Dr. Caitlin Bernard’s case before the Indiana Medical Licensing Board is officially over after both sides opted not to appeal the board’s decision.
The board voted in May to reprimand Bernard but did not prevent her from practicing.
Bernard provided abortion care to a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio last year and then discussed that case with the Indianapolis Star. Targeted by Attorney General Todd Rokita, Bernard was eventually reprimanded by the state medical licensing board for what it said was a patient privacy violation — though national experts disagree on whether the physician broke any privacy rules.
Rokita declared victory after the board’s decision, though the panel rejected the most serious charges the attorney general leveled against Bernard, with the board president calling her a “good doctor.”
Both sides opted not to appeal the licensing board’s ruling. In a statement, Bernard said her time is better spent focusing on providing care. She also warned against using the outcome of her case as precedent for politicians to attack doctors who provide care they personally disagree with.
Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.
