Starting May 17, some Texas physicians will receive an email from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) asking them to complete a criminal background check to access TxEVER, the state’s vital records registry.
However, physicians are exempt from this requirement, and those who receive the notices have a simple way to respond to maintain their access to the registry, where physicians report deaths and fetal deaths.
People who use TxEVER are exempt from the background checks if they are licensed by the Texas Medical Board, Texas Physician Assistant Board, Texas Board of Nursing, or Texas Funeral Service Commission, DSHS says. However, some people licensed by those entities may still receive the emails because TxEVER has not received their licensing information.
Here’s how to respond: Send the agency your physician license number at FieldServices@dshs.texas.gov. Physicians who fail to reply to the DSHS email will receive follow-up emails telling them the criminal background check is due by July 15, according to the agency. Physicians who do not email their license number will not be able to access TxEVER.
“If they have multiple email addresses with us, they should let us know in their response of the other email addresses so we can update those as well,” a DSHS spokesperson said.
Physicians with additional questions also can send them to FieldServices@dshs.texas.gov.
Last Updated On
May 19, 2022
Originally Published On
May 16, 2022