AUSTIN, Texas —The Texas College of Emergency Physicians (TCEP) announced a dramatic rise in Texans’ access to emergency medical care at a press conference held this morning at the State Capitol. Senator Troy Fraser reported that the state’s gains in emergency physicians result directly from medical liability reforms passed in 2003.

“I am thrilled that my constituents in the counties I represent now have access to board-certified emergency physicians providing critical care where previously they had none or very limited access to this care,” said Senator Fraser. “House Bill 4 has produced the results we were aiming for when we passed medical liability reforms during the 78th Texas Legislature.”

Data released by the Texas Department of State Health Services, the Office of Rural Community Affairs, the Texas Medical Board and the Texas Alliance for Patient Access quantifies this significant increase in board-certified emergency physicians in Texas. Seventy-six counties have experienced a net gain in emergency physicians since the passage of medical liability reforms five years ago, including 39 medically underserved counties and 30 counties that are partially medically underserved.

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