A Comprehensive Texas Medical Malpractice and Patient Safety Resource Directory

This page is built to be one of the most thorough medical malpractice and patient resource directories in Texas. It collects the regulatory agencies, hospital and provider quality data, patient safety organizations, advocacy groups, condition-specific resources, statutes, and complaint mechanisms that patients, families, and survivors of medical negligence most often need.

A note on third-party links: Anunobi Law does not endorse, recommend, or assume any responsibility for the entities listed on this page. External resources are provided for convenience only. Information on government agency and third-party websites is subject to change without notice — verify any information independently before relying on it. The information on this page is not medical advice and is not legal advice for your specific situation.

For an overview of how our firm handles medical malpractice cases — birth injury, surgical errors, missed diagnosis, hospital and ER negligence, and nursing home abuse — see our Medical Law Solutions page. For a dedicated medical malpractice site, visit our sister site InjuryFromHospital.com.

Emergency and Crisis Resources

If you or a loved one is in a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

• Poison Control (national) — 1-800-222-1222 | poisonhelp.org
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988 | 988lifeline.org
• Texas Adult Protective Services (APS) — Reporting suspected abuse or neglect of elderly or disabled adults: 1-800-252-5400
• Eldercare Locator (national) — 1-800-677-1116 | eldercare.acl.gov

Long-Term Care Ombudsman (Texas) — Resident advocacy in nursing homes and assisted living: 1-800-252-2412

1. Texas Medical Malpractice Law (Chapter 74) 

Texas medical malpractice claims are governed by Chapter 74 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. The provisions below are the most frequently consulted:

• Chapter 74 — Medical Liability (full text) — Authoritative text of Texas’s medical malpractice statute (under the Civil Practice and Remedies Code).
• §74.001 — Definitions — Defines “health care provider,” “health care liability claim,” and related terms.
• §74.051 — Pre-Suit Notice — Requires written notice at least 60 days before filing suit.
• §74.351 — Expert Report Requirement — Requires expert report served within 120 days of filing the lawsuit.
• §74.401 — Qualifications of Expert Witness in Suit Against Physician
• §74.402 — Qualifications of Expert Witness in Suit Against Health Care Provider
• §74.301 — Limitation on Noneconomic Damages — $250,000 cap per claimant against physicians/practitioners; $250,000 per institution with $500,000 aggregate cap on institutions.
• §74.503 — Periodic Payments — Periodic payment of future damages over $100,000.

Statute of Limitations

• §74.251 — Statutes of Limitations and Repose — Generally two years from the negligent act, conclusion of treatment, or hospitalization. The statute of repose generally bars claims after ten years even for minors.

Wrongful Death and Survival

• Texas CPRC Chapter 71 — Wrongful Death and Survival — Wrongful death (§71.002) and survival (§71.021) actions.

2. Texas Provider Licensing and Verification 

Verify a provider’s license, view disciplinary history, and file complaints through the appropriate licensing board:

Physicians

• Texas Medical Board (TMB) — Physician licensure, disciplinary records, and complaint filing.
• TMB Look Up a License (physician verification)
• TMB Disciplinary Actions Search
• Federation of State Medical Boards — Physician Data Center — Cross-state physician licensing and disciplinary information.

Nurses

• Texas Board of Nursing (BON) — RN, LVN, and APRN licensure and disciplinary records.
• Texas BON License Verification

Other Providers

• Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council — Licenses psychologists, marriage and family therapists, social workers, and licensed counselors.
• Texas State Board of Pharmacy — Pharmacist and pharmacy licensing.
• Texas State Board of Dental Examiners — Dentist and dental hygienist licensing.
• Texas Optometry Board
• Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners
• Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners
• Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) — Professional Licensing — Various allied health professional licenses.

Hospitals and Facilities

• Texas Health and Human Services — Provider Licensing & Compliance — Hospital, nursing home, and assisted living licensing and inspections.

National Provider Verification

• National Provider Identifier (NPI) Registry — Free federal database of all healthcare providers with NPIs.
• National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) — Federal repository of malpractice payments and adverse actions (limited public access).

3. Hospital and Facility Quality Data 

Compare hospitals on safety, outcomes, and patient experience:

• Medicare Care Compare — Federal comparison tool for hospitals, nursing homes, home health, hospice, and dialysis facilities. Replaced the old Hospital Compare and Nursing Home Compare sites in 2020.
• Hospital Safety Grade (Leapfrog Group) — A–F safety grades for U.S. hospitals based on errors, injuries, and infections.
• Leapfrog Hospital Survey — Voluntary national hospital quality survey.
• The Joint Commission — Quality Check — Look up Joint Commission accreditation for hospitals and other facilities.
• U.S. News & World Report — Best Hospitals — Hospital rankings by specialty.
• CMS Hospital Compare Data — Raw federal hospital quality data for advanced research.
• AHRQ Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) — Federal hospital outcomes and utilization data.
• Texas Department of State Health Services — Hospital Survey — Texas hospital data.

4. Nursing Home and Long-Term Care Resources 

Quality and Inspection Data

• Medicare Care Compare — Nursing Homes — Federal star ratings, inspection results, and staffing data for every Medicare/Medicaid-certified nursing home.
• CMS Special Focus Facility List — Nursing homes with a history of poor care that receive enhanced oversight.
• Nursing Home Inspect (ProPublica) — Searchable database of CMS nursing home inspection deficiencies.

Reporting Abuse and Neglect

• Texas DFPS — Adult Protective Services — Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of elderly or disabled adults: 1-800-252-5400.
• Texas Long-Term Care Ombudsman — Free, confidential advocacy for nursing home and assisted living residents: 1-800-252-2412.
• Texas HHS — Report Provider Abuse, Neglect, or Complaint — Online and phone reporting for facility complaints.

Advocacy and Information

• National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care — National advocacy and resource organization.
• Eldercare Locator — Federal directory of aging services. 1-800-677-1116.
• AARP Caregiving Resources
• Texas Health and Human Services — Long-Term Care

5. Medical Records and HIPAA 

Patients have the right to obtain and inspect their own medical records.

Federal Law

• HHS Office for Civil Rights — HIPAA Privacy Rule — Federal medical records privacy framework.
• HHS — Your Right to Access Health Records
• File a HIPAA Complaint — File complaints with HHS Office for Civil Rights for HIPAA violations.

Texas Law

• Texas Medical Records Privacy Act (Health & Safety Code Chapter 181) — Texas’s stricter medical records privacy law.
• Texas Medical Board Rule 165 — Medical Records — Rules governing physician medical record retention and release.

Practical Resources

• HealthIT.gov — Get Your Medical Records
• Patient Access — Medical Record Request Templates

6. Patient Safety Organizations  

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) — Federal patient safety research and resources.
• AHRQ Patient Safety Network (PSNet) — Federal collection of patient safety case studies, tools, and literature.
• Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) — Patient safety and quality improvement organization.
• Patient Safety Movement Foundation — Advocacy for elimination of preventable patient harm.
• The Leapfrog Group — Hospital safety transparency.
• The Joint Commission — Sentinel Event Alerts — Patient safety alerts on sentinel events.
• American Society for Health Care Risk Management (ASHRM)
• National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF / IHI) — Now part of IHI; resources on patient safety.

7. Filing Complaints Against Healthcare Providers

If you believe a provider acted improperly, complaints can be filed with multiple agencies. Filing a regulatory complaint is separate from a malpractice lawsuit and does not extend your statute of limitations.

Texas

• File a Complaint with the Texas Medical Board (Physicians)
• File a Complaint with the Texas Board of Nursing
• File a Complaint Against a Hospital or Facility — Texas HHS — 1-800-458-9858.
• File a Complaint Against a Nursing Home (Texas HHS) — 1-800-458-9858.
• Texas Attorney General — Consumer Protection

Federal

• File a HIPAA Complaint with HHS Office for Civil Rights
• CMS — File a Complaint Against a Medicare-Participating Provider — 1-800-MEDICARE.
• FDA MedWatch — Report a Drug or Device Problem

8. Federal Health Agencies

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) — Federal Medicare and Medicaid administration; nursing home, hospital, and provider quality data.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — Federal public health agency.
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — Drug and medical device regulation.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) — Federal medical research.
• Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) — Federal agency overseeing the National Practitioner Data Bank and Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) — Parent department of CMS, CDC, FDA, NIH, and HRSA.
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• Department of Veterans Affairs — Office of Inspector General — Patient safety and care issues at VA facilities.

9. Federal Health and Drug Safety 

• FDA Drug Recalls, Withdrawals, and Safety Alerts
• FDA MedWatch (Adverse Event Reporting)
• FDA Drugs@FDA — Approved Drug Products
• DailyMed (NLM/NIH) — Drug Labeling Database — Most authoritative free source for current drug labeling.
• MedlinePlus Drug Information — NIH consumer drug information.
• RxList Drug Index — Consumer-oriented drug reference.
• DEA Diversion Control Division — Controlled substance prescribing rules and enforcement.
• Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) — Medication error prevention.

10. Birth Injury Resources 

For families of children injured during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. Our sister site InjuryFromHospital.com covers our birth injury practice in detail.

Cerebral Palsy

• United Cerebral Palsy — National advocacy and family support organization.
• Cerebral Palsy Foundation
• Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation
• CDC — Cerebral Palsy Information

Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) and Neonatal Care

• Hope for HIE Foundation — Family advocacy and information for HIE.
• March of Dimes — Maternal and infant health advocacy.
• American Academy of Pediatrics — Therapeutic Hypothermia Resources

Brachial Plexus / Erb’s Palsy

• United Brachial Plexus Network (UBPN)

Pregnancy and Maternal Health

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) — Professional standards and patient resources.
• CDC — Pregnancy and Maternal Health
• Preeclampsia Foundation
• Maternal Mortality Review Information Application (CDC)

Special Education and Therapy Resources

• The Arc of Texas — Advocacy for Texans with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Texas Project FIRST — Special education resources.
• Easter Seals Greater Houston

11. Cancer and Missed Diagnosis Resources 

Failure to diagnose cancer in a timely way is among the most common forms of medical malpractice. Resources:

• American Cancer Society — Information, screening guidelines, and patient support. 1-800-227-2345.
• National Cancer Institute (NCI) — Federal cancer research and information.
• CDC — Cancer Screening Recommendations
• USPSTF Cancer Screening Guidelines — U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations (frequently the standard of care reference for screening cases).
• American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) — Cancer.Net — Patient information from oncologists.
• MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston)
• Susan G. Komen — Breast Cancer — 1-877-465-6636.
• Prostate Cancer Foundation

12. Stroke, Cardiac, and Time-Critical Conditions  

These conditions are time-sensitive — minutes determine whether a patient survives, recovers, or is permanently disabled. Failure to recognize and treat them promptly is a frequent driver of malpractice litigation.

Stroke

• American Stroke Association — Patient and family resources.
• National Stroke Association / NIH Stroke Information
• CDC — Stroke Information

Heart Attack and Cardiac

• American Heart Association
• CDC — Heart Disease

Pulmonary Embolism / Blood Clots

• National Blood Clot Alliance
• CDC — Venous Thromboembolism (VTE)

Sepsis

• Sepsis Alliance — Patient and family advocacy.
• CDC — Sepsis

General

• American College of Emergency Physicians — Professional society for emergency medicine.

13. Brain injury, Spinal Cord, Injury, and and Catastrophic Care

For families dealing with the long-term consequences of medical errors that caused traumatic injury.

Brain Injury

• Brain Injury Association of America
• Brain Injury Association of Texas
• Centre for Neuro Skills (Houston)
• Texas Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR Memorial Hermann)

Spinal Cord Injury

• Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation
• United Spinal Association

Life Care Planning

• American Association of Nurse Life Care Planners
• International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals

14. Mental Health, Grief, and Trauma Support

Medical injury and loss create their own crisis. Support resources:

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988 | 988lifeline.org
• The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD — Public mental health authority for Harris County. 24-hour crisis line: (713) 970-7000
• Mental Health America of Greater Houston
• NAMI Texas — National Alliance on Mental Illness, Texas chapter.
• SAMHSA Treatment Locator
• The Compassionate Friends — Support for families after the death of a child.
• Bo’s Place (Houston) — Houston-area bereavement support for grieving families and children.
• Children’s Bereavement Center
• GriefShare — Faith-based grief support groups.

15. Medicare, Medicaid, and Disability

Catastrophic medical injury often makes a person eligible for federal disability benefits, and recovery from a malpractice case must be coordinated with those benefits to avoid disqualification.

• Medicare — Federal health insurance for those 65+ and those with certain disabilities. 1-800-MEDICARE.
• Texas Medicaid
• Social Security Administration — Disability Benefits — SSDI and SSI disability programs. 1-800-772-1213.
• Medicare Set-Aside (MSA) Information — When personal injury settlements include future medical care for Medicare-eligible claimants.
• Special Needs Alliance — Find a special needs trust attorney to protect government benefits eligibility after a malpractice recovery.
• Texas Health and Human Services — Disability Resources
• Texas Workforce Commission Vocational Rehabilitation

16. Texas Hospitals, and Health Systems

Major Houston-area hospital systems frequently involved in our cases:

• Texas Medical Center — World’s largest medical complex.
• Houston Methodist
• Memorial Hermann Health System
• Harris Health System — Public hospital system (Ben Taub, LBJ).
• HCA Houston Healthcare
• The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Texas Children’s Hospital
• Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center
• Kelsey-Seybold Clinic

Verifying a Hospital’s Status

• Medicare Care Compare — Hospitals
• The Joint Commission Quality Check
• Texas DSHS — Licensed Hospitals

17. Medical Reference Resources 

Authoritative medical reference materials commonly consulted in malpractice cases:

Major Medical Journals

• New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)
• The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)
• The Lancet
• British Medical Journal (BMJ)

Reference Texts and Databases

• PubMed (NLM/NIH) — Free federal database of medical literature.
• MedlinePlus (NIH) — Consumer health information.
• The Merck Manual — Professional Version
• The Merck Manual — Consumer Version
• UpToDate — Subscription-based clinical decision support; widely cited as standard of care.
• Medical Abbreviations Dictionary

Professional Organizations Setting Standards of Care

• American Medical Association
• American College of Surgeons
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
• American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)
• American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)
• American College of Radiology (ACR)
• American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)

Hospital Accreditation

• The Joint Commission — Hospital and healthcare facility accreditation.
• Det Norske Veritas Healthcare USA (DNV-GL)
• Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP) — Home health and hospice accreditation.

18. Legal Directories for Medical Malpractice 

For finding a medical malpractice attorney or verifying credentials:

• State Bar of Texas — Texas attorney directory and grievance information.
• Texas Board of Legal Specialization — Find Texas attorneys who are board certified in personal injury trial law.
• Houston Bar Association — (713) 759-1133.
• Houston Lawyer Referral Service — (713) 237-9429.
• Lone Star Legal Aid — Free civil legal services for low-income Texans.
• American Association for Justice (AAJ) — National plaintiffs’ trial lawyer association.
• Texas Trial Lawyers Association (TTLA) — Texas plaintiffs’ trial lawyer association.
• American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys (ABPLA) — Board certification in medical and legal malpractice law.

Disclaimer 

Anunobi Law PLLC does not endorse, recommend, or accept responsibility for any third-party entity, website, or service listed on this page. External resources are provided for the convenience of visitors and are not legal or medical advice. Information on government agency websites and other third-party sites is subject to change without notice; please verify any information independently before acting on it.

Statutes, regulations, and case law change. Statutes of limitations are unforgiving — if you believe you or a family member may have a medical malpractice claim, consult an attorney as soon as possible. The information on this page is not a substitute for legal advice.

For questions about your specific medical malpractice situation, contact our office for a free, confidential consultation.

Related Resources at Anunobi Law

• Medical Law Solutions — Overview of our medical malpractice practice.
• InjuryFromHospital.com — Our dedicated medical malpractice site.
• All Resources — Resources hub.
• Family Law Resources
• Business Law Resources
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Video Library
• Blog

Contact Us

Phone: 832-538-0833 | 1-855-538-0863

Email: contact@businessandfamilylawyers.com

Office: 1415 North Loop West, Ste. 1140, Houston, TX 77008

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