;

  (3)The time and place of the alleged violation of the Act; and

  (4)If applicable, the name and birth date of the patient who the physician has allegedly harmed.

(b)The board may file a complaint on its own initiative.

(c)The identity of a complainant, as well as the complaint itself, is part of the investigative information gathered by board employees and shall remain confidential. All complaints must provide sufficient information to identify the source or the name of the person who filed the complaint. Confidentiality shall be waived only by a written statement of the complainant specifically waiving confidentiality or by the complainant testifying in a contested case hearing. Notwithstanding the previous provisions, the name and address of an insurance agent, insurer, pharmaceutical company or third-party administrator that files a complaint against a physician shall be reported to the subject physician within 15 days of receipt by the board, unless the notice would jeopardize an investigation.

(d)A peer review committee, licensee, and all other groups named in §§160.003, 204.208, 205.304, and 206.159 of the Act shall report relevant information to the board relating to the acts of the licensee in this state if, in their opinion, that licensee poses a continuing threat to the public welfare through the licensee's continued practice. The report shall include a narrative statement describing the time, date, and place of the acts or omissions on which the report is based; and it shall be made to the board as soon as possible after the threat is identified and the relevant information can be assembled. Pursuant to Executive Order GA 09, and not withstanding any other statute, rule or provision concerning timing or when a report must be made to the Board, any peer review committee, licensee, and other group, entity, or person named in §§160.003, 204.208, 205.304, and 206.159 of the Act shall be immediately required to report any physician scheduling to perform, preparing to perform, performing, or who has performed a non-urgent elective surgery or procedure, as defined in §187.57(c) of this subtitle, while Executive Order GA 09 is in effect, immediately to the board. This duty to report is mandatory whether any type of proceeding, inquiry, investigation, or action of any kind is being considered, has been initiated, or is on-going at a hospital, ambulatory surgical center, or any other facility or medical setting. All reporting under this emergency rule is subject to confidentiality under §§160.004-160.008 of the Act; immunity for civil liability under §160.010 of the Act; and the prohibitions against discipline and discrimination under §160.012 of the Act.

The agency certifies that legal counsel has reviewed the emergency adoption and found it to be within the state agency's legal authority to adopt.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on March 24, 2020

TRD-202001232

Scott Freshour

General Counsel

Texas Medical Board

Effective date: March 24, 2020

Expiration date: July 21, 2020

For further information, please call: (512) 305-7016



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