Texas Medical Board Suspends Lubbock Physician Arrested for Prostitution

LUBBOCK, TX -- A Lubbock physician faces a temporary suspension after being arrested for prostitution with a minor.

Back in February, Dr. Bhavik Kantibhai Patel was arrested during an online sting conducted by the Lubbock Police Department Special Operations Vice Unit and DPS.

According to law enforcement, Patel responded to an online ad and began communicating with an undercover female officer.

Patel agreed to meet with the officer who was posing as a 17-year-old and pay her money in exchange for sex.

Upon arriving at the location, Patel met the undercover officers and paid them.

He was then arrested and charged with prostitution.

On Tuesday, the Texas Medical Board announced it would suspend Patel’s Physician-in-Training permit.

The board determined the doctor's “continuation in the practice of medicine poses a continuing threat to public welfare.”

The full statement is available below:

On November 19, 2020, a disciplinary panel of the Texas Medical Board temporarily suspended, without notice, the Texas physician-in-training permit of Bhavik Kantibhai Patel, D.O. (Lic. No. BP10063344), after determining his continuation in the practice of medicine poses a continuing threat to public welfare. The suspension was effective immediately.

The Board panel found that Dr. Patel was arrested by the Lubbock Police Department and charged with prostitution/other payor person under eighteen years of age, a second-degree felony, and was later dismissed from his residency program. A temporary suspension hearing with notice will be held as soon as practicable with 10 days’ notice to Dr. Patel, unless the hearing is specifically waived by Dr. Patel.

The temporary suspension remains in place until the Board takes further action.