A Texas hospital has suspended the privileges of a doctor who used her personal Twitter account to spread COVID misinformation.
Dr. Mary Bowden, an ENT specialist at Houston Methodist Hospital, posted “harmful” and “dangerous misinformation” about Covid-19 and its treatments, the hospital said in a statement.
“Dr. Mary Bowden, who recently joined the medical staff at Houston Methodist Hospital, is using her social media accounts to express her personal and political opinions about the COVID-19 vaccine and treatments,” the hospital tweeted. “These opinions, which are harmful to the community, do not reflect reliable medical evidence or the values of Houston Methodist.”
In a series of tweets Dr. Bowden praised Ivermectin, a drug used to treat parasitic infections in livestock, as a treatment for COVID even though the drug is not authorized to treat the disease. She also called vaccine mandates “wrong.”
A spokesperson for the hospital confirmed to CNN that Dr. Bowden’s privileges have been suspended.
Her attorney Steven Mitby told CNN that she is not against vaccines, just that “people should have a choice.” Bowden is vaccinated, as Houston Methodist mandates that all doctors be fully vaxxed against COVID-19. Over 150 employees left the hospital after they instituted a vaccine mandate in June.
“Dr. Bowden has the utmost respect for Houston Methodist and is proud of the work she has done along with her colleagues at Houston Methodist,” Mitby said.
