Texas Medical Board Cracks Down on Doctors After Pregnancy-Related Deaths Linked to Abortion Ban

The Texas Medical Board has disciplined three doctors whose patients died after receiving delayed or inappropriate pregnancy care under the state’s strict abortion ban. Two of the doctors failed to intervene as a pregnant teenager repeatedly sought care for life-threatening complications, while the third did not perform a dilation and curettage procedure for a miscarrying patient, who ultimately bled to death.

As ProPublica investigated these preventable deaths and five others across three states in recent years, reporters found that abortion bans have influenced how doctors and hospitals respond to pregnancy complications. Facing risks of prison time and professional ruin, physicians have delayed critical interventions until they can confirm a fetus’ heart has stopped beating or that a case meets a narrow legal exception. Some doctors have even discharged or transferred pregnant patients rather than provide necessary care.

Doctors and legal experts have questioned why medical boards, which oversee physician licensing and investigate substandard care, have not been more proactive in guiding doctors on upholding medical standards within legal constraints. When ProPublica asked the Texas Medical Board president in 2024 what recourse miscarrying patients had when denied treatment, the response was that the board had no authority over criminal law but that patients could file a complaint or “vote with their feet” by seeking care elsewhere.

Since then, the Texas Medical Board has taken more steps than other states, publishing guidance this year with case studies on how doctors can legally provide abortions to patients with certain medical complications. The state Legislature mandated these training materials as part of the Life of the Mother Act, passed after ProPublica’s reporting, which made modest adjustments to Texas’ abortion restrictions to prevent additional maternal deaths.

In contrast, Georgia has not revisited its abortion ban or disciplined key doctors involved in the death of Amber Thurman, who died after doctors did not empty her septic uterus for 20 hours. Maternal care experts warn that healthcare providers will continue to hesitate in providing standard care as long as abortion bans carry severe criminal penalties—Texas’ law allows for up to 99 years in prison for physicians.

However, those who spoke to ProPublica say medical board sanctions are one of the few tools that can push hospitals and doctors to provide standard care despite vague laws. Michelle Maloney, representing the families of both Texas patients in malpractice lawsuits, expressed surprise at the board’s actions.

“Over the course of my career, I’ve had many horrific, horrific death cases. For someone to get disciplined by the medical board, especially while there’s ongoing litigation, is just extraordinarily rare.”

In 2024, ProPublica reported on the cases of Hope and Porsha Ngumezi and Nevaeh Crain, whose deaths were linked to delayed or inadequate care under Texas’ abortion restrictions. The Texas Medical Board’s recent actions signal a shift in addressing the consequences of restrictive abortion laws on maternal health.