Houston Methodist Hospital denied claims that it refuses organ transplants to patients who decline COVID-19 vaccination after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton warned the hospital it could face an investigation over alleged violations of state law.
In a statement, the hospital said it “does not have a policy requiring transplant patients to be vaccinated against COVID-19, or any other disease, and does not deny care based on vaccination status.” The hospital told another outlet that it “abide[s] by all state laws and, as one of the largest transplant programs in the country, the safety of our patients always comes first.”
The dispute arose after Paxton sent an Oct. 2 letter to Houston Methodist President and CEO Marc L. Boom, citing a July 24 post on X (formerly Twitter) by Texas physician and former employee Dr. Mary Talley Bowden, who shared what appeared to be a screenshot of the hospital’s kidney transplant policy requiring patients to receive the COVID-19 shot.
Paxton’s office said it is investigating whether the hospital violated a Texas law that took effect Sept. 1, prohibiting hospitals from denying organ transplants to patients based solely on vaccination status. The attorney general’s letter warned that such requirements “may not only violate new state laws designed to protect patients but also violate human dignity and run contrary to foundational principles of medical ethics.”
“Texans looking to receive medical care should never be turned away due to arbitrary COVID-19 vaccine mandates imposed by woke medical providers,” said Paxton. “Vaccine mandates as a precondition for certain life-saving treatments may not only violate new state laws that became effective on September 1, but they also violate human dignity and run contrary to foundational principles of medical ethics. That’s why I’ve requested that Houston Methodist Hospital clarify its compliance with Texas’s new laws and position on vaccine mandates.”
Houston Methodist previously made national headlines in 2021 when it became the first major hospital system in the United States to mandate COVID-19 vaccination for its employees—a policy that led to lawsuits and staff resignations. The hospital has not said whether its transplant program ever required the vaccine, but maintains that it currently has no such policy.
Paxton gave Houston Methodist 14 days to explain steps taken to comply with the recently passed provision in the Texas Health and Safety Code, which prohibits denying organ transplants based on vaccination status. Paxton’s office said it will determine whether to open a formal investigation after reviewing the hospital’s response.
