Medical Board Files Complaint Against Mary Talley Bowden

The Texas Medical Board filed a complaint against Mary Talley Bowden, MD, an otolaryngologist who garnered attention for controversial claims during the COVID pandemic, alleging violations of the standard of care during her treatment of an ICU patient in a Texas hospital.

The complaint, which was filed April 25, alleged that Bowden didn’t have a prior physician-patient relationship with the ICU patient and she didn’t establish a medical relationship prior to prescribing him medication. She didn’t conduct an exam, the board alleged; she couldn’t because she didn’t have privileges at Texas Huguley Hospital in Fort Worth.

In addition, the board alleged that Bowden sent a “delegate” to administer the medication at the hospital despite having no privileges and no prior relationship with the patient. The board also claimed she “acted in an unprofessional manner and violated confidentiality protections” when she put on her social media accounts protected health information from the patient and publicly identified hospital staff.

Bowden subsequently had her privileges suspended at another hospital, Houston Methodist, the complaint noted.

The complaint relates to an incident in which the wife of a patient admitted to Huguley Hospital contacted Bowden after her husband had been diagnosed with COVID-19, had declined treatment with remdesivir (Veklury), and was placed on a ventilator.

Bowden allegedly issued prescriptions for him around October 22, 2021, “without examining the patient or viewing his medical records,” the complaint stated. According to Bowden’s posts on Twitter, she prescribed the patient ivermectin.

Bowden subsequently applied for privileges at Huguley, but withdrew her application after about 3 days, alleging the hospital was delaying the process, the complaint stated.

Ultimately, Bowden allegedly notified the hospital she would send a nurse under her supervision to administer the prescription to the patient. When the nurse refused to leave, staff called the police, “resulting in a disruptive scene,” the complaint stated.

Bowden, who was working at Houston Methodist Hospital at the time, posted photographs of hospital staff at Huguley, according to the complaint.

Houston Methodist had also noticed around that time that Bowden had claimed on social media that she would no longer care for vaccinated patients, and exhibited other forms of “unethical behavior” and disseminated “disinformation” on social media, according to the complaint.

Houston Methodist began an investigation and temporarily suspended her privileges, to which Bowden responded by resigning, which the board called a violation of the state’s Medical Practice Act and/or board rules.

In an email to MedPage Today, Bowden wrote, “Houston Methodist hospital suspended my privileges in an unprecedented manner, choosing to announce my suspension to the Houston Chronicle and on Twitter, rather than reach out to me with a phone call or discuss in a private meeting as these situations are normally handled. I initially learned of my suspension from a text message from a reporter at the Houston Chronicle. Subsequently, I was inundated with media requests and the story went viral. Due to the unprofessional way in which they chose to suspend me, I immediately resigned. Consequently, Houston Methodist Hospital reported me to the medical board for resigning while under investigation. My attorney may want to comment on how they improperly suspended me, violating the rules set in their own by-laws.”

“In the case of Texas Huguely [sic] Hospital, I was asked by Jason Jones’ wife to help her in her lawsuit against the hospital after they refused to allow her dying husband the right to try ivermectin,” her statement continued. “My actions were guided by their attorney, and contrary to what the hospital claims, I did not violate any laws. The reason I declined the settlement offer from the TMB is because I have done nothing wrong and believe a public hearing is the best way to clear my name.”

Bowden had reportedly denied a previous disciplinary compromise offer from the board.

A hearing regarding the complaint will be held on April 29, 2024.

Huguley Hospital did not provide comments in time for publication. Houston Methodist referred MedPage Today to previous statements they had given regarding the suspension of Bowden’s privileges and the dismissal of the lawsuit against them, the latter of which read, in part: “During the heart of the pandemic, Dr. Bowden had her privileges suspended by Houston Methodist for spreading false information that was dangerous to the public and other inappropriate behavior.”

Court records show a lawsuit that Bowden filed against Houston Methodist for defamation was dismissed in January of this year.