On August 16, 2024, the Texas Medical Board publicly reprimanded Michael Patrick Gallagher, M.D., and restricted his Texas medical license. The sanctions include limiting his practice to anesthesia medicine, prohibiting him from supervising or delegating prescriptive authority to physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, or surgical assistants, and requiring compliance with TEFRA documentation for each case he concurrently directs. Dr. Gallagher must also complete 20 consecutive monitoring cycles, pass the Jurisprudence Examination within six months and three attempts, and schedule an assessment with the Texas A&M Health Science Center Knowledge, Skills, Training, Assessment, and Research (KSTAR) program.
The Board's decision follows an investigation into Dr. Gallagher’s role as the medical director for Luxe MedSpa in Wortham, Texas. Dr. Gallagher failed to properly supervise the spa’s owner, who was unlicensed and unqualified to administer prescription drugs. This oversight contributed to the death of Jenifer Cleveland, an employee of 99.1 KNES Radio, who suffered cardiac arrest after receiving IV therapy with prescription drugs. Dr. Gallagher did not ensure proper safety protocols or emergency procedures were in place, exposing patients to significant risks.
