New standards for (TX) physicians' 'certified' status

Doctors working in Texas emergency rooms and their allies lined up once again to tell the Texas Medical Board on Friday that a year-in-the-making rule restricting the claims that doctors can make about their credentials was a "food fight" that would also seriously hurt them and patients across the state.

The board disagreed and approved the rule, which says doctors credentialed after Sept. 1 cannot advertise that they are "board certified" in their field — an indication of a highlevel of expertise — unless they have successfully completed requirements that include several years of supervised training or a residency, in their specialty area.