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A Texas physician filed a $25 million defamation lawsuit against Houston Methodist Hospital and its CEO Monday, claiming public statements they made harmed her reputation, career and safety.
Dr. Mary Talley Bowden, an otolaryngologist who formerly worked at the health system, has used social media to make claims about harmful side effects from COVID-19 vaccines. Bowden filed a separate lawsuit in January; both cases are in the Harris County District Courts in Texas.
In a series of Twitter posts in November, Houston Methodist criticized Bowden, saying she was “spreading dangerous misinformation which is not based in science” and that her opinions were “harmful to the community.” The health system denied Bowden’s claim that it turned away a patient who wasn’t vaccinated against COVID-19 and stated it does not deny care based on vaccination status. Houston Methodist also suspended Bowden’s temporary privileges to practice at the not-for-profit health system.
Bowden is seeking damages to compensate for what she claims is damage to her reputation and lost business opportunities. According to the lawsuit, Bowden did not spread misinformation, her opinions were based in science and she did not put patients in danger.
The plaintiff alleges Houston Methodist and CEO Dr. Marc Boom’s statements online and to media outlets were “false and defamatory”and “injured Dr. Bowden’s reputation, exposed her to public hatred, contempt, ridicule, financial injury, and impugned her professional judgment, integrity, honesty and veracity as a licensed medical professional.”
Bowden’s attorneys and Houston Methodist didn’t respond to requests for comment.
In her lawsuit, Bowden claims to have prevented hospitalizations for more than 4,000 COVID-19 patients using alternate approaches, such as treating them with Ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug the Food and Drug Administration advises against for people with COVID-19.
Bowden resigned from Houston Methodist in November. She filed her first lawsuit against the heath system two months later, seeking information about the revenue it generated from administering COVID-19 vaccines and treating patients.
Hospital officials have not issued a statement responding to Bowden’s recent lawsuit. Instead, a spokesperson referred to its statement from November. “These opinions, which are harmful to the community, do not reflect reliable medical evidence or the values of Houston Methodist, where we have treated more than 25,000 COVID-19 inpatients, and where all our employees and physicians are vaccinated to protect our patients.” Bowden told the hospital she is vaccinated against COVID-19 but opposes vaccine mandates, according to Houston Methodist.
Houston Methodist was the first U.S. hospital to announce a vaccine mandate for its staff. The requirement led 0.06% of its workers to resign and 178 employees to file a lawsuit against the mandate, which a federal judge dismissed.
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