Their Patients Died. The Penalty Was Eight Hours of Classes.
Three Texas doctors whose pregnant patients died after receiving delayed care have been disciplined by the Texas Medical Board — years after ProPublica first investigated the deaths.
The board found that doctors at two hospitals failed to intervene as 18-year-old Nevaeh Crain deteriorated during her third emergency room visit in 2023. Despite a high fever, a positive sepsis screen, and a rapidly worsening condition, doctors sent her home twice before she was admitted too late for surgery. She died with her fetus still in her womb.
In a separate case, Dr. Andrew Ryan Davis chose to monitor Porsha Ngumezi rather than perform an emergency procedure to stop her hemorrhage during a miscarriage. She bled to death.
The board’s findings were direct: “This delay in care led to the patient’s death.”
What the discipline actually looks like:
- Each doctor was ordered to complete 8 hours of continuing medical education
- No license suspensions, no revocations
- Fines up to $5,000 were available — none were levied
- Doctors must notify employers of the findings; none admitted wrongdoing
Porsha Ngumezi’s husband called it “a slap in the face.” Maternal care experts say doctors will continue to hesitate as long as Texas law carries criminal penalties of up to 99 years for performing a procedure to end a pregnancy outside narrow legal exceptions. Medical board sanctions, they say, are one of the few tools that can push back — but only if boards use them loudly and consistently.
Texas has done more than most states: it published guidance this year on how doctors can legally treat pregnancy complications. Georgia, where Amber Thurman died after a 20-hour delay in care, has not disciplined any doctors or revisited its law.
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In a separate case, Dr. Andrew Ryan Davis chose to monitor Porsha Ngumezi rather than perform an emergency procedure to stop her hemorrhage during a miscarriage. She bled to death.
The board’s findings were direct: “This delay in care led to the patient’s death.”
What the discipline actually looks like:
- Each doctor was ordered to complete 8 hours of continuing medical education
- No license suspensions, no revocations
- Fines up to $5,000 were available — none were levied
- Doctors must notify employers of the findings; none admitted wrongdoing
Porsha Ngumezi’s husband called it “a slap in the face.” Maternal care experts say doctors will continue to hesitate as long as Texas law carries criminal penalties of up to 99 years for performing a procedure to end a pregnancy outside narrow legal exceptions. Medical board sanctions, they say, are one of the few tools that can push back — but only if boards use them loudly and consistently.
Texas has done more than most states: it published guidance this year on how doctors can legally treat pregnancy complications. Georgia, where Amber Thurman died after a 20-hour delay in care, has not disciplined any doctors or revisited its law.