The Texas Medical Board suspended an El Paso doctor's medical license because he "poses a continuing threat to public welfare" after the physician was arrested for allegedly groping a patient at University Medical Center, records show.
The board suspended Dr. Edward Allen Michelson's medical license
on Oct. 14, according to board records. The board issued the license in March 2017, and it was set to expire in May 2028.
The suspension comes after Michelson, 69, was arrested on Sept. 30 on suspicion of indecent assault by a health or mental provider, court and jail records show.
“A disciplinary panel of the Texas Medical Board temporarily suspended, without notice, the Texas medical license of Edward A. Michelson, M.D., after determining his continuation
in the practice of medicine poses a continuing threat to public welfare,” the Texas Medical Board's Disciplinary Panel wrote in an order of temporary suspension. “The suspension was effective immediately.”
The board took action against Michelson after receiving a complaint from the University Medical Center of El Paso, the order states.
"After reviewing the evidence in this case, the panel finds that respondent's (Michelson) continued practice of medicine poses a continuing threat to the public welfare," the order states.
Attorney Jeep Darnell, who represents Michelson, could not be reached immediately for comment.
El Paso doctor allegedly gropes epilepsy patient at UMC
Michelson allegedly groped a 58-year-old woman who was being treated for an epilepsy episode as she was "in and out of consciousness," a criminal complaint affidavit states. The incident happened about 7 p.m. on Aug. 28 at UMC, located at 4815 Alameda Ave. in the South-Central El Paso
He is accused of lifting the hospital bed sheets and the woman's gown from underneath her legs and placing both his hands on her private areas, the affidavit states. He was not wearing medical gloves.
The woman woke up and told Michelson in Spanish, "porque me esta haciendo eso? Eso no es parte de la epilepsia," the affidavit states. It means in English, "Why are you doing this to me? This has nothing to do with epilepsy?"
The woman's son confronted Michelson shortly after the alleged incident. Michelson denied the allegations.
Michelson is allegedly seen on hospital security camera footage entering the woman's room and lifting the blanket covering the woman's chest. The cameras were partially blocked, but a deputy wrote in an affidavit that Michelson could be seen putting both his hands under the blanket near the woman's lower private area.
The woman lifts her head and looks at Michelson, who "hurriedly takes his hand out and covers the blanket," and leaves the room, the affidavit states.
Michelson was arrested on Sept. 30 and booked into the El Paso County jail on a $100,000 bond. He was released the same day after posting bail, according to jail records.
El Paso doctor worked at UMC, Texas Tech El Paso medical school chairman
Michelson is a contracted medical provider and does not work for University Medical Center of El Paso, UMC spokeswoman Estefanía Morgan said. The Texas Medical Board also lists Michelson as a "contracted physician" at UMC.
She added UMC suspended Michelson from practicing at the hospital. The county hospital is "fully cooperating with and assisting in the investigation conducted by outside agencies," Morgan said.
Michelson is also a professor and chairman of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso's Department of Emergency Medicine.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso officials said Michelson has been "suspended from his university duties."
Aaron Martinez covers the criminal justice system for the El Paso Times. He may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com and @AMartinezEPT on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso doctor's medical license suspended after indecent assault arrest
