The Texas Board of Nursing (TBON) is exposing, and recommending disciplinary action for, fake nurses operating in Texas. Kacosa Pleasant took a number of actions to fake her nursing credentials. Ms. Pleasant obtained employment as a Registered Nurse at a Dialysis Center in Lubbock, Texas, from June 10–November 22, 2024, using a fraudulent nursing license. [...]
A Texas pharmacy owner and three Texas pharmacists were recently in Houston for unlawfully distributing more than half a million opioid pills and other commonly abused prescription drugs, including to individuals paid to pose as patients by black market drug traffickers. Arthur Billings of Missouri City, a pharmacy owner and pharmacist, was sentenced to 12 [...]
For nearly two years, Dr. Ajay Aggarwal billed federally funded health care programs, such as Medicare and the Department of Labor’s Workers’ Compensation Programs, for surgical implantation of neuro-stimulator electrodes. These devices involve invasive procedures usually requiring the use of an operating room. However, neither Dr. Aggarwal nor his staff performed these surgical procedures, according [...]
A medical radiologic technologist ("MRT") is a health profession certified under Texas Occupations Code who, under the direction of a doctor, intentionally administers radiation to another person for a medical purpose. The Board may deny or discipline a MRT for engaging in unprofessional conduct, including the violation of the standards of practice of radiologic technology [...]
In July 2018, Houston-based Neighbors Legacy Holdings Inc. and 48 other related entities filed for bankruptcy protection. In a statement sent to the Houston Business Journal, Neighbors noted it filed for Chapter 11 to “expedite the sale of its Houston and non-Houston operations.” The company operates as Neighbors Health, which includes Neighbors Physician Group, Neighbors Emergency [...]
A disciplinary panel of the Texas Board of Respiratory Care temporarily suspended, without notice, the Texas respiratory care practitioner permit of Scott Walsh, RCP after determining his continuation in the practice of respiratory care poses a continuing threat to public welfare. The suspension, which is effective immediately, was issued on July 19, 2018. The Board [...]
A judge sentenced a Santa Fe, N.M.-based physician to more than four years in prison for healthcare billing fraud and obstruction of justice after he allegedly faked a cancer diagnosis to postpone the hearing, according to the Albuquerque Journal. A federal grand jury indicted self-described "holistic" cardiologist Roy G. Heilbron, MD, in 2015 with health care [...]
I recently had the privilege of sharing of the process of becoming, and being, a lawyer with students at Houston Independent School District's High School for Law and Justice (formerly the High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice ("LECJ")) 2018 Law Day program. Students at this all-magnet school are exposed to issues pertinent to [...]
We frequently get calls from physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals about letters they receive from their licensing boards. Some don't know whether to open the letters, respond to the letters or ignore the letters. We thought it might be helpful to address this question. https://youtu.be/AruEyEP4Q4k
On December 28, 2017, a disciplinary panel of the Texas Medical Board temporarily restricted, with notice, the medical license of Joshua Kern, M.D., after determining his continuation in the unrestricted practice of medicine posed a continuing threat to public welfare. TMB found that on November 1, 2017, Dr. Kern was arrested by the Dallas County Hospital [...]
