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Time of India
08-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
'Horrific': Houston pediatrician fired over vile post suggesting Texas flood victims were Trump supporters
Dr Christina B Propst fired over vile Texas flood post Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A pediatrician in Houston has been fired after making a controversial social media post about the victims of the deadly Central Texas floods that killed around 100 people. Dr Christina B Propst has been fired over a vile post suggesting that the more than 80 killed in the horrific Texas floods — including dozens of kids — were President Trump supporters who got 'what they voted for.'The pediatrician's post drew massive criticism following the disparaging, since-deleted post under her old Facebook username, Chris Tina, according to Mediaite. 'May all visitors, children, non-MAGA voters and pets be safe and dry,' Probst wrote in the now-viral post.'Kerr County MAGA voted to gut FEMA. They deny climate change. May they get what they voted for. Bless their hearts.' The Facebook post quickly went viral after a screenshot was shared by Libs of Christina B Propst affiliated with a prominent Houston hospital system is 'no longer employed' there, according to officials, reports The Guardian. 'We were made aware of a social media comment from one of our physicians,' read a statement from Blue Fish Pediatrics circulated late Sunday. 'The individual is no longer employed by Blue Fish Pediatrics.'The statement also said: 'We strongly condemn the comments that were made in that post. That post does not reflect the values, standards or mission of Blue Fish Pediatrics. We do not support or condone any statement that politicizes tragedy, diminishes human dignity, or fails to clearly uphold compassion for every child and family, regardless of background or beliefs.'The statement from the Blue Fish Pediatrics' did neither named nor specified whether she had resigned or was dismissed. But multiple publicly accessible social media posts identified her as Dr Christina Propst. the physician.A previous initial statement saying that she had been placed on leave was shared by the head of the Texas Medical Board, Dr. Sherif Zaafran. 'There is no place for politicization. The entire focus needs to be on looking for survivors. Any complaints we may receive will be thoroughly investigated,' he posted on Texas Medical Board has not announced a formal investigation. The callous post prompted immense backlash online.'Please tell us this person is not allowed anywhere near patients in Texas?' one social media user wrote. 'We are residents here, and find this behind horrific & also very dangerous. Please help,' they added.'This is the sort of pediatric clinician employed at @BlueFishMD in Houston. The ethics, humanity and empathy illustrated here is unfathomable,' wrote doctor appeared to have changed her username and profile image on Facebook since the post went viral, several X users flash flooding on the Guadalupe River in central Texas has killed at least 80 people, with 11 girls and one counselor from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp, still missing. The camp said in its statement: "Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly."
Sky News AU
07-07-2025
- Health
- Sky News AU
Pediatrician fired for vile post suggesting Texas flood victims were Trump supporters who got ‘what they voted for'
A pediatrician has been fired over a vile post suggesting that the more than 80 killed in the horrific Texas floods — including dozens of kids — were President Trump supporters who got 'what they voted for.' Dr. Christina B. Propst drew widespread scorn following the disparaging, since-deleted post under her old Facebook username, Chris Tina, according to Mediaite. 'May all visitors, children, non-MAGA voters and pets be safe and dry,' Probst wrote in the now-viral post. 'Kerr County MAGA voted to gut FEMA. They deny climate change. May they get what they voted for. Bless their hearts.' The Facebook post quickly went viral after a screenshot was shared by Libs of TikTok. Propst's employer, Blue Fish Pediatrics, initially said the employee had been suspended — before announcing that 'the individual is no longer employed' there. 'As we previously mentioned in our original statement, we strongly condemn the comments that were made in that post. That post does not reflect the values, standards, or mission of Blue Fish Pediatrics,' the company said. 'We do not support or condone any statement that politicizes tragedy, diminishes human dignity, or fails to clearly uphold compassion for every child and family, regardless of background or beliefs,' the doctor's office added. A previous initial statement saying that she had been placed on leave was shared by the head of the Texas Medical Board, Dr. Sherif Zaafran. 'There is no place for politicization. The entire focus needs to be on looking for survivors. Any complaints we may receive will be thoroughly investigated,' he posted on X. The Texas Medical Board has not announced a formal investigation. The callous post prompted immense backlash online. 'Please tell us this person is not allowed anywhere near patients in Texas?' one social media user wrote. 'We are residents here, and find this behind horrific & also very dangerous. Please help,' they added. 'This is the sort of pediatric clinician employed at @BlueFishMD in Houston. The ethics, humanity and empathy illustrated here is unfathomable,' wrote another. The doctor appeared to have changed her username and profile image on Facebook since the post went viral, several X users noted. Propst's profile pages were taken down from both the Blue Fish Pediatrics site and the website for Memorial Hermann Health System, which is associated with Blue Fish Pediatrics. Memorial Hermann also acknowledged the controversy in a statement. 'We are aware of statements made by a physician on social media and strongly condemn these statements. This provider is not employed by Memorial Hermann. We have zero tolerance for such rhetoric which does not reflect the mission, vision or values of our system,' the healthcare system said. Originally published as Pediatrician fired for vile post suggesting Texas flood victims were Trump supporters who got 'what they voted for'
International Business Times
07-07-2025
- Health
- International Business Times
Who Is Dr. Christina Propst? Pediatrician Fired for Distasteful Post Claiming Texas Flood Victims Were Trump Supporters Who 'Got What They Voted For'
A pediatrician has been fired over a distasteful post suggesting that the more than 80 victims of the devastating Texas floods — many of them children — were Trump supporters who "got what they voted for." Dr. Christina B. Propst came under fire for posting a vile message under her old Facebook username, Chris Tina, which has since been deleted, according to Mediaite. "May all visitors, children, non-MAGA voters and pets be safe and dry. Kerr County MAGA voted to gut FEMA. They deny climate change. May they get what they voted for. Bless their hearts," Probst wrote. The Facebook post went viral after Libs of TikTok shared a screenshot of it. Completely Distasteful Propst's employer, Blue Fish Pediatrics, initially said that the employee had been suspended, but later confirmed that "the individual is no longer employed" with the practice. "As we previously mentioned in our original statement, we strongly condemn the comments that were made in that post. That post does not reflect the values, standards, or mission of Blue Fish Pediatrics," the company said. "We do not support or condone any statement that politicizes tragedy, diminishes human dignity, or fails to clearly uphold compassion for every child and family, regardless of background or beliefs," the doctor's office added. An earlier statement indicating that she had been placed on leave was issued by Dr. Sherif Zaafran, the head of the Texas Medical Board. "There is no place for politicization. The entire focus needs to be on looking for survivors. Any complaints we may receive will be thoroughly investigated," he posted on X. The Texas Medical Board has not officially launched an investigation. Facing Social Media Backlash Several people quickly took to social media to slam Propst for her distasteful post. "Please tell us this person is not allowed anywhere near patients in Texas?" one social media user wrote. "We are residents here, and find this behind horrific & also very dangerous. Please help," they added. "This is the sort of pediatric clinician employed at @BlueFishMD in Houston. The ethics, humanity and empathy illustrated here is unfathomable," wrote another. Several users on X noted that the doctor had changed her Facebook username and profile picture after the post went viral. Her profile was also removed from both the Blue Fish Pediatrics website and the Memorial Hermann Health System site, which is affiliated with Blue Fish Pediatrics. Memorial Hermann also addressed the incident in an official statement. "We are aware of statements made by a physician on social media and strongly condemn these statements. This provider is not employed by Memorial Hermann. We have zero tolerance for such rhetoric which does not reflect the mission, vision or values of our system," the healthcare system said. Kerr County, which has a population of about 50,000, overwhelmingly voted for President Donald Trump in the November election, with over 76 percent of the vote going to the Republican candidate, according to county records. Local authorities have reported that at least 82 people have died in to the flash floods. Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls located along the Guadalupe River, confirmed on Monday that 27 of its campers and staff members lost their lives in the disaster.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas Lt. Gov. announces compassionate use expansion amid THC ban
AUSTIN (KXAN) – Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced Sunday that an expansion for compassionate use is moving forward, as Texas' ban on THC products is headed to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk for a signature. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick posted on X Sunday evening, saying he and Rep. Tom Oliverson 'have come to an agreement on add chronic pain as a qualifying medical condition to TCUP (compassionate use program) for those who suffer chronic pain as currently defined by the Texas Medical Board rules.' Senate Bill 3 bans all products containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC — the part of cannabis plants that induce the 'high.' MORE: Texas House bans THC products, reduces criminal penalty for possessing intoxicating hemp Critics argued that the ban will hurt chronic pain sufferers who rely on low-THC products for relief. Patrick's post said he and the authors of House Bill 46, which establishes registration rules for medical THC use, had a 'positive conversation' and they 'look forward to passing this bill for our veterans and those who suffer from chronic pain.' 'The Senate and my concern has always been that we don't want to go back to the days of doctors writing prescriptions for anyone who paid them for a prescription for pain pills,' Patrick wrote, in part. 'Dr. Oliverson presented a new thoughtful plan that the Senate and I can support that will help those in true need of relief.' Patrick said the state will expand licenses from the current number of three, to 12, adding satellite locations in each public health region. He said terminal illness and hospice care have been added as qualifying medical conditions for the compassionate use program and dosage allotments have been increased and standardized. Patrick said this will give 'physicians autonomy to prescribe the right dose for each patient's needs, along with metered dose inhalation delivery systems.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
26-05-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Texas Doctor Who Filed $118 Million in Fraudulent Medical Claims Gets 10 Years in Prison
For nearly 20 years, a Texas doctor falsely diagnosed patients as having a chronic disease, administered unnecessary, toxic treatments and filed more than $118 million in fraudulent health insurance claims to fund his lavish lifestyle, which included a private jet, luxury cars and high-end properties, prosecutors said. The doctor, Jorge Zamora-Quezada, 68, of Mission, Texas, was sentenced to 10 years in prison this week, according to the Justice Department. From 2000 to 2018, he falsely diagnosed patients with rheumatoid arthritis and administered dangerous, medically unnecessary treatments to defraud federal and private health insurance companies, the Justice Department said. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that causes a person's immune system to attack healthy tissue. Some of Mr. Zamora-Quezada's patients were as young as 13, the Justice Department said. Mr. Zamora-Quezada's medical license was canceled in 2021, according to Texas Medical Board records. His scheme funded what prosecutors described in court documents as his 'lavish and opulent lifestyle,' with properties across the United States and Mexico, as well as a private jet and a Maserati that he used to travel between his offices in the Rio Grande Valley and San Antonio. Mr. Zamora-Quezada had two luxury penthouse apartments in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; condominiums in San Diego, Aspen, Colo., and Punta Mita, Mexico; and multiple homes and commercial properties in Texas, according to court records. Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department's criminal division, said Mr. Zamora-Quezada's 'depraved conduct' represented a 'profound betrayal of trust' between patients and their doctors. Randy Crane, the U.S. chief district judge for the Southern District of Texas, sentenced Mr. Zamora-Quezada to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Mr. Zamora-Quezada was also ordered to pay $28,245,454 in restitution, according to court documents. His scheme defrauded Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE and Blue Cross Blue Shield, which together paid out more than $28 million in false claims, according to prosecutors. A lawyer listed in court records for Mr. Zamora-Quezada did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Sunday. After a 25-day trial, Mr. Zamora-Quezada was convicted in January 2020 of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, seven counts of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. According to a criminal complaint filed in 2018, Mr. Zamora-Quezada falsely diagnosed many patients with rheumatoid arthritis and subjected them to testing, chemotherapy drugs, hourslong intravenous infusions and other 'excessive, repetitive and profit-driven' procedures. Patients suffered strokes, necrosis of the jawbone, hair loss, liver damage and debilitating pain that made daily, basic tasks difficult, federal prosecutors said in a news release. It was not known how many patients in total were misdiagnosed. Mr. Zamora-Quezada hired staff members whom he could manipulate because of their immigration status and imposed strict quotas for the procedures, the Justice Department said. Mr. Zamora-Quezada dismissed patients from his practice who questioned him and hid thousands of patients' records from insurers and other doctors in a dilapidated barn in the Rio Grande Valley, where they were found covered with feces and urine, rodents and termites, the complaint said. Additionally, prosecutors said, Mr. Zamora-Quezada falsified or fabricated patient files and records, including by taking ultrasounds of employees that he used as misleading documentation for insurer audits.
