The Texas Medical Board plans to formally reprimand Houston physician Mary Talley Bowden, ending a years-long disciplinary case that the Stanford-trained ear, nose, and throat specialist claims was driven by politics rather than patient safety.

The board notified Bowden and her attorney, Steven Mitby, in an October 2 letter that her case will be reviewed for final action on October 17. The board’s staff attorney, Meredith Massey, stated that the “Proposed Final Order” will be considered for approval at that meeting. The order recommends a public reprimand, requiring Bowden to disclose the disciplinary action to all hospitals, treatment facilities, or health care entities where she practices or applies for privileges.

The move follows a summary judgment issued earlier this year by the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH), which found that Bowden “behaved unprofessionally and in a disruptive manner” in 2021 when she attempted to help a dying Tarrant County sheriff’s deputy, Jason Jones, receive ivermectin — a drug widely debated during the COVID-19 pandemic, The Dallas Express reported in March.

Bowden, who became nationally known for opposing COVID vaccine mandates, called out the board in a video posted on the morning of October 9, arguing that the agency has relentlessly targeted her without producing evidence of patient harm.

She stressed the fact that no one was physically hurt and her actions were taken with the intent of saving a man’s life who was, at the time, potentially headed to hospice care. She emphasized that neither Jason Jones nor his widow reported her to the board. Bowden also pointed out that the board “never successfully got an expert witness to testify” against her.

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In her October 9 video, Bowden drew attention to the juxtaposition between branches of Texas government. While the medical board was pursuing sanctions against her, the Texas House of Representatives honored her with a resolution.

“Even more ironic is Texas just made ivermectin over the counter,” Bowden said.

In a statement to The Dallas Express, Bowden said the board’s mission “is to protect the public from dangerous physicians, a responsibility made even more critical after Texas’s tort reform,” but claimed that in her case, “they have failed to produce a single witness or expert to substantiate any claim of harm to patients.”

“For the past four years, the board has relentlessly pursued me, attempting to prove I am a dangerous physician,” Bowden said. “Despite this lack of evidence, their administrative judges have deemed me dangerous and intend to issue a public reprimand that will remain on my record.”

Bowden criticized what she sees as misplaced priorities, stating that while “medical errors occur in 10-20% of hospital admissions,” the board “has devoted substantial time and resources to targeting a doctor who challenged a hospital’s decisions to advocate for a patient’s life.”

The board’s communications officer, Spencer Miller-Payne, told The Dallas Express that the agency could not comment or speculate on “proposed or pending orders until further action has been taken.” He invited a follow-up after the board meeting on October 17.

The reprimand stems from Bowden’s actions during a 2021 legal fight involving Fort Worth’s Huguley Hospital. When hospital officials refused to allow the use of ivermectin for Jones, Bowden, who did not have privileges at Huguley, coordinated with Jones’s family and attorneys to try to administer the drug through a nurse. A court order temporarily permitted the move before it was stayed by an appellate court, though Bowden and her lawyer said the stay went unnoticed because it was sent to junk mail.

Bowden has said her actions were based on legal advice during “a chaotic and unusual situation where a man’s life was hanging on the line.” She has maintained that no harm resulted and that video evidence disproves claims that her nurse caused a disturbance.

Although the case against Bowden was originally multifaceted, nearly every part of the case collapsed over the last two years, leaving only the misconduct claim that was disposed of by summary judgment earlier this year remaining.

The case has come at considerable expense to both Bowden and taxpayers. She has repeatedly claimed that she has spent more than $250,000 defending herself.

Documents she obtained via Public Information Act request and posted to X appear to indicate that the Medical Board spent at least $30,000, just on the expert witnesses that the agency never ended up using. It is not immediately clear what legal or other expenses the board might have also incurred from this case.

These latest developments follow Bowden’s ongoing legal battles with Houston Methodist Hospital, which suspended her privileges in 2021 and accused her of spreading “misinformation.” Bowden has since sued the hospital, alleging defamation and breach of contract, DX reported.

The Texas Medical Board is set to make its final decision on Bowden’s case on October 17. A reprimand, if adopted, would not suspend or revoke her license but would remain part of her professional record indefinitely. The outcome could mark a turning point in a high-profile case that has drawn national attention since the pandemic.